Spartacus is one of my favorite action shows ever, so much so that it inspired one of my book series, so to hear it was returning for more was exciting news. But how it was returning was bizarre and kind of hilarious.
The new show is Spartacus: House of Ashur, focusing on a villainous character from the original series. What’s weird about that? Characters get spin-off series all the time, right? Well, in this case, Spartacus ended with Ashur getting beheaded. So how is this going to work, exactly?
The concept is just: Okay, what if that didn’t happen?
That’s the long and short of it. This is just some alternate timeline because…who cares why? Ashur is a great character, and Spartacus was a great series, so let’s just bring him back and run with it. Here’s the synopsis:
“Spartacus: House of Ashur explores a “what if” scenario where Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) survives the events of Vengeance and is rewarded with the gladiator school he once served. The series follows his rise to power as a “Dominus” in the brutal world of Roman gladiators, a path he takes with the help of a fierce gladiatrix named Achillia.”
The show premieres on December 5 on Starz, but reviews are coming in. Those reviews have, at present, produced a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score for the show. I gotta say, not exactly what I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, I love the originals, but they’re not exactly high-brow, critic-pleasing entertainment.
But looking back to 2010-2013, when the original series aired its four seasons (including one prequel season), the show was not scoring this high. We had:
- Spartacus: Blood and Sand (season 1) – 52%
- Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (season 2) – 73%
- Spartacus: Vengeance (season 3) – Not enough reviews for a score
- Spartacus: War of the Damned (season 4) – 69%
- Spartacus: House of the Damned (parallel universe season 5, I guess?) – 100%
Granted, there are not a ton of reviews in yet, but those that are? Effusive.
- Here’s RogerEbert.com: “It offers us a rarity in a world where prequels and reboots threaten to stifle all originality: a spin-off series that not only honors the legacy of its predecessor, but one that, at times, rivals it.”
- Variety: “Overall, Spartacus: House of Ashur is a dynamic follow-up to the previous chapters. A classic tale of the haves and have-nots in ancient Rome, where power means everything, DeKnight’s world is as enticing as ever.”
- The Wrap: “In making Achillia a woman who is scarred both physically and emotionally, creator, showrunner/executive producer Steven S. DeKnight and his writers have fleshed out a character who could have just been a plot stunt into one that is a welcome addition.”
So, not that many reviews, but these are major outlets chiming in, and they all love it. The ten-episode(!) season will arrive this Friday, December 5 on Starz, and clearly it’s not one to be missed. Even if you have to subscribe to Starz.
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