The Red Serpent (22 Jan. 2010)
"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" The Red Serpent (original title)

In its war on the Greek peninsula, the Romans convince the Thracians to join them in defeating the Getae, who have been raiding Thracian villages for generations. The Thracians are fierce ... See full summary »

Director:

Rick Jacobson

Writers:

Steven S. DeKnight, Steven S. DeKnight (creator)

Stars:

Andy Whitfield, John Hannah, Manu Bennett

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Andy Whitfield	...	Spartacus
John Hannah	...	Batiatus
Manu Bennett	...	Crixus
Erin Cummings	...	Sura
Lucy Lawless	...	Lucretia
Viva Bianca	...	Ilithyia
Craig Parker	...	Claudius Glaber
Kyle Rowling	...	Drenis
Antonio Te Maioha	...	Barca
John Rawls	...	Byzo
Kevin J. Wilson	...	Senator Albinius
Craig Walsh-Wrightson	...	Solonius (as Craig Walsh-Wrighton)
Aron Eastwood	...	Tribune
John Way	...	Capuan Man

Storyline

In its war on the Greek peninsula, the Romans convince the Thracians to join them in defeating the Getae, who have been raiding Thracian villages for generations. The Thracians are fierce warriors and prove to be valiant in battle. They are deceived by the Roman commander, Claudius Glaber, who orders them to fight against the Greeks, something they had not counted on. One of them in particular refuses to fight and rebels against the Romans only to lose the fight and is enslaved along with his wife Sura. The Thracian is transported to Capua where Senator Albinius is sponsoring gladiatorial games. In the arena, the enslaved Thracian manages to defeat four opponents and in allowing the Thracian to live, Senator Albinius decides to name him after a Thracian king from the past: Spartacus.

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Plot Keywords:

fight | arena | attack | blood | gladiator | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA New Zealand Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Zealand Large Budget Screen Production Grant, Tapert / Donen / Raimi, Starz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert G. Tapert suggested that his wife, Lucy Lawless, should play Lucretia.

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Goofs

At the very end when Senator Albinius signals to spare the newly named Spartacus' life he gives the modern thumbs up sign. In ancient Rome the thumbs up sign was to signify the sword being thrust into the heart and therefore death. The closed fist with the thumb against the index finger signified spare the gladiators life. If Senator Albinius had given the thumbs up sign then the gladiator would have been put to death but Spartacus' life was to be spared so the sign was incorrect for the desired result.

User Reviews

Mesmerizing animated digital and violent painting, surreal editing, inspiring protagonist's love quest, lazy sex scenes but cut sharp dialogs

I knew the show wouldn't be your usual historical drama but I didn't expect it to be that brutal. It was one hell of a bloody pilot ! When Rome impressed us with its high-end production and mature cast, The Red Serpent was more about the dark deoxygenated visuals and hyper dynamic action. But like in The Tudors it was also a lot about the relationship between power and women.

To tell the truth it took my neurons some time to coagulate because of the numerous brilliant ideas that could make Spartacus : Blood and Sand the 300 of television. First it's not a surprise Sam Raimi co-created it considering his past works. Ready for an other Army of Darkness night fever ? However it wasn't funny at all and definitely not a parody of Gladiator (2000). The only humorous scenes involved John Hannah's character and his greedy wife. He was so hilarious in The Mummy that I'm glad to see him back. Moreover his profile should help to take all the graphic violence more lightly. In fact once a body part was cut sharp the red fluid was pouring so much that I found most of the scenes jaw dropping. They even match some Mortal Kombat fatalities ! The last time I was so fascinated by such fights was probably while watching Braveheart but let's consider that I haven't seen 300 yet.

As for the cliché but inspiring story of course it's all about Spartacus and his beautiful damsel in distress, Sura. The first seconds made me skeptical about the digital visuals but I instantly knew Andy Whitfield was the perfect match for the famous slaves leader. Erin Cummings is also great as his wife. She both has an irresistible sex appeal and strong charisma. In fact the scene where she picks straw fruits is my favorite because she looked like a nose bleeding Little Red Riding Hood. There was something fantastic about the ambiance and the following minutes were just astonishing. In fact I was very impressed by the editing in general because some transitions were just mesmerizing. One second Spartacus is warming up with his friends, the next they're fighting deadly cells in a plasma of snowflakes. It's not everyday that you can see so much creativity. I wouldn't be surprised if it rained vampire cats and zombie dogs in the upcoming episodes !

But the problem is that I was so pleased by this pilot that I'm already asking for more and the next episode, Sacramentum Gladiatorum, better be even more gory and unpredictable. They definitely have to take things to the next level ! For example I wouldn't be against some mythological elements like in the God of War video game series. I also think that visually playing with the vital importance of organs like heart could bring some depth to the cut scenes. Anyone for ogres in bloodlust ? What about turning deadly injured characters into stones ? What if some of them actually had green blood ? The sexual elements could also use some dirty cleaning because the lust scenes were quite boring and after the epic butchery they seemed even more conventional. What about playing with the most controversial feelings of the tortured characters ? These few ideas could modestly be the necessary subtances that could raise the show among the pioneers of a new visual and savage era.

It's useless to resist the infection because this review should have already spread some parasites in your veins. You already want to know what happened to Sura and how Spartacus managed to defeat his enemies. And as every hero has a nemesis I can't wait to watch the upcoming episodes. Moreover the ending was so captivating and twisted that I really wonder what his love for her will allow him to do, beside painting sand. I also found quite smart to give so much meaning to words in such a physical show. It successfully brought some depth to it. In Spartacus blood is not associated to its importance to life but to the death caused by fatal injuries. Its creators gave birth to a creature whom blood is shed for us in a cup of entertainment and visual madness. That is their testament. Not watching it would make you an heretic and trust me, you don't want to wake up the berserker within him !