Rome 2x03: these being the words of Marcus Tullius Cicero

[vaznetti]

There was a lot of motion in this episode, but not as much momentum as last week. Does that make sense? Of course, the politics are complicated, but it didn't hold together quite as well as last week's -- although I have hope that next week will work well. It ought to have Mutina and Octavian's deal with Antony -- and in this case a two-man triumvirate, I guess, and you all do understand how funny that is, right? -- and perhaps the proscriptions.

Some scattered impressions:

Atia motivating the change of province: this is a longstanding trope, the notion that political events are motivated by female jealousies or whatever -- Atia not wanting to spend the rest of her life in Macedonia, in this case. Of course the points she makes to Antony are perfectly valid, but Antony would surely have already considered them. Whatever! Obviously, I have issues with the way Atia as a caricature or Roman fears about powerful women.

She does die around this time, as it happens. And it will make a nice break -- the alliance between Octavian and Antony, the break with the Senate, and (probably moved forward to this point) the marriage between Octavia and Antony.

Agrippa and Octavia: the historian in me could not stop laughing, since Agrippa's second (I'm fairly sure) wife was Octavia's daughter Marcella. But since Octavia's husband Marcellus is out of the picture, I guess there are no other options. The part where everyone but Antony wants to be sleeping with Octavia is pretty funny, though.

Cicero and Antony: I did rather like the way Antony motivates his own destruction here, actually -- that he so mistreats Cicero that of course Cicero will turn to Octavian. I still would have liked to see the scene where Octavian sucks up to Cicero, but instead we got the Second Philippic, which made me enormously happy! Hahaha! Antony, you should have known better than to piss Cicero off. The Second Philippic is long, but amusing, especially when Cicero goes on and on about Antoney's youthful vices.

Of course, with no onscreen meeting of Octavian and Cicero, Octavian's betrayal during the proscriptions won't mean much.

Meanwhile, in Bithyinia, we get our obligatory bit or Orientalism. And Brutus is now wearing the stubble of moral ambiguity, I see, and yet I find that I no longer care about him. Sorry, Brutus, but you were always kind of whiny and boring.

Pullo and Vorenus. You know, in a way that fight was the mirror of Octavian's fight with Antony in the previous episode, but taken that much more seriously. Oh, Pullo, taunting Vorenus until he's got not choice but to strike out because it's what Pullo knows Vorenus needs to do. I was a little less enraptured by Vorenus' self-destructive behavior, if only because of the way it spiralled out into the gang war on the Aventine (but as an aside, ah, Roman manhood, how simple you are in so many ways.) But Pullo, trying so hard to keep Vorenus alive, and blurting out the truth about Evander, which is exactly what Pullo would do.

Of course, when Vorenus finds out about Octavian's involvement, he'll have a grudge against him as well. Even if he didn't have to be Antony's man, he might well want to be.

I liked that Pullo left Vorenus. I didn't want him to, but I liked that he did it, if only because Eirene so obviously needed to get away from that place, and I like that Pullo saw that, and was torn by it. And I loved that he raced north to Mutina as soon as he learned that the children were alive.

And I want it to be next Sunday now, please.

Comments

[destina.livejournal.com]

I liked that Pullo left Vorenus. I didn't want him to, but I liked that he did it, if only because Eirene so obviously needed to get away from that place, and I like that Pullo saw that, and was torn by it. And I loved that he raced north to Mutina as soon as he learned that the children were alive.

That was my favorite part. This show sometimes reduces me to YES and YAY responses, and I feel incredibly inarticulate. You know? *g*

And I still hate Brutus. Now more than ever. Ugh.

[vaznetti]

Brutus is such a waste of space. But he'll kill himself soon enough, so I'm not very bothered by him.

I loved Pullo's race north so much. SO MUCH.

[se-parsons.livejournal.com]

Ditto on that.

In Brutus, man-pain has never seemed so dull.

It's even less compelling than Lee Adama's (or Vorenus'). You have to work hard for that.

And I am endlessly filled with Pullo love.

[vaznetti]

Well, now Brutus is floating around on Lee Adama's lake of manpain. Whatever. Like I say, soon he'll succumb to whiny despair and slit his wrists.

Pullo, on the other hand, is awesome.

[thepiratequeen.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Brutus: The Original Emo Kid .

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

Pullo, trying so hard to keep Vorenus alive, and blurting out the truth about Evander, which is exactly what Pullo would do.

And he was right to never tell Vorenus before this, because this is exactly what Vorenus would have done before too. But what kind of hurt was that Vorenus said Pullo was never a friend to him - I think that just cut Pullo to the quick. And then Pullo swore on his mother's bones (and we know how much THAT meant to him) that he'd never touched Niobe and Vorenus still didn't believe him - I totally bought at that point that Pullo was just all "enough, believe what you want to, asshole!" (He did still defend Niobe, which was sweet.)

I thought Vorenus was actually being a huge jerk to Pullo even before the whole disclosure about Evander - he was so big on being all "your opinions don't count" and "never question me" when Pullo actually did have the peacable solution (or they should have tried for it.)

[vaznetti]

Vorenus was being a total jerk to Pullo tonight, I agree -- I mean, I think he's always just assumed that he was better than Pullo because he was Pullo's superior, but in this episode he was in such a dark place that he used that assumption against Pullo. I think that Vorenus was in part trying to drive Pullo away, really: I think he didn't think he deserved Pullo's love.

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

I think that Vorenus was in part trying to drive Pullo away, really: I think he didn't think he deserved Pullo's love.

I agree, but it was still kind of horrible of him to do that - to question PULLO'S loyalty (of all the people on this show, I think Pullo is the one that is the most loyal ever) and just to be all "friends? How are we friends?" after the last two episodes just cut to the quick. (Mine, I mean, not Pullo's, tho' it obviously did for him too.)

I feel like Pullo kind of got WHY Vorenus was doing this, but also gave up because he realized he'd never get through to the man no matter how much he tried.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

Vorenus is that he hates himself so much right that he can't understand why anyone else would love him, and the kinder and gentler Pullo said "Brother," the more it was salt in his wounds. I was surprised (and pleased) he didn't kill Pullo when he finally had the chance after all.

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

Vorenus is that he hates himself so much right that he can't understand why anyone else would love him

Oh, I agree. And I think that's why it's easier for him to think of Niobe as a whore and Pullo as a traitor than it is to believe that they both made mistakes but still loved him and were worthy of his love. He cuts himself no slack, so I think he can't fathom that anyone else would either. (And Pullo is speaking from his own experience of being disgraced and despised and ready to die, and yet still being live because the gods - or Vorenus's love - saved him.)

I was surprised (and pleased) he didn't kill Pullo when he finally had the chance after all.

That was such a horrifying moment - and I think that's part of Vorenus's sobbing outburst, the thought that he came that close to killing Pullo.

[maidenjedi]

And I want it to be next Sunday now, please.

Yes, that would be insanely perfect.

The Second Phillipic scene was pretty great, because I like how they kind of keep the audience from feeling sympathy with anyone - and I think people are especially prone to feeling sympathetic toward Antony, with only a very basic knowledge of Roman history (more the mythic movie stuff then actual history). They're choosing some great perspectives from which to show major events.

Pullo is quickly becoming my favorite character.

[vaznetti]

I just loved that Second Philippic scene. Loved it. Especialy Antony beating the guy to death, and the way he looks up and the senate house is just empty.

I think most viewers will remain sympathetic to Antony, which is kind of OK with me -- obviously, I love Cicero best, but most viewers aren't going to see through the way they've written him here. And Antony is at least fun.

[jood.livejournal.com]

It was at the point that Vorenus and Pullo were rolling around on the floor that I realized how delighted I was that I don't read Rome fanfic. Because we'd end up with a few weeks of angsty Rift!fic, followed immediately by a gush of make-up sex.


I thought it was nice that we got another look at our old XF pal, Yves Adele Harlow. The girl is still hotness.

[vaznetti]

I'm with you on the Rome fanfic; luckily there isn't much of it, I think, ut I know too much to ever want to read it.

Who was that actress playing? (I was in the UK while the Lone Gunmen aired, so I never saw it, but I heard all about it.)

[jood.livejournal.com]

She's the new madam at Vorenus' place. I didn't recognize her with the dreds.

I'm still in mourning for The Lone Gunmen.

[jood.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, we have matching icons!