A crowd-pleaser

While the original Spartacus was sort of culturally overshadowed by Game of Thrones during its original broadcast run, it was a fun mix of gory action, sexiness, and intrigue. The show was most successful when it focused on the gladiatorial arena and the Roman social jockeying surrounding it, and became less satisfying when it got away from the ludus and shifted more to Spartacus' rebellion story. This alternate history sequel spin-off gets back to basics, resurrecting the crafty Ashur and putting him in charge of the failing gladiatorial stable he once served. The brutal combat, equal opportunity nudity, and scheming are back. While the story is influenced by epic goings-on in Rome, with Julius Caesar and Pompey in opposition, the show wisely keeps the action local. While still a schemer who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, the Ashur here is less of a scumbag toady than he was in the original Spartacus. He's more morally ambiguous, but more sympathetic in his role as protagonist. I was slightly trepidatious when beginning this show, as so much time has passed since the original series, but it's just as good as the best seasons of Spartacus. Looking forward to a second season.