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'My husband is a cowardly scum'
Rome 2.09
And then, all of a sudden, it was several years later…
Man, I loved Vorenus so much in this episode, and I'm so happy that I was able to love Vorenus so much in this episode, after the way he's been all season, and still is, but suddenly loveable again, and I really don't want him to die next week. I want him to be reconciled with his children, but I'm not sure he ever will be, or if he'll ever see them again even, and that makes me sad.
I saw Indira Varma's name on the opening credits, and was all 'the huh?' because Niobe's been dead for nine episodes now, and then there she was, haunting Vorenus' dreams even now, so many years later. And in his dreams they are happy. And that kind of broke me just a little bit, because we've seen Vorenus just barely hanging on all season, going through the motions, just about functional on the surface but broken inside, and just that one short dream sequence explains everything about him all season. And it's kind of heartbreaking.
Seeing Vorenus being so good with young Caesarion also kinda broke me just a little bit, because it was so clear that he could have been a good parent to his own children, if he hadn't spent eight years away at war and returned home a stranger, unable to communicate effectively enough to repair the broken bond between him and his family. If Niobe's secret had never come out. We saw glimpses of the kind of father Vorenus can be with little Lucius on that family picnic a couple of episodes ago, but on the whole it's much easier to care for someone else's children than your own, especially when your own come complete with so much baggage.
Vorenus sent to Pullo a message to kiss his children for him. Because he still loves them but can't face them. But the children wouldn't return the affection, because they hate him for killing their mother, and I really, really want Vorenus to finally come out and tell them that he didn't. Niobe killed herself. But in order for Vorenus to explain the true story to the children and ask for their forgiveness he would have to forgive himself, and I don't think he ever has. He had murder in his heart when he confronted Niobe that day, and she took her own life before he could find out if he would have gone through with it or not. And so, although he didn't kill Niobe with his own hands, he does hold himself responsible, and so almost welcomes the hatred of his children as no more than he deserves.
And he won't go back on his word, even though he knows that Mark Antony doesn't really deserve his loyalty and is probably leading him to destruction. His word of honour is pretty much all he's got left, and has always been one of his strongest defining characteristics. To go back on that would be to deny something fundamental inside himself, and he can't do that, that isn't who he is. Also, he seems like he'd almost welcome death in battle as a relief. He's self-destructing by default – that's the nature of the soul-sickness he diagnosed in Antony as one he suffers from himself. And it makes me scared for him.
And when he talked to Caesarion about his father, he kept forgetting that the boy is known as Caesar's son and was talking about his good friend Pullo instead, because the show has made Caesarion Pullo's son instead, but the only people in the world who know that are Cleopatra, Pullo and Vorenus. And now I kind of wish the show had allowed us to see what Cleopatra's reaction was to seeing Vorenus among Antony's retinue – if she'd even have recognised him. She certainly recognised Pullo when she saw him a few episodes ago.
And then there's Pullo. Pullo who only a few episodes ago was contemplating his place in a republic at peace with depression, believing himself capable of nothing but violence and war. And now here he is, the leader of the Aventine, and so very, very good at it. I mean…just…look at that scene where he makes his public speech about the grain shortage. That crowd was ripe for full-blown riot, but he held them in the palm of his hand and dispersed them with nothing but a few well-placed words – Pullo, the man of war, turned statesman of the plebs. He has their respect, and when you think back to his days as a convicted murderer, how amazing is that. He's come so far, mellowed so much.
But not too much. I wasn't surprised to see him with Gaia, because Eirene has been dead for a few years now, and Gaia so obviously had her sights set on him, and is clever and manipulative, and Pullo always did love his women. I can't help wondering about Mascius, though – did he mind losing his woman to Pullo, especially after all that jealousy earlier in the season, and bearing in mind the crippling injuries he seems to be living with now? I can never quite get my head around the morality of this show. I was glad to see that despite his injuries, Masius is still so much a part of the command structure, left in charge for Pullo's absence – I mean, it isn't as if they've got a Fourth Man up their sleeves anywhere!
Oh, but I was talking about Pullo and Gaia. Gaia's death was kind of contrived, but pretty much the only way Pullo was ever going to learn the truth about Eirene's murder. So Gaia murdered Eirene because she wanted to be with Pullo – and I'm guessing it was the power she wanted, more than Pullo himself, although I can't be certain because all season I've not been able to figure Gaia out – and then saved Pullo's life from poor dumb Memmio only to be mortally injured in the process and then confess all on her deathbed? That whole plotline seems kind of pointless, except perhaps to drive home what a violent and brutal age this could be. And as a way for Pullo to get his violence on for the episode, in preparation for the final showdown next week.
I want Pullo and Vorenus to both survive the battle next week. I just don't know how the show can contrive it, or even if they want to. They might go down the Blake's 7 route and just let everyone die, whether gloriously or ignominiously. But I really want Pullo and Vorenus to survive, and to not have to face one another in battle. Their friendship has withstood everything. And now I'm a little bit scared of next week's final episode.
One thing that's certain is that Mark Antony and Cleopatra will die next week, and – according to history – little Caesarion as well. And that makes me sad, because I've always loved Mark Antony. Such a debauched playboy he's always been, and now, after years in Egypt with Cleopatra and her opiates, he's ever bit as self-destructive as Vorenus, but less self-aware with it. Antony's soul-sickness has its roots in the very nature of Roman society – that hunger for power that eventually, as we are seeing on-screen, brought the Republic to its knees. It's that snake that bites its own tail – fight and claw your way to the top, and the only way to go next is down, because everyone else is doing the same and they won't let you stay up there for long. It happened to Caesar. And now it is Antony's turn, and he is actively collaborating in his own demise, whether he realises it or not.
He's become so domestic with Cleopatra, and that's something we've never seen with Antony before. He always refused to commit to Atia. But with Cleopatra things are different, and that's got to be as much about the power-sharing thing as the opiates and the lust. Theirs is certainly a stormy relationship. But Antony still cares about Atia, even if not enough to have ever sent for her (impossible, given his relationship with Cleopatra) or to agree to see her in this episode, or to spare her feelings at all. But in choosing public humiliation for her he was choosing the lesser of two evils, because it was that or have her killed, and that he couldn't do. And I like that about Antony, that however appalling his behaviour frequently is, he does genuinely care about Atia. He doesn't care enough, because he's always loved himself the most. But his affection for Atia adds another dimension to his character.
And I kind of loved Mark Antony's 'gone native' Egyptian style, which was so very wrong and yet he totally pulled it off.
The best scene of this episode was Mark Antony and Vorenus' conversation after Vorenus has got rid of Atia and Octavia, when Vorenus has – with perfectly straight face – reported back Octavia's parting words: "My husband is a cowardly scum". Antony asks what Vorenus thinks.
Vorenus: "Is that an order?"
Antony: "Yes, that's an order."
Vorenus: You're no coward, but you do have a strong disease in your soul. A disease that will eat away at you until you die."
Antony asks how Vorenus can be so sure of his diagnosis, since he admits to being no doctor, and Vorenus says: "I recognize the symptoms, I have the same sickness."
And he totally does. They are both self-destructing, in their own separate ways and together. Together till the end because Vorenus gave his word, and he never, ever goes back on his word.
And I love that Vorenus let Posca and Jocasta flee the sinking ship, because although he's committed to going down with the leaky vessel, he's willing to let others escape. Although by doing so he inadvertently provided Octavian with the ammunition he needed to make war a certainty.
Posca and Jocasta amused me immensely in this episode. I've always loved Posca. And to think that Jocasta was so miserable at the thought of marrying him, but now he worships her and she adores him, and they are happy together, and I love that.
Little Lucius has grown a lot since last episode, and has lines now. But Vorena the Younger seems to be frozen in time at 13, and never gets to say anything! And Vorena the Elder remains so very, very bitter – it's like she's inherited the very worst qualities of both her parents. And her hatred of Vorenus has been the defining force in the upbringing of her younger siblings.
Octavia's little girl Antonia was just adorable, and of course her paternity can't be openly questioned, so she goes down for the record as Antony's daughter, who he has never seen. And who will never meet her Egyptian siblings. Such a messy state of affairs. But I'm happy for Atia and Octavia that they still have each other – they seem to have been living under house arrest ever since the last episode, and thus rely on one another immensely for mutual entertainment and support. Their interactions on the ship amused me greatly.
I'm going to miss this show so much when it ends. Only one episode left.
And then, all of a sudden, it was several years later…
Man, I loved Vorenus so much in this episode, and I'm so happy that I was able to love Vorenus so much in this episode, after the way he's been all season, and still is, but suddenly loveable again, and I really don't want him to die next week. I want him to be reconciled with his children, but I'm not sure he ever will be, or if he'll ever see them again even, and that makes me sad.
I saw Indira Varma's name on the opening credits, and was all 'the huh?' because Niobe's been dead for nine episodes now, and then there she was, haunting Vorenus' dreams even now, so many years later. And in his dreams they are happy. And that kind of broke me just a little bit, because we've seen Vorenus just barely hanging on all season, going through the motions, just about functional on the surface but broken inside, and just that one short dream sequence explains everything about him all season. And it's kind of heartbreaking.
Seeing Vorenus being so good with young Caesarion also kinda broke me just a little bit, because it was so clear that he could have been a good parent to his own children, if he hadn't spent eight years away at war and returned home a stranger, unable to communicate effectively enough to repair the broken bond between him and his family. If Niobe's secret had never come out. We saw glimpses of the kind of father Vorenus can be with little Lucius on that family picnic a couple of episodes ago, but on the whole it's much easier to care for someone else's children than your own, especially when your own come complete with so much baggage.
Vorenus sent to Pullo a message to kiss his children for him. Because he still loves them but can't face them. But the children wouldn't return the affection, because they hate him for killing their mother, and I really, really want Vorenus to finally come out and tell them that he didn't. Niobe killed herself. But in order for Vorenus to explain the true story to the children and ask for their forgiveness he would have to forgive himself, and I don't think he ever has. He had murder in his heart when he confronted Niobe that day, and she took her own life before he could find out if he would have gone through with it or not. And so, although he didn't kill Niobe with his own hands, he does hold himself responsible, and so almost welcomes the hatred of his children as no more than he deserves.
And he won't go back on his word, even though he knows that Mark Antony doesn't really deserve his loyalty and is probably leading him to destruction. His word of honour is pretty much all he's got left, and has always been one of his strongest defining characteristics. To go back on that would be to deny something fundamental inside himself, and he can't do that, that isn't who he is. Also, he seems like he'd almost welcome death in battle as a relief. He's self-destructing by default – that's the nature of the soul-sickness he diagnosed in Antony as one he suffers from himself. And it makes me scared for him.
And when he talked to Caesarion about his father, he kept forgetting that the boy is known as Caesar's son and was talking about his good friend Pullo instead, because the show has made Caesarion Pullo's son instead, but the only people in the world who know that are Cleopatra, Pullo and Vorenus. And now I kind of wish the show had allowed us to see what Cleopatra's reaction was to seeing Vorenus among Antony's retinue – if she'd even have recognised him. She certainly recognised Pullo when she saw him a few episodes ago.
And then there's Pullo. Pullo who only a few episodes ago was contemplating his place in a republic at peace with depression, believing himself capable of nothing but violence and war. And now here he is, the leader of the Aventine, and so very, very good at it. I mean…just…look at that scene where he makes his public speech about the grain shortage. That crowd was ripe for full-blown riot, but he held them in the palm of his hand and dispersed them with nothing but a few well-placed words – Pullo, the man of war, turned statesman of the plebs. He has their respect, and when you think back to his days as a convicted murderer, how amazing is that. He's come so far, mellowed so much.
But not too much. I wasn't surprised to see him with Gaia, because Eirene has been dead for a few years now, and Gaia so obviously had her sights set on him, and is clever and manipulative, and Pullo always did love his women. I can't help wondering about Mascius, though – did he mind losing his woman to Pullo, especially after all that jealousy earlier in the season, and bearing in mind the crippling injuries he seems to be living with now? I can never quite get my head around the morality of this show. I was glad to see that despite his injuries, Masius is still so much a part of the command structure, left in charge for Pullo's absence – I mean, it isn't as if they've got a Fourth Man up their sleeves anywhere!
Oh, but I was talking about Pullo and Gaia. Gaia's death was kind of contrived, but pretty much the only way Pullo was ever going to learn the truth about Eirene's murder. So Gaia murdered Eirene because she wanted to be with Pullo – and I'm guessing it was the power she wanted, more than Pullo himself, although I can't be certain because all season I've not been able to figure Gaia out – and then saved Pullo's life from poor dumb Memmio only to be mortally injured in the process and then confess all on her deathbed? That whole plotline seems kind of pointless, except perhaps to drive home what a violent and brutal age this could be. And as a way for Pullo to get his violence on for the episode, in preparation for the final showdown next week.
I want Pullo and Vorenus to both survive the battle next week. I just don't know how the show can contrive it, or even if they want to. They might go down the Blake's 7 route and just let everyone die, whether gloriously or ignominiously. But I really want Pullo and Vorenus to survive, and to not have to face one another in battle. Their friendship has withstood everything. And now I'm a little bit scared of next week's final episode.
One thing that's certain is that Mark Antony and Cleopatra will die next week, and – according to history – little Caesarion as well. And that makes me sad, because I've always loved Mark Antony. Such a debauched playboy he's always been, and now, after years in Egypt with Cleopatra and her opiates, he's ever bit as self-destructive as Vorenus, but less self-aware with it. Antony's soul-sickness has its roots in the very nature of Roman society – that hunger for power that eventually, as we are seeing on-screen, brought the Republic to its knees. It's that snake that bites its own tail – fight and claw your way to the top, and the only way to go next is down, because everyone else is doing the same and they won't let you stay up there for long. It happened to Caesar. And now it is Antony's turn, and he is actively collaborating in his own demise, whether he realises it or not.
He's become so domestic with Cleopatra, and that's something we've never seen with Antony before. He always refused to commit to Atia. But with Cleopatra things are different, and that's got to be as much about the power-sharing thing as the opiates and the lust. Theirs is certainly a stormy relationship. But Antony still cares about Atia, even if not enough to have ever sent for her (impossible, given his relationship with Cleopatra) or to agree to see her in this episode, or to spare her feelings at all. But in choosing public humiliation for her he was choosing the lesser of two evils, because it was that or have her killed, and that he couldn't do. And I like that about Antony, that however appalling his behaviour frequently is, he does genuinely care about Atia. He doesn't care enough, because he's always loved himself the most. But his affection for Atia adds another dimension to his character.
And I kind of loved Mark Antony's 'gone native' Egyptian style, which was so very wrong and yet he totally pulled it off.
The best scene of this episode was Mark Antony and Vorenus' conversation after Vorenus has got rid of Atia and Octavia, when Vorenus has – with perfectly straight face – reported back Octavia's parting words: "My husband is a cowardly scum". Antony asks what Vorenus thinks.
Vorenus: "Is that an order?"
Antony: "Yes, that's an order."
Vorenus: You're no coward, but you do have a strong disease in your soul. A disease that will eat away at you until you die."
Antony asks how Vorenus can be so sure of his diagnosis, since he admits to being no doctor, and Vorenus says: "I recognize the symptoms, I have the same sickness."
And he totally does. They are both self-destructing, in their own separate ways and together. Together till the end because Vorenus gave his word, and he never, ever goes back on his word.
And I love that Vorenus let Posca and Jocasta flee the sinking ship, because although he's committed to going down with the leaky vessel, he's willing to let others escape. Although by doing so he inadvertently provided Octavian with the ammunition he needed to make war a certainty.
Posca and Jocasta amused me immensely in this episode. I've always loved Posca. And to think that Jocasta was so miserable at the thought of marrying him, but now he worships her and she adores him, and they are happy together, and I love that.
Little Lucius has grown a lot since last episode, and has lines now. But Vorena the Younger seems to be frozen in time at 13, and never gets to say anything! And Vorena the Elder remains so very, very bitter – it's like she's inherited the very worst qualities of both her parents. And her hatred of Vorenus has been the defining force in the upbringing of her younger siblings.
Octavia's little girl Antonia was just adorable, and of course her paternity can't be openly questioned, so she goes down for the record as Antony's daughter, who he has never seen. And who will never meet her Egyptian siblings. Such a messy state of affairs. But I'm happy for Atia and Octavia that they still have each other – they seem to have been living under house arrest ever since the last episode, and thus rely on one another immensely for mutual entertainment and support. Their interactions on the ship amused me greatly.
I'm going to miss this show so much when it ends. Only one episode left.
no subject
Ah, but when the BBC in their wisdom finally decide to start showing Series 2 you can watch it all over again! (And just how much longer are they going to make us wait?)
Can I just say how much I've enjoyed reading your views on Series 2. You've provided some excellent tasters, and have written them in such a way that they don't seem like spoilers at all - thanks!
no subject
Season one was an autumn show for the Beeb, so I'm guessing season two will be as well, which means you've got a while to wait yet. But who knows with the Beeb? I find myself really wanting to rewatch season one now, so I might have to haul out my DVDs when a couple of my current shows go on hiatus.
I'm really scared for the finale next week, because history tells me it will be a bloodbath. But then, I always knew that from the very first episode, so I only have myself to blame for getting so attached!
no subject
no subject
I'm so happy that I could love Vorenus again so very much. I've missed that this season, even though I could always see why he'd become so cold and hard. He's always been so closed-off and struggled so much with his emotions, to go through such devastation this season.
*loves Vorenus and Pullo and everyone*