Is anyone else watching this show? This would be the sequal to the first season, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. For those of you who may not be in the know, it’s the Starz Network’s stylized story of the standard gladiator life. Think of it as a mix between 300, HBO’s Rome, and a soft-core porn (I say soft core, because there is no actual penetration shown).

Well, last year, the actor who played the title character, Spartacus, died of cancer. Andy was a fantastic actor, and he really grew into the role. He obviously needed a successor (I won’t say replacement). They got another Aussie….Liam. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about how this season was gonna go. And it wasn’t just having Liam do Spartacus. Instead, it was more along the lines of where is the story going.

In the first season, you see the rise & fall of the House of Battatias. The vast majority of the storylines revolved around the house and its (attached) gladiator training facility. Due to the end of the 1st season story…this was not really a viable option for the 2nd. All of this rolled into me being kind of apprehensive about the series.

After the 2nd episode of this season, I think that my fears have been put aside. I see the same potential in Liam as I saw in Andy (when his season started). They have woven in the use of pre-existing sets well…without it feeling too forced. The introduction of some new characters is good…while keeping some of the memorable ones from the last season (and ultimately the prequel). The aspect that I’m happiest so far about is that Animaeus (the old Dottore- gladiator trainer) is getting a much bigger role. The man is a fantastic actor, and since “Gods of the Arena”, I’ve enjoyed the character so much more.

So there ya go. Anyone else watching? And two random questions. Is it me…or are the slave girls *just as pretty* as the noble women? You can call me crazy if you want, but I thought that the most beautiful woman on the show was Naevia (Leucritia’s body slave & love interest of Crixus). And yes, I would put her above Illithia. And the second question is that for any back-flashes to Season 1 involving Spartacus….do you think that they re-filmed them with Liam, or are they using the footage with Andy and using some creative editing?

~Jeordam