Rome:2.02 Son of Hades
Jan. 22nd, 2007 05:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
baleanopteraThoughts on Son of Hades
- but I think it could be subtitled "How Vorenus collected hubris like woah!"
For how many times did he offend the Gods in this episode? Quite a few. Though I loved that each time he did it Pullo commented on it, and said it was wrong. The biggest instance being after Maschius has come to the Aventine:
Vorenus: "What more can the Gods do to me? How can they punish me now?"
Pullo: "Dunno. Don’t want to find out."
Be careful Vorenus, because what you are saying there is what the Greeks called hubris, and it never works to your advantage. And we’re given ample proof of that at the end of the episode, with the slave cart containing his children and Lyde.
I must say I was rather expecting them to be alive and sold into slavery. I don’t think them being alive makes it to soap-operaish, but rather the contrary. For Vorenus thinks he has nothing left to live for, and so he lets himself go – and the bitter, twisted irony of it all is that he does have something to live for. His children are alive and by making himself the mob boss of the Aventine he is destroying any chance he might have had of a good future.
And that, in short, is the answer to what the Gods can do to him.
As I’ve mentioned to some of you the whole situation makes me think of a quote from Stephen Donaldson’s books Thomas Covenant Chronicle: “How do you hurt a man who has lost everything? You give him back something broken.”
I really liked Pullo’s concerned about the Gods. I think the events from the arena and the prayer before hand really changed him. He has, in a way, been shown that the Gods can have mercy and subsequently it is not a good thing to anger them.
Speaking further of Pullo (which I do like to do) was it just me or did he become the calm centre of this episode? Right after the fight between Octavian and Marc Antony there was a shot of Pullo, appearing calm and smiling.
And the shaving scene! So calm & composed. (Which is more than I was.)
Marc Antony was also fascinating, but clearly out of his depth. I liked how his response to Pullo felt like a man grasping for solid ground more than anything else. But he underestimates Octavian and is generally not very good at hiding his motives, and this will cause him trouble.
Also: ”Marc Antony buggers boys like you for a morning snack!” has to be one of the best lines of the episode.
I rather liked the fight between Octavian and Marc Antony – mostly because Octavian lost his composure on several occasions, including calling his mother a whore.
I also liked that Octavian his a little cowardly in his fighting. It isn’t before Antony turns away that he hits him with the statue (or whatever it was). Makes sense – since Octavian is not a fighter, but it also shows that he moves when you are not looking. Hee.
Octavia giggling when her brother says he think he is the man to lead the republic. In fact everybody in this episode underestimates Octavian, except Servillia. That was a nice touch – and shows that for all her horrid actions, she is a smart woman.
And I really liked that Octavian left home, because it was time for a little independence and Atia was becoming rather annoying. Also he is going to Agrippa! (Which makes me squee because I’ve always liked the historical Agrippa, so I’m very much looking forward to Rome’s take on him.)
I must say I rather liked Cleopatra in this episode. Before I have been rather indifferent to her, but here she really came into her own. I loved how she played Antony, and how she entered the party by saying: "Let us pretend we are all equals". That said so much about her character, and showed that the girl has an agenda, and I like the way she goes about it.
If "Passover" tied up a few loose ends from last season, "Son of Hades" moved new pieces onto the board. And twisted a few of the others. Poor Vorenus. *sob*
- but I think it could be subtitled "How Vorenus collected hubris like woah!"
For how many times did he offend the Gods in this episode? Quite a few. Though I loved that each time he did it Pullo commented on it, and said it was wrong. The biggest instance being after Maschius has come to the Aventine:
Vorenus: "What more can the Gods do to me? How can they punish me now?"
Pullo: "Dunno. Don’t want to find out."
Be careful Vorenus, because what you are saying there is what the Greeks called hubris, and it never works to your advantage. And we’re given ample proof of that at the end of the episode, with the slave cart containing his children and Lyde.
I must say I was rather expecting them to be alive and sold into slavery. I don’t think them being alive makes it to soap-operaish, but rather the contrary. For Vorenus thinks he has nothing left to live for, and so he lets himself go – and the bitter, twisted irony of it all is that he does have something to live for. His children are alive and by making himself the mob boss of the Aventine he is destroying any chance he might have had of a good future.
And that, in short, is the answer to what the Gods can do to him.
As I’ve mentioned to some of you the whole situation makes me think of a quote from Stephen Donaldson’s books Thomas Covenant Chronicle: “How do you hurt a man who has lost everything? You give him back something broken.”
I really liked Pullo’s concerned about the Gods. I think the events from the arena and the prayer before hand really changed him. He has, in a way, been shown that the Gods can have mercy and subsequently it is not a good thing to anger them.
Speaking further of Pullo (which I do like to do) was it just me or did he become the calm centre of this episode? Right after the fight between Octavian and Marc Antony there was a shot of Pullo, appearing calm and smiling.
And the shaving scene! So calm & composed. (Which is more than I was.)
Marc Antony was also fascinating, but clearly out of his depth. I liked how his response to Pullo felt like a man grasping for solid ground more than anything else. But he underestimates Octavian and is generally not very good at hiding his motives, and this will cause him trouble.
Also: ”Marc Antony buggers boys like you for a morning snack!” has to be one of the best lines of the episode.
I rather liked the fight between Octavian and Marc Antony – mostly because Octavian lost his composure on several occasions, including calling his mother a whore.
I also liked that Octavian his a little cowardly in his fighting. It isn’t before Antony turns away that he hits him with the statue (or whatever it was). Makes sense – since Octavian is not a fighter, but it also shows that he moves when you are not looking. Hee.
Octavia giggling when her brother says he think he is the man to lead the republic. In fact everybody in this episode underestimates Octavian, except Servillia. That was a nice touch – and shows that for all her horrid actions, she is a smart woman.
And I really liked that Octavian left home, because it was time for a little independence and Atia was becoming rather annoying. Also he is going to Agrippa! (Which makes me squee because I’ve always liked the historical Agrippa, so I’m very much looking forward to Rome’s take on him.)
I must say I rather liked Cleopatra in this episode. Before I have been rather indifferent to her, but here she really came into her own. I loved how she played Antony, and how she entered the party by saying: "Let us pretend we are all equals". That said so much about her character, and showed that the girl has an agenda, and I like the way she goes about it.
If "Passover" tied up a few loose ends from last season, "Son of Hades" moved new pieces onto the board. And twisted a few of the others. Poor Vorenus. *sob*
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 04:55 pm (UTC)I wasn't expecting it, only because this is the last season and I thought it created too many loose ends to tie up, etc., that would be better explored in a longer arc. I figured that killing them off would be an easy out for the writers to eliminate some storylines. Clearly, bad things lie ahead for Vorenus!
Hearing Octavia call Antony an animal, knowing that she marries him... that was an interesting touch.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 05:37 pm (UTC)Yes, and I'm rather dreading them. This episode also showed that he is still bound by oath to Antony, and whereas "Passover" demonstrated that Pullo is very much Octavian's man. So I expect some heartbreak to come out of that as well.
And the Octavia and Antony relationship is interesting. I liked how she watched the exchange of looks between Antony, Atia and Cleopatra in the dinner part from hell. She seems to have grown, as is a little bit more aware of her surroundings. Whereas Atia has started to annoy me.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 10:30 pm (UTC)And that, in short, is the answer to what the Gods can do to him.
As I’ve mentioned to some of you the whole situation makes me think of a quote from Stephen Donaldson’s books Thomas Covenant Chronicle: “How do you hurt a man who has lost everything? You give him back something broken.”
I also was expecting for them to be alive. As you say, beacause "Rome" is not a soap opera. What would be the profit for Erastes to kill them? I do believe the raping part, though. Poor kids. And I love that quote - “How do you hurt a man who has lost everything? You give him back something broken.”..
no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 02:40 am (UTC)This is probably my acting background speaking - the need to do historical research for costumes and colours and to understand motivations - but it bugs me all to heck when the ancient Greeks or Romans that we`re given in movies and plays are all walking, talking, time-bleached marble statues.
There`s none of this namby pamby flittering around in pristine white sheets with "thee" and "thou" on everyone`s lips. They swear. They fuck. They sweat. They smell. They bathe (or not). They eat. They bleed and kill. There`s colour everywhere, a riot of it, and real emotion.
I like that we`re not see an academic`s Rome. We are seeing what we would see, if we had a time machine.
It`s a marvelous series, and I can say that from one episode.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 04:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 12:05 pm (UTC)I agree that it will be interesting to see how they work the children back in, and I suspect it will not be lighthearted or easy. Rome has a tendency to show the very human emotions behind historical events, and I think that is some of the reasons I love it so. It could have been pompous and Historical (with a capital letter), and instead it aims to be very human with all that means.
And I too am sad its the last season, and also a little frightened. Because they don't have to consider things like recurring characters - and so any one non-historical could die. *meep!*
no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 12:11 pm (UTC)I believe the raping as well. And the last shot of them was so well done. They were resigned, but you could see the tear marks on their faces. This is grasping for straws I know, but I keep hoping that they will be sold to someone good.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-30 07:55 pm (UTC)It's also very good at mixing the historical people with fictional characters, which is a great device for adding even more emotion. I mean you cannot kill of a historical character before their time, but a beloved fictional character? Oh yes! (and a word of warning there - Rome loves to kill of characters. *sob!*)
As you say they have managed to lift history out of the books, and given it a feel of life. Their Rome is a city of murky back alleys, and seedy mob bosses - as well as the temples and statues (usually properly painted btw. )