Oh, how good was that episode? Some thoughts on Octavian Mark II: I gotta say, he lacks the canniness and burgeoning surety Max brought to the role, but he looks so much more like Attia. Max looked more like Octavia.

It was interesting to see Brutus so chipper. And Cicero's disgruntled look at being totally beat by a teenager was priceless.

Kevin McKidd astounded me in this episode, and in this season generally, with the complex range of emotions he's portrayed in Vorenus so far. Going from Long Dark Night of the Soul, with Added Bloodshed and Rage, to the serenity and perspective he adopted once he brought the kids home to the collegium of all places, was a remarkable transformation.

It was the first time we got to see the children actually *acting* and not just being scenery, which was great. They showed surprising depth, except perhaps for Lucius who seems to be mute. But with Vorenus as your dad, man, I'd be mute too.

I cracked the hell up at Pullo's wife complaining that he loves Vorenus more (because dude, he so does) and his sly reasoning that he would save her because she would be easier to carry (although you know he would totally go back for Vorenus right after getting her to saftey).

Salon has a really interesting article about Rome: [link] If you ignore the wanky bits about the Iraq war, it offers some insight into why this is such a great series and compares it favourably to I, Claudius.

Kevin McKidd astounded me in this episode, and in this season generally, with the complex range of emotions he's portrayed in Vorenus so far. Going from Long Dark Night of the Soul, with Added Bloodshed and Rage, to the serenity and perspective he adopted once he brought the kids home to the collegium of all places, was a remarkable transformation.

Yes--this. I fear he's in for so much more heartache. He's been a soldier too long and he just doesn't have the skills to build relationships. But he tries so hard it breaks me.

I cracked the hell up at Pullo's wife complaining that he loves Vorenus more (because dude, he so does) and his sly reasoning that he would save her because she would be easier to carry (although you know he would totally go back for Vorenus right after getting her to saftey).

I suspect this theory is going to be tested at some point.

The Senate speech got me past the point of needing the first few lines of any scene with the new Octavian to remember that he is Octavian. I'm not pleased with the change, but I'm not terribly annoyed by it, either.

I'm with Attia on Antony's beard. It's strange how jarring it is to see him bearded among all those clean-shaven Romans.

Poor Vorenus has no frickin' idea how his kids see him, does he? Such a messed up family, the Lucii. Voreni. Whatever they are.

"Time machines fueled by obscenity", that's good.

I suspect this theory is going to be tested at some point.

It does seem inevitable.

He's been a soldier too long and he just doesn't have the skills to build relationships. But he tries so hard it breaks me.

I know! I mean, who walks into the collegium he'd been absent from for months, bringing along your gay boyfriend and your kids and announcing to the entire slack-jawed room that your daughter was a whore and your son is illegitimate? Oh, Vorenus.

I'm with Attia on Antony's beard. It's strange how jarring it is to see him bearded among all those clean-shaven Romans.

Though it was very entertaining to see him go a little native. He was a terrible consul and politician, but a brilliant soldier-general. I can't believe Octavian whuped his ass with four legions to his seven. Or maybe it was five, and the other two were acquired when Amusingly Fey Guy came around.

I cracked the hell up at Pullo's wife complaining that he loves Vorenus more (because dude, he so does)

That conversation was right up there with "It's not me you want to screw, it's Angel."

I mean, who walks into the collegium he'd been absent from for months, bringing along your gay boyfriend and your kids and announcing to the entire slack-jawed room that your daughter was a whore and your son is illegitimate?

This is just begging to be filked into the Shaft theme.

This is just begging to be filked into the Shaft theme.

Vorenus

He's one bad son of Hades.

Mmm. Good episode again last night. I think this showed so clearly what that Salon article I linked to earlier was talking about, in terms of how violence was culturally accepted during the period--Cicero going quietly and with dignity into his death, Pullo more concerned about peaches than killing a guy. I think it take a lot of depth for the show and its characters for that not to be played as, mm, gratuitous, to make the audience understand that it wasn't (always) a huge moral quandry, it was expected and it happened, frequently.

I loved seeing the dichotomy with Vorenus being intractable and commanding and distant, when he told his daughter to take off the makeup or yelled at Lucius to stay away from the road; versus quite caring and loving father Vorenus, juggling fruit or carrying around Lucius or thinking about finding someone for his daughter to marry. Again, Keven McKidd knocks it out of the park. I'm kind of confused by what's going on with Sleazy Guy in the Forum, whether he's supposed to marry the daughter to bind Vorenus' allegiance or just sleep with her, which would have less affect given that her virtue had already been compromised. Any ideas?

Loved Pullo and wanting still to be a soldier (I thought for a brief moment there Vorenus would be all, fuck it, let's go to Phillipi) and then having that ridiculous smile on his face when he found out he was going to be a father. Bless him.

It was nice to see less of the harshness in Octavia; she finally found love again, and it's much less likely Attia will have Agrippa killed. Agrippa and Octavia were cute and young and stupid together.

Brutus was magnificent. And the initial scenes of the battle, with the two forces marching towards each other, took my breath away. I'm so impressed that they brought that expansiveness from the big screen to the smaller one. Also, the little touches, from the way the phalanx moved/crawled forward, to how the chains of soldiers were an unending, impenetrable force, to the readiness of the shields coming up to protect Crassus--just fantastic. I am constantly amazed at how deeply everything was researched and portrayed.

And Mark Antony shaved. And all was well.

Matt Fraction has a few observations about the pilot script for "John From Cincinatti."

Were I a betting man, I'd bet that as that first end-title card rises up, there'll be a collective WHAT THE FUCK that maybe TV hasn't seen since Dale Cooper carved his wooden whistle.

The sample stage direction just kills me.

Mmm, pie.

Cicero going quietly and with dignity into his death, Pullo more concerned about peaches than killing a guy.

Cicero's death scene is one of my favorite things on TV ever. It was just perfect.