NINETOES VS SPARTACUS: HOUSE OF ASHUR FINALE           

Ninetoes enters the ring for the season finale of STARZ’s SPARTACUS: HOUSE OF ASHUR, but does it get a thumbs up or a thumbs down from the Caesar?

Achillia must prove herself in combat once more as Ashur confronts the weight of what he has done.

Directed by Rick Jacobson

Written by Steven S. DeKnight, Henry G.M. Jones, and Diya Mishra

Starring Nick E Tarabay, Graham McTavish, Tenika Davis, and Jackson Gallagher

Hey there, television lovers. It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today I am looking at the season finale of Spartacus: House of Ashur. I have coffee in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

Every now and then, I come across a show that gives us a fabulous lead-up to a season finale, and then said finale craps out…

…THIS is NOT one of those cases! This episode went beyond any expectation I had going in, and it starts with filling the vacuum Gabinius’s passing has left. The house feels empty. Cossutia and Viridia feel the weight of his loss with every passing moment. THEN, Uncle Servius moves in, and it is as bad as Cossutia told her daughter it would be in the previous episode. This guy could make the flesh of the dead crawl, and that is a testament to the actor, Adam Gardiner. Every word oozes out of him with venom and contempt. He is a Roman’s Roman in the sense that he is very much a traditionalist: women have their place, and it is well beneath a man; if you are not of Rome, you are less than the dirt beneath his heel. I can honestly say I have never wanted to punch a character more in all of my television viewing. (Please note I said CHARACTER.)

With Gabinius gone, Ashur is pretty much put in his place when viewing the funeral games held in Gabinius’ honor, right back to the seats with the commoners. His men were taken out of rotation for the games, except for the Primus match. Achillia will face the Scythian. Can she defeat the woman who killed Caledus?

The question now becomes what will happen to Ashur? The tides of fate and fortune have turned against him. He made a deal with Caesar and pretty much held up his end. But with everyone in Capua turning their back on him and regarding him as a filthy foreigner again, can he trust that Caesar’s end of the deal will be upheld? I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but Caesar looks like a car salesman who knows the moment you drive the car off the lot, it will blow up and kill your entire family, and he is okay with that. In this, Jackson Gallagher brought a Caesar to the screen that is, at one point, gorgeous to behold, but the other is totally reprehensible as a human being, and he made the character HIS!

This entire season has exceeded my expectations in terms of writing, acting, and action. This finale was the polished star at the top of the tree that the previous nine episodes built. I am going to be honest, I will miss the characters, the political intrigue, the action, the storyline, hell, I am going to miss everything that this show was. I am hopeful that there will be at least a second season; there were a few things left unresolved, and I want some answers.

If you are a fan of political intrigue, historical dramas, blood and guts in the arena, great storytelling, and great acting, this is a show not to be missed!

Until the next time, I bid you happy viewing!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.