Death’s Door – The episode begins with Andria (Eneko Sagardoy) and Scorpus (Dimitri Leonidas) scaling Mount Vesuvius to retrieve yellow ash for a cure. As they are extracting the substance, Andria offers Scorpus advice about repositioning his horses, but it’s clear that he thinks himself above it. At nearly the same time at the stables, Gavros (David Wurawa) wakes Elia (Goncalo Almedia), with the news of Lenno’s death.

In the kitchen, Claudia (Renata Palminiello) tells Cala (Sara Martins) about Tenax (Iwan Rheon) and his exploits at Circus Maximus. As she continues to depict him in not such a good light, he shows up and orders her to get ears on Counsel Marsus (Rupert Penry-Jones) and Antonia (Gabriella Pession). After leaving Tenax’s company, Claudia and Cala briefly meet in the market.

At House Marsus, Drusilla (Gabrielle Scharnitzky) escorts Jula (Alice Ann Edogamhe) to Antonia, who questions her virginity and then makes a big show of confirming it. Both Jula and Drusilla are sickened by the act but remain silent. Just as Antonia dismisses them, Cala and Claudia arrive outside. When Drusilla secretly escorts them to the kitchen, it is revealed that Jula is Cala’s daughter. Although it is not shown, Cala gives her the berries from the market and tells her there are things she needs to do. After leaving the house, Cala asks Claudia where her son might have been taken. This later leads them to the Ludus Magnus.

At the stables, Augendus (Robert Goodman) expresses his outrage as Scorpus prepares an elixir for Elia’s ailing horse. Augendus is practically told he can take part or leave. After he leaves, Elia briefly raises the validity of what they are about to do, but all in attendance agree there is no other option. Elia volunteers to administer the elixir.

While analyzing the sparring gladiators, Atticus (Bruno Bilotta) takes special note of Kwame (Moe Hashim) and Viggo (Johannes Haukur Johannesson). Viggo is harsh with Kwame during training but when they break for water, it becomes clear that he cares about helping him advance his training. Kwame perhaps senses this as well and shares a story about his father teaching him to hunt. Before Viggo and Kwame learn that they will be Colon’s (Lorenzo Renzi) weaponsmen when he fights Flamma (Martyn Ford), they trade stories about how they become imprisoned.

At nearly the same time, Cala is turned away by a Syrian Guard (Kamal Mustaffai) posted outside the arena. Upon noting his Syrian lineage, she speaks in his native tongue and convinces him to help her get in to see Kwame. After a brief emotional reunion with Kwame, she tells him about Jula and Aura’s (Kyshan Wilson) postings.

While bathing, Domitian (Jojo Macari) attempts to explain his ambition to Hermes (Alessandro Bedetti). According to him, he is his brother, Titus’ (Tom Hughes) biggest threat and when their father Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins) dies, he will no doubt attempt to assassinate him. As he sees it, his ambition is the only thing that can possibly save him.

After learning Ferox isn’t likely to recover, Elia, Andria, and Fonsoa (Pepe Barroso) consider leaving. Just as they are about to step outside the front gate, they are stopped by Gavros, who quickly takes them back to the stables where Ferox has miraculously recovered. Tenax learns about this later that evening and the following morning Scorpus welcomes Andria into the Circus Maximus.

Once Jula is prepared for her first sexual encounter with Marsus, she not only overhears Antonia bragging about poisoning Scorpus’s horses, but she hints at having him murdered. Marsus is pleased by all this and even more so when he discovers Jula awaiting his arrival in another room. This is until he notices the blood seeping through her white lingerie. After being dismissed, Jula shares her discovery with Tenax.

The night before his fight with Flamma, Colon approaches Viggo and Kwame during dinner with an interesting proposition. He practically tells them that he was raised a warrior and doesn’t have a problem dying but does not want to become tiger sh*t. He gives them a sack of coins to promise to have his body burned.

Scorpus is attacked that same night by several thugs (Edoardo Strano/Alioune Badiane). Despite putting up a valiant fight, he is eventually overcome by the numbers. When Marsus excitedly races to congratulate Antonia on her accomplishments, he learns that it wasn’t her. Nonetheless, their immediate concern becomes replacing him.

Domitian and Hermes visit the Aerarium’s Imperial Treasury where they retrieve several gold ingots and later have them recast by a Goldsmith (Michele Melega). They are then given to Lucius (Thomas Hunt) with strict betting instructions. The Goldsmith pockets one of the bars with the Imperial Treasury logo and later takes it to Titus. This eventually leads to Titus confronting Domitian. Domitian immediately feigns outrage and offers to look into the matter, which Titus claims he has already done. Before leaving Titus hints at having him removed from the head of the Treasury.

While Marsus and Antonia secure their new driver, Xenon (Emilio Sakraya), Domitian visits his father, Vespasian. Vespasian is not only not dressed for the event, but he continually refers to Domitian as Titus during their brief encounter. Domitian becomes even more outraged later when Titus claims Vespeian’s seat at the races.

Leto (Vincent Riotta) is equally upset that Xenon will no longer be driving for him but learning that his special chariots from Lentullus (Niccolo Senni) have been stolen pushes him over the edge. Having no choice, he orders his aid to ready the old chariots and alert the reserve driver. At the same time, Kwame and Viggo solemnly watch Flamma and Colon prepare for battle. Although Flamma toys with Colon a bit, it doesn’t take him long to dispatch him, leaving Kwame and Viggo to deal with the remains.

Arriving just after the fight, Caltonia (Angeliqa Davi) is surprised to find Marsus and Antonia in her seat. They waste little time flamboyantly bragging about their new position and hiring Xenon as their driver. Before arriving at the event, Tenax briefly meets with Scorpus, who is alive after all. Scorpus is nearly unbelieving that Antonia would have him killed, but that’s about as far as the conversation goes for the moment.

Although Tenax draws most of the affluent crowd’s attention when he makes his appearance at the games, this changes the minute Scorpus emerges in the gold chariot. Xenon entering the arena for the blues only causes even more hysteria and before long, the betting stations are overrun. Cala also places a bet on Scorpus.

Xenon takes an early lead and maintains it for the majority of the race. It isn’t until the last lap that Scorpus even makes an attempt to pass and succeeds at the final second. The crowd not only erupts in complete pandemonium but things appear to be just as sketchy behind the scenes, as Xenon threatens to turn Scorpus into the faction. Scorpus practically laughs him away.

After making a huge showing of collecting his earnings, Tenax joins Cala at the pub where she negotiates for Aura’s freedom. It takes some on her part but he eventually relents. Celebrations do not last long thanks to the building outrage, inside and outside the pub. Lucius and two of his thugs use the hysteria to sneak into the Treasury and replace the ingots Domitian took earlier. Titus arrives merely minutes later to discover that all the gold is accounted for. He doesn’t get long to consider this because he immediately receives word of Vespasian’s rapidly declining condition. Domitian is in the process of counting his earnings when he learns of his father’s condition.

The episode ends with Titus and Domitian arriving at the Palace within seconds of each other to discover Vespasian’s death.

 

Those About To Die Review

What a total and utter failure. I am sure there will be lots of complaints about the CGI, but I personally didn’t find it so bad. That said, there wasn’t a whole lot of action in this episode. There was the chariot race and several fight scenes but they didn’t feel fairly fluid to meet. I also have to say that I found Tenax’s and Domitian’s ruses clever. I don’t know if I would say they were completely unexpected but I was slightly surprised by them.

I didn’t find Vespasian’s death scene at all poignant. If anything, it was cringe. I’d have to give the episode 4.3 out of 10.

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