To Catch a Critic:

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Modern television is plagued with extremes. Extreme gore, extreme sexuality, and extreme violence are always toeing the balance between entertainment and senseless grotesqueness. Amazingly, one program dared to incorporate all three extremes into three seasons and a prequel—and succeeded in creating a show that was not only decent, but a smash hit.

Spartacus is a Starz channel exclusive television series chronicling the life and death of the most famous slave rebel in Roman history. Filmed exclusively in New Zealand and created by Steven S. DeKnight, the series follows the Thracian’s journey from his first encounter with Roman treachery, to his capture and enslavement, his brief but glorious days as an undefeatable gladiator, and finally his two-year bloody campaign against the Republic that had stolen everything from him.

Spartacus was directed by Stanley Kubrick, and starred Andy Whitfield for the first season. Tragically, the star stepped down from the role as the show’s namesake before the second season when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He passed away during the filming of the second season and was succeeded by Liam McIntyre, who filled the massive gap left by Whitfield’s untimely passing as well as one could have expected. Other stars included Manu Bennett, who played the role of Spartacus’ friend and rival, Crixus, and Dustin Clare as Gannicus, a retired gladiator turned rebel.

The most impressive aspect of the show is not readily apparent without background knowledge or research into the actual events of Spartacus’ life. The series is almost entirely historically accurate. The names of each main or important character are the names of real people with few exceptions to this rule. Spartacus, Crixus, Gannicus, and Oenomaus, just a few of the main characters and fan favorites, are the real names of the slaves that led and assisted in the revolution against Rome. Even the names of the slave owners and most important leaders of the Roman army are largely accurate. The timeline of events leading up to and during the rebellion were, of course, altered to fit a fast-paced television drama formula, but even still remained delightfully intact. Of course, love triangles and dramas were added to keep the audience engaged with the characters, but this didn’t slow or harm the progression of the show.

At first glance, the graphics of Spartacus seemed over the top and even a little juvenile. Every time someone threw a punch or made contact with a blade, the scene would go into a slow motion sequence, complete with absurd amounts of blood and hilarious expressions on the faces of the actors. However, as the series marches on and the viewer learns to adjust to these little idiosyncrasies, it no longer appears to be an overdramatic mistake, but rather a simple little quirk that only adds to the show’s rugged charm.

Spartacus was filmed exclusively in New Zealand, the perfect place to depict craggy mountains and a variety of weather conditions. The actual set for the show must have been massive, spearheaded by a team of expert artists and builders to create an incredibly convincing world that captured the atmosphere of 75 BCE Rome. Elaborately decorated villas, dusty street markets, and a variety of eraappropriate costumes for Romans and slaves alike, and a massive arena showcase only some of the talents and dedication of the production team in sticking as close as possible to historical fact as one can in modern day New Zealand.

Spartacus turned out to be a surprise hit for Starz, and despite unforeseen tragedy forcing the show to replace the main character mid-series, the story remained steady and driven toward its conclusion. There was never a lapse in quality for the entire three seasons and six-episode prequel. It wasn’t too short, and it wasn’t so long that it appeared to drag. It was the perfect length to tell the story in the most efficient way possible and leave the audience wanting more adventures with the gladiators they’d grown to love.