Shadow Games (19 Feb. 2010)
"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" Shadow Games (original title)

In hopes to bringing rain to Capua, there are some games approaching in which the main event, called Primus, is about to be an epic battle between Spartacus/Crixus and Theokoles, the Shadow... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Hurst

Writers:

Miranda Kwok, Steven S. DeKnight (creator)

Stars:

Andy Whitfield, John Hannah, Peter Mensah

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Andy Whitfield	...	Spartacus
John Hannah	...	Batiatus
Peter Mensah	...	Doctore
Manu Bennett	...	Crixus
Nick Tarabay	...	Ashur (as Nick E. Tarabay)
Viva Bianca	...	Ilithyia
Lucy Lawless	...	Lucretia
Jai Courtney	...	Varro
Antonio Te Maioha	...	Barca
Craig Walsh-Wrightson	...	Solonius
Lesley-Ann Brandt	...	Naevia
Eka Darville	...	Pietros
Matthew Chamberlain	...	Ovidius (as Matt Chamberlain)
John Bach	...	Magistrate Calavius
Janine Burchett	...	Domitia

Storyline

In hopes to bringing rain to Capua, there are some games approaching in which the main event, called Primus, is about to be an epic battle between Spartacus/Crixus and Theokoles, the Shadow of Death, who was never been defeated. Meanwhile, Batiatus discover who is behind his attack in the Pits and Lucretia wants to get pregnant.

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Plot Keywords:

rain | little boy | maggots | infertility | predestination | 

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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:

19 February 2010 (USA)

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

User Reviews

Good entertainment, intriguing teamwork, boomerang story but too many arcs, emotional and surreal ending

What's in the shadow of the giant ? It could have been a Saiyan if Shadow Games was a Dragon Ball Kai episode. Training, humiliation and redemption. It seems Spartacles was ready for his first Labour. Slay the beast. Win the crowd. Make Batiatus rich. Earn your freedom. Get Sura. But things aren't that simple in a wasteland where anyone would sell its own child for a drop of water. Teaming up with Crixus instantly sounded like madness. However arcs developed in the past episodes came back like boomerangs to nourish the story. Until the very end I didn't know what would happen. Indeed like puppet masters the writers played with our mind. How can you predict anything when you can't even trust a writer ? That's how much this show is corrupted.

Seriously even if the finale fight wasn't as awesome as I hoped it would be, it was still good entertainment. The events were twisted and the ambiance surreal enough to make me believe in miracles. But like in alchemy, life has its way of balancing itself. Is it the beginning of the end ? As for the usual arcs I think they tried to juggle with far too many. Batiatus revenge. Lucretia and Ilithyia's friendship with benefits. Crixus in love. I think they should have focused on the relationship between Spartacus and Crixus. So the idea had potential but I didn't like how it was executed. It doesn't mean it was disappointing, just different from what I had in mind.

To sum things up my opinion is mixed. Was it surprising ? Definitely. Is it a must see ? Of course ! But it'll remain in the shadow of past episodes. However I have to admit that the end was ambivalent enough to make me uncomfortable. It's quite smart because I really don't expect naive happy endings from the show.