Spartacus: House of Ashur

Confused, unfocused - and still clinging to the first season of a 'what could have been' show. In another world, this could have rivaled GoT for cultural significance and attention. But, with the passing of the star, and the passing along of the mantle to a mediocre stand-in for 'Vengeance'; they've grown far too comfortable riding the coattails of spectres and washing over the cracks in plot, character development, and purpose with simple sex. The House of Batiatus was more barbaric, raw, conniving, and blood-listed than the House of Ass Hair could hope to be. Confusing, given Ashur's character throughout Spartacus. The blood is toned down - missing the point of why we appreciated the splats, sprays, and gushes it was famous for. Real compromise, sacrifice, and willingly accepting pain and overcoming it for purpose justified the overuse of blood in Spartacus. Every slash was honored, every blow was noted and highlighted with this effect. Here, it feels like a pallid copy of that earned greatness. The abundnace of black gay Roman centuirans, the female lead who's yet to equal a man - let alone rise above her appointed station in defiance of an imposing zeitgeist - everything down to the convenience of Ashur's limp; saved only for when it suits the plot for the convenience of making a lead actor's job easier betrays the messages they're trying to uphold. Glorified purpose lends no strength here, yet they ask us to stand in awe of a woman overcoming a dwarf. It's a step-down from 'Vengeance' in every aspect. Their portrayal of Caesar as just another egotistical pretty boy Roman is just yet another misstep in the attempt to wring the 'Sparicus' cloth dry. He's dead, but we hear his name spoken so often we wonder when he'll be back, as if he's a part of this story. It's a lesser house, with lesser fighters, with a dominous of lesser ambition - again counter to the original Ashur. The re-use of another pretty redhead sidekick, recycling of yet another unappreciated slave girl trying to win the love of one she cannot be with, again they present a doctore whose personal characteristics stand counter to convention - it's just all a copy - but all scaled down. No doubt they will build, but how do they expect to maintain audience attention after coming to expect more? One wonders who this is for? Not the original fans with lesser glories and a step back to the pits with the coliseum destroyed in some unseen background they reference, too base for newcomers of a softness they again betray in story, plots and schemes which at well-understood before they ram it down your throat. It's fan service for those who cannot let go of what could have been if the original lead would have lived in real life. Entertaining, but inherently invites comparison to a far superior story by using it's name. They could have gone with exploring the lives of any number of abhorrent Roman emperors, with following the story of any stronger, better fighter than a mother, or re imagining Sparitcus as the victor. Instead, they plucked a rather disliked side character out of obscurity and attempt to grant him all the laurels of Sparitcus. I just don't understand who they're trying to appease with this mild-mannered approach after coming on so shockingly strong to begin with. Step it up - this is milk toast fan service shrouded in modern social considerations and moral high grounding. It just doesn't fit on any level.