Spartacus - Blood and Sand....episodes 3-6

Well I've stuck with it so far, its now reached the half-way stage, thought I'd give it another mini-review...so after the initial 2 hours of excessive violence, cheese and nudity I'm pleased to say SPARTACUS has continued to audaciously vomit all over the boundaries of good taste and decency in a way not seen since the jaw-dropping glory days of OZ. That's a good thing. The acting is still flinch-inducing, its still amazingly camp, and has, as Mrs Gi-Bag shouts frequently, "Too much penis!" But almost despite itself, after six hours of pecs, sex and decapitation its managed to gather some momentum and actual narrative, and it has actually improved significantly as it's progressed.

The actors are still contending with some truly ludicrous cod-classical dialogue flecked with jarring invective and as most of them seem to have been cast purely on how well they fill a codpiece as opposed to any oratorial skills, they are probably doing as well as possible within their limits. It's thankfully moved a little closer to Rome than 300/Gladiator story-wise, and a second series is already green-lit..

It will struggle in the long-term...primarily because Spartacus himself is one of the least interesting characters on the show...but in the absence of Rome, this will do. Sure, maybe that's like getting a full-body massage from a chimp instead of a woman, but as long you're not looking for a happy ending, then perhaps Spartacus will fit the bill.