Is it possible for a show to survive the recasting of the main character, especially when the original made such a big impression? That's the challenge behind the Starz's show Spartacus: Vengeance, which picked up right where season one left off with a resounding roar.
Spartacus: Vengeance followed the titular slave character (Liam McIntyre) who led a bloody rebellion against his master (John Hannah) that led him and most of the House of Batiatus dead. Now, Spartacus and his band of fugitive slaves are on the run and painting everything with the blood of Romans. Spartacus is working together with his former rival/tenative friend Crixus (Manu Bennett) who is searching for his lost love (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) who was sold to the highest bidder for being involved with him. Spartacus and Crixus were forced to decide whether to deal with the personal and military threats to their band of slaves that included ones from the past and the present. They believed that Batiatus's wife (Lucy Lawless) was dead, but she managed to survive her fatal stabbing wound to torment her frenemie Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) and her husband Glaber (Craig Parker). Glaber is tasked with bringing Spartacus' rebellion to an end by any means. He dragged his pregnant wife along, even though he was unaware that she had multiple secrets that could ruin everything. Spartacus has potential allies in former trainer Oenomaus (Peter Mensah), freed slave Gannicus (Dustin Clare) and his current lover Mira (Katrina Law) who could all help or hurt Spartacus in the end. Will Spartacus be able to get revenge desires fulfilled or be killed before it happens?
In terms of plot, Vengeance has a lot of material to choose from in the form of threats in the rebellion group and from the Romans. The over-the-top violence bordered on campy at times, but it was enjoyable regardless. The new season has the spirit of Blood and Sand, but it has a very different tone than it had before. The recurring theme of revenge, forgiveness and atonement made the premiere episode a little heavyhanded at times. It sometimes took away from the extreme combat scenes and the very intimate scenes between Spartacus and Mira. The show gambled with throwing the audience right back into the action without giving any explanation about what happened after they left the House of Batiatus. Hopefully, the show's tone will stabilize once the writers find their storytelling groove. Bennett, Lawless and Bianca provided some support and a sense of unpredictability that made it fascinating to watch. The complicated friendship/rivalry between Lawless and Bianca was rather intense because no one knew if they would hug or kill each other. Bennett was the perfect foil to McIntyre's steely Spartacus because he made Crixus more than brute strength. He was a man who loved a woman and would do anything to get her back. Watching the first episode was more about seeing if Liam McIntyre was able to pick up where previous star Andy Whitfield left off. McIntyre gave his version of Spartacus a darker feel that was fueled by blind rage, while Whitfield's was more serenely dangerous. It's too early to tell if Starz made the right decision in recasting the character after Whitfield's untimely demise last fall. Let's hope that audiences give the show and McIntyre the chance to show that Spartacus still has story left to tell.
Spartacus: Vengeance premieres on January 27th and airs Fridays at 10:00 PM on Starz.
Verdict: McIntyre does a decent effort in replacing Whitfield but he has a long way to go in making his mark on the Spartacus character.
TV Score: 3 out of 5 stars
Score Chart
1 Star (Mediocre)
2 Stars (Averagely Entertaining)
3 Stars (Decent Enough to Pass Muster)
4 Stars (Near Perfect)
5 Stars (Gold Standard)
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