Missio (28 Jan. 2011)

A week has passed since he received his severe beating at the hands of Tullius' men and Batiatus has now recovered sufficiently to leave his bed. Tullius sends him a message to the effect ... See full summary »

Director:

Rick Jacobson

Writers:

Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon,

Stars:

John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
John Hannah	...	Batiatus
Manu Bennett	...	Crixus
Peter Mensah	...	Oenomaus
Dustin Clare	...	Gannicus
Jaime Murray	...	Gaia
Nick Tarabay	...	Ashur (as Nick E Tarabay)
Marisa Ramirez	...	Melitta
Lucy Lawless	...	Lucretia
Craig Walsh-Wrightson	...	Solonius
Lesley-Ann Brandt	...	Naevia
Temuera Morrison	...	Doctore
Antonio Te Maioha	...	Barca
Stephen Lovatt	...	Tullius
Josef Brown	...	Auctus
Shane Rangi	...	Dagan

Storyline

A week has passed since he received his severe beating at the hands of Tullius' men and Batiatus has now recovered sufficiently to leave his bed. Tullius sends him a message to the effect that he acted hastily and offers a compromise. Batiatus is in no mood to compromise however and plans his own revenge. Quintillius Varis comes to Capua to select gladiators for his games and Gaia, who knows him, plots to have him come to Batiatus' house. Batiatus will seemingly go to any length to impress Varis but his blind enthusiasm does not sit well with the men. Doctore and Oenomaus settle their differences in the arena.

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Plot Keywords:

husband wife relationship | father son relationship

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA Australia New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 January 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Starz Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

54 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Gaia's hair color changes several times in different scenes starting here and for subsequent episodes. It became countless of how many times she was a blonde, redhead to brunette/black hair.

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Quotes

Gannicus: There's only one way to become champion. Never fucking lose.

User Reviews

Episode #2 Missio- Great follow up #1.Past transgressions !

Spartacus is one of those shows which does not shy away from explicit content.But,to people who are acquainted with the show,it is much more than that.The story of these people-of these slaves,these gladiators is one of constant struggle.The reason why this show has become so popular is that it plays on the very basic emotions of the viewers;not necessarily giving complicated plot twists but delivering raw,unadulterated bursts of emotion with shattering implications.Episode 2 of the prequel is one of those episodes where you see what this show from Starz can throw at you.

We get to see a wounded Batiatus licking his wounds,plotting revenge for the heinous attack .The execution of his plans is in typical Spartacus style- short,quick,brutal and bloody.Also,one can see that unlike other shows,this one has no qualms about the casual display of certain parts of the male anatomy,irrespective of whether it adds to the progress of the story or otherwise.

Gaia,is gradually growing on the house of Batiatus using her "skills" to help them accomplish a certain task of prime importance.Once again,Crixus shows sign of why he one day becomes the Champion of Capua with his skills on full display with well choreographed combat scenes(which looked a bit awkward towards the end,but still good nonetheless.) Marisa Ramirez as Mellita ,Oenomaus' wife has been quite an intriguing character with her unique relationship towards both her husband and Gannicus.Even though the ensuing emotional chaos which occurs in the episode is predictable,the artistic nature of the scene has quite an impact.

With the sneak peek promising the viewers a chance to witness Batiatus' father in action,I presume things can only get better !!

My score:8/10