I haven't seen any questions ...
Question: I haven't seen any questions to you about
Rome, and I don't see much chatter about it on the TV Guide website. I know it's on opposite the mighty
Desperate Housewives, but in my opinion, it is one of the best shows on TV these days. It is certainly better than the creatively uneven and highly overrated
Housewives. Although most people know the rough outline of
Caesar,
Brutus,
Mark Antony and
Cleopatra, it has been fascinating to see their lives play out with the rich production values of this series (except for the nonexistent combat scenes). I think
Rome ably continues HBO's rich Sunday-night drama history, and I would rank it only slightly behind
Deadwood and well ahead of the awful
Carnivale and
Six Feet Under. What do you think?
Answer: Thanks for asking. Week by week,
Rome has become more gloriously addictive, as the historical intrigues and betrayals come into sharper focus along with the reversals of fortune involving the two fictional soldiers at the core of the story — how great is
Ray Stevenson as Pullo! I still think HBO shows like
Rome would benefit by airing in more of a miniseries format; this show is at its best if you watch a handful of episodes in a row to savor the narrative sweep (minus, as Sarah noted, the battle scenes, which pretty much vanished after the opener). It will look brilliant on DVD. I have seen the rest of the first season — the finale airs Nov. 20 — and you're in for a real treat. A gladiator encounter in the next-to-last episode made my jaw drop.
Rome isn't perfect, but it's one of HBO's top-caliber shows, right up there with
Deadwood, if a notch below
The Sopranos and
The Wire at their best.
