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When my alarm went off this morning, I woke up without the faintest idea what day it was, ran through all available possibilities in my mind but none of them felt right.
I hate when that happens. When I finally do manage to work out what day it is, it is inevitably a disappointment!
Rome returned last night. Well, actually, it technically returned on Sunday night in the US, but for me it was last night after, erm, acquiring it during the day. Woot!
I love the way this show brings ancient Rome to life so very vividly – the religion and customs and attitudes, sounds and colours and very nearly the smells! I love how intricately complex the web of character interrelations is, each social circle overlapping and overlapping so that ultimately everyone is connected to everyone else via someone.
The new season opened just seconds after the last one ended, and in terms of storytelling that was the perfect decision. Don't time-jump to a more stable period when things have settled down once more - show the chaos and confusion of the immediate aftermath of Caesar's murder. That's the big picture, the death of one person impacting on both a massive, Republic-wide level and on a much smaller, personal level among his friends and family. But we also had the small picture – the death of one person, Niobe, impacting in such devastating fashion on her family.
I miss Niobe already, and grieve for the entire Vorenus family, so horribly ripped to bits in one shattering blow. No wonder Vorenus has completely lost it. He's such a dour, inflexible man. He was never going to be able to cope with something like this. Thank heavens for Pullo rushing to his side to at least try to help him through it.
Pullo and Eirene are adorable. Modern sensibilities will never be able to understand how she could even forgive him for the murder of her lover, still less marry him, but it is wrong to view any of these people through modern eyes. Theirs is a completely alien mindset. Eirene was a slave; Pullo was her master. He set her free and he loves her, and she is conditioned to be unable to refuse him anything he wants. Also, for an ex-slave what he's offering her is a pretty attractive prospect, better than she's going to get anywhere else. It's all about status and social circles in ancient Rome – social mobility has to be grasped wherever it is offered.
Lots and lots of love for Mark Antony in this episode. He remains much as he ever was – brash and vulgar, yet also dashing and charming, and oh-so dangerous. More dangerous than ever now, full of anger over Caesar's murder, rather more politically astute than his enemies give him credit for, and willing also to listen to words of wisdom from Octavian, who is more politically – and legally – astute again. This season is going to be all about Mark Antony and the rise of Octavian – that's not a spoiler; that's history! I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
Monday nights are going to be all about Rome followed by ER from now on. Fabulous. Still more fabulous is that last night while watching ER I had an idea about how I might be able to progress with the fic I've been blocked on for months now. I just hope the idea pays off and unfreezes my muse!
I hate when that happens. When I finally do manage to work out what day it is, it is inevitably a disappointment!
Rome returned last night. Well, actually, it technically returned on Sunday night in the US, but for me it was last night after, erm, acquiring it during the day. Woot!
I love the way this show brings ancient Rome to life so very vividly – the religion and customs and attitudes, sounds and colours and very nearly the smells! I love how intricately complex the web of character interrelations is, each social circle overlapping and overlapping so that ultimately everyone is connected to everyone else via someone.
The new season opened just seconds after the last one ended, and in terms of storytelling that was the perfect decision. Don't time-jump to a more stable period when things have settled down once more - show the chaos and confusion of the immediate aftermath of Caesar's murder. That's the big picture, the death of one person impacting on both a massive, Republic-wide level and on a much smaller, personal level among his friends and family. But we also had the small picture – the death of one person, Niobe, impacting in such devastating fashion on her family.
I miss Niobe already, and grieve for the entire Vorenus family, so horribly ripped to bits in one shattering blow. No wonder Vorenus has completely lost it. He's such a dour, inflexible man. He was never going to be able to cope with something like this. Thank heavens for Pullo rushing to his side to at least try to help him through it.
Pullo and Eirene are adorable. Modern sensibilities will never be able to understand how she could even forgive him for the murder of her lover, still less marry him, but it is wrong to view any of these people through modern eyes. Theirs is a completely alien mindset. Eirene was a slave; Pullo was her master. He set her free and he loves her, and she is conditioned to be unable to refuse him anything he wants. Also, for an ex-slave what he's offering her is a pretty attractive prospect, better than she's going to get anywhere else. It's all about status and social circles in ancient Rome – social mobility has to be grasped wherever it is offered.
Lots and lots of love for Mark Antony in this episode. He remains much as he ever was – brash and vulgar, yet also dashing and charming, and oh-so dangerous. More dangerous than ever now, full of anger over Caesar's murder, rather more politically astute than his enemies give him credit for, and willing also to listen to words of wisdom from Octavian, who is more politically – and legally – astute again. This season is going to be all about Mark Antony and the rise of Octavian – that's not a spoiler; that's history! I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
Monday nights are going to be all about Rome followed by ER from now on. Fabulous. Still more fabulous is that last night while watching ER I had an idea about how I might be able to progress with the fic I've been blocked on for months now. I just hope the idea pays off and unfreezes my muse!