Oh, man — do you love intrigue?...
Oh, man — do you love intrigue? Long as it's intriguing, right? And violence? Long as it's justified by the intrigue (and stays on the screen rather than in your actual life). So I know we're in for a treat here, 'cause HBO is no slouch when it comes to good historical drama. First good sign: Everyone has a British accent, which nearly always signifies a class act — and oh, yeah, the fact that this is a coproduction with the BBC. Duh. But if anyone knows class struggles, it's the Brits. I mean, when Polly Walker's Atia tells her servant she'll use the eyes of his children for beads if he doesn't bring her son Octavian back safely, can you imagine it coming out nearly so well from, say, the mouth of Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan?
Anyway, like any good epic, this one requires a flow chart, so I can't begin to summarize here. The most important bits: Caesar's been off commanding his victorious army for eight years, sending spoils back to the common people to b
