It’s a nice look into Doctore’s mind, and the two are almost friends for most of the episode.Īlmost equally disheartening is Ashur. There’s Spartacus’ profound betrayal of Doctore-the trainer of gladiators doesn’t drink to victory, but eventually accepts a cup of wine to drink to Spartacus’ wife, after sharing fond memories of his own.
SPARTACUS SEASON 1 EP 6 DRIVER
And then Batiatus steps away to reveal the cart driver is bloodied, and Sura has been mortally wounded, where she dies in Spartacus’ arms.īut this episode isn’t really about the resolution of the Sura storyline. Everything goes off nearly without a hitch, until Sura’s cart arrives, which leads to a wonderfully tense moment as Spartacus moves towards Batiatus’ exposed backside, while we learn that Doctore has not been disabled and moves to stop Spartacus. He poisons Doctore’s wine with a handful of the medicine the medicus is using to keep Crixus asleep. He lucks into discovering the magistrate’s starstruck son has bought a Thracian dagger, then invites him to the ludus for a special training session just so he can steal it. He buys wine and sex workers for his fellow gladiators, so they have a batshit party (really an orgy) and will be incapacitated the next day. Spartacus maneuvers this plan into being with a number of clever deceits, some of them contrived by the writing, some of them not. The only voice of reason here is Varro, who keeps throwing monkey wrenches in Spartacus’ happy little escape fantasy, such as the fact he won’t have weapons, or that Doctore will stop him and then kill him. We get this plan in the form of a sepia-toned flashforward, and it’s pure wish fulfillment: Spartacus slashes his way through Batiatus’ guards, or takes Batiatus hostage, or in one sequence, rides off with Sura on a noble steed. And the promise that Batiatus will find and bring his wife to the ludus-in fact, he’s already located her in Neapolis.īut Spartacus quickly learns that he won’t be able to have Sura in his cell, she’ll be Lucretia’s slave in the manor, and he’ll have to spend years fighting in the arena to buy his freedom. With his new status comes a separate cell for Spartacus, just off the training ground, and fancy new armor and a new fighting style ( two swords, coooool). As does Batiatus’ comment that “Crixus will always have position, should he live,” which prompts a visit to the medicus to threaten his life if Crixus dies. Spartacus is the new “Champion of Capua,” a declaration which gives both Lucretia and Naevia concern. Coming off the heels of “Shadow Games,” you’d expect some bit of a decrease in quality, and while I don’t think “Delicate Things” matches those highs, I do think it continues the win streak.