Will Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons) die? That was the burning question fans of The Borgias were left with when the pope took a sip of poisoned wine and fell to the floor in the final moments of Season 2. The answer to that question, however, won't be so black and white.
"This episode gave us the great opportunity to allow Alexander to be in a state suspended between death and life," creator and executive producer Neil Jordan says of the Season 3 opener. Adds writer Guy Burt: "That's how I wanted to start Season 3 ... with 'The pope is dying. The pope is dying. What do we do?'"
read moreTwo battered, tragic warriors meet face to face before their climactic skirmish, and there's at least one thing they can agree upon (besides the desire to kill each other): "There is no justice. Not in this world." What, you were expecting a happy ending to Starz' bloody breakout hit Spartacus? (Apologies if that's a spoiler.)
The series finale (Friday, 9/8c) justifies this last season's subtitle, War of the Damned, with a truly epic clash of historic titans. It's up to its bared knees in graphic gore as usual, but the finale is steeped even further in stirring demonstrations and declarations of honor, sacrifice and a willingness to die for the cause of freedom. "Whatever happens ... we decide our fates, not you," proclaims Spartacus (Liam McIntyre), leader of the outnumbered slave army, during his secret meeting with Roman "Imperator" Crassus (Simon Merrells). Unlike past seasons, when the Roman antagonists were mostly craven dupes, neither Crassus nor his second-in-command Julius Caesar (Todd Lasance) are fools — but neither is Spartacus, who still has some bold and unexpected maneuvers up his shield during this primal and visceral encounter of fire, blood and literal and metaphorical guts.
read moreJeremy Irons says that he doesn't have "strong" feelings about gay marriage, but the actor does have some controversial and bizarre thoughts.read more