Rome

[The NZA]

 

Piggylover recommended this one, i think he said its only one season or so, about the last days of Caesar from the perspective of 2 of his gaurds - anyone catch it?

 

 

[Dirty Gypsy]

It's very well done. Subtle for the most part, and FANTASTICALLY acted. It's almost like a Western in the level of plot conveyed through tiny little looks and glances.

[Silent Bob]

I've only seen the first couple episodes (free disc I got with a Sopranos purchase) but what I saw was fantastic. It reminds me a lot of Deadwood in how it has an enormous cast of characters, and how it really takes its time with plots and arcs. I can't wait to see more when season 1 comes to dvd Aug. 28th

[The NZA]

Finished season 1, and this is a really great historical drama here.

Its hard not to love the history happening around Voreneus & Pullo, fictional or not. The work on costumes & sets is simply amazing - i applaud them focusing more on that then just the battles, which it all but skips over in some points, and yet you're not upset because the characters/plot are that good, even if you do know what's gonna happen in the end. And you do.

 

Its also really cool to get a presentation that's less, say, 300 and more feeling like how you imagine shit was at that time, as far as customs/superstitions, politics, social norms and the like. I honestly cant wait to see season 2 now. Glad Sen, and panch pushed this one on me.

 

 

that said, yeah, the finale's fucking tragic like you knew it'd be, but fuck me if the episode before with pullo yelling "13!!!" in the pit didnt tug the shit outta heartstrings.

 

[Silent Bob]

Wait, looking back on this thread...did...did DG really use the word "subtle" to describe Rome? Subtle?

 

Nick, Season 2 is a little shaky compared to the superb first season, but it still has some good stuff. And you definitely called the best moment in the series. Thirteen, indeed.

[Jables]

Nick you sack've shit, how is it me spending the entire time you were Down Under beating you over the head with my damned boxed set telling you to watch this didn't sink in? Guh.

 

Watching season 2 on cable now, loving the shit out the family dramas and intrigue. Did I hear right that it stopped with season 2?

[Jables]

Just wrapped up season 2, and since there's no third(which sucks) I guess that's that. I gotta say, as from Nick's title there, It seems like this series was more about Mark Antony than even maybe Octavian(Augustus), since the back half of season 2 was pretty much all Antony

& Cleopatra of course.

.

[The NZA]

what did you think of

the actor switch for octavian?

 

 

that really threw me & a few others off, what i hear. not a dealbreaker, but felt random.

[Jables]

That's a spoiler?! Seriously, months and years lapse between eps, so unless they're gonna age the kid somehow, it had to happen, and I was completely okay with the

much more villianous older Augustus. Whatr threw me was the shoehorned Pullo& Son ending. That said 'hastily wrapped up plot point' for me. Although I'd love to see a Lone wolf & Cub style spin-off

[Silent Bob]

 

I didn't like the older Octavian but that was more because I didn't like the new actor's performance compared to the wonderful character that the kid had done. But I saw the necessity for it.

 

 

Touching on that, one of the few major issues I had with the series - especially during the second season - was how unclear the passage of time was. One storyline would seem to span a couple days, then it would cut to another that seems like it must be years later. Octavian ages so much that he needs to be played by a new actor (I've decided that's not really a spoiler, is it?) but his sister looks perpetually 17, and none of the other characters ever look any older. If they make any changes to the backgrounds and environments to denote the passage of time, it's impossible to tell because the sets are so detailed and densely packed that they could change from shot to shot and you probably wouldn't notice. The history presented in the series literally spans two decades (only the first five or so years are covered in Season 1), but good luck figuring that out while watching it.

[Senshik]

I didn't like the older Octavian but that was more because I didn't like the new actor's performance compared to the wonderful character that the kid had done. But I saw the necessity for it.

 

 

My thoughts exactly SB. That is the very reason why I was a bit thrown off in season two.

I think in Season Two, Atia's role becomes a bit weakened... which kind of made me sad because I am such a fan of the bitch, although she'd just call me a pleb.

 

however, her departing words at the end of the season to Octavians' new wife was redeemable. Fucking beautiful! "You are swearing now that some day... some day you will destroy me... Remember, far better women than you have sworn to do the same. Go and look for them now."

 

 

As far as Pullo and his son are concerned, I liked them walking off into the streets of Rome probably to start a life filled with mischief. "Now, about your father..." Heh

 

[Jables]

Ecch, Sen, that Pullo bit was so damned Hokey. I never actually liked Atia as a character until the last half of Season 2, maybe

After Servilia's death-because she no longer had a kind of moral foil

. Passage of time was indeed confusing and a perfectly valid complaint. It's sad there's no season 3 though, I'd love to see the creative team's rich, but no-frills take on the Colliseum and other key creations of the period.

[Silent Bob]

Passage of time was indeed confusing and a perfectly valid complaint.

 

I know this is an old topic, but I recently read a story about the Rome series that touched on this major complaint about Season 2. Apparently, the show was planned out to five seasons. When the writers and producers were informed that it would be canceled at the end of Season 2, they were forced to condense Season 2's planned story into the first half of the year (Season 2 was meant to end with the death of Brutus) and they crammed Season 3 and 4's story into the second half. I think it's a damn shame that HBO made them do that because the quality really did suffer for it.

 

Incidentally, the final season, Season 5, would have dealt with the rise and fall of Jesus of Nazareth - which would have been really cool to see. Damn HBO.

[Jables]

Hah! ANd if, IF that'd flown it mighta paved the way for a HBO God as told by Msr's Ennis & Dillon.

[Reverend Jax]

A season 5 focusing on Jesus would have had no continuity with the first 4 seasons. I'm assuming they didn't plan on injecting Pullo as one of Jesus' apostles. I mean, I think a series called "Jesus by the people that brought you Rome" would've works, but calling it "Rome" would have been weird.

[Mr. Hakujin]

I know this is an old topic, but I recently read a story about the Rome series that touched on this major complaint about Season 2. Apparently, the show was planned out to five seasons. When the writers and producers were informed that it would be canceled at the end of Season 2, they were forced to condense Season 2's planned story into the first half of the year (Season 2 was meant to end with the death of Brutus) and they crammed Season 3 and 4's story into the second half. I think it's a damn shame that HBO made them do that because the quality really did suffer for it.

 

Incidentally, the final season, Season 5, would have dealt with the rise and fall of Jesus of Nazareth - which would have been really cool to see. Damn HBO.

Yeah, S2 was definitely plagued by a hurried feeling. The first season was some of the best TV ever. And I think a S5 focusing on Jesus of Nazareth would've been tits. Pullo & Vorenus could've been part of the torture or maybe converts. Mel Gibson could've played Pilot. It could've worked.