This episode sees Pompey and the senators accept all but one of Caeasar's demands; Pompey refuses to meet with Caesar and that is enough for Caesar to refuse the truce he never wanted in the first place. It comes at a time when Caesar needs to leave Rome as scandalous rumours about him and Servilla are making him a laughing stock. He tells her that he won't see her again leading to her cursing him and Atia. Vorenus is having problems as well; the valuable slaves he planned to sell have died; he approaches Erastes Fulmen to borrow money but instead is offered a job as his bodyguard; unfortunately it turns out Fulman wants a thug not a man of honour like Vorenus. These leaves Vorenus with just one option; he returns to Mark Antony and re-joins the legion. Vorenus's wife is concerned that Pullo knows the truth about her affair
a justified concern.
For much of this episode it looked as though it would mostly be about various political matters; how Caesar would react to Pompey's response to the proposal of truce and later how he would react when news of his affair with Servilla spreads through Rome. It was equally interesting to see Vorenus's problems and good to see him returning to the military where he belongs. The episode isn't full of action but there are a couple of distinctly gruelling scenes; firstly when Fulman orders Vorenus to break a man's arm then, in an even more gruelling scene, where Pullo and Octavian torture a confession out of Niobe's lover before killing him. The entire cast continues to do a fine job; in secondary roles Lorcan Cranitch is great as the unpleasant Erastes Fulmen and Lindsay Duncan excels as Servilla as she curses Caesar and Atia; there is real venom in her voice in this scene. Overall another impressive episode.
For much of this episode it looked as though it would mostly be about various political matters; how Caesar would react to Pompey's response to the proposal of truce and later how he would react when news of his affair with Servilla spreads through Rome. It was equally interesting to see Vorenus's problems and good to see him returning to the military where he belongs. The episode isn't full of action but there are a couple of distinctly gruelling scenes; firstly when Fulman orders Vorenus to break a man's arm then, in an even more gruelling scene, where Pullo and Octavian torture a confession out of Niobe's lover before killing him. The entire cast continues to do a fine job; in secondary roles Lorcan Cranitch is great as the unpleasant Erastes Fulmen and Lindsay Duncan excels as Servilla as she curses Caesar and Atia; there is real venom in her voice in this scene. Overall another impressive episode.