Rome: Series Finale
By: Mark Runyon | Category: Show Review | 11/26/05 | 01:59 AM
 |  |  Grade: B+ | Genre: Drama
Summary: Rome is a highly delectable treat. The acting is top rate all around as we would expect for an HBO/BBC feature drama. The costume and set design have spared no expense, looking like they are the result of some mega-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster. The story is full and the suspense is executed with delicate grace.
Ever since Six Feet Under sadly dug its plot in the bone yard last August, I've been wondering what cutting edge programming HBO was going to rest in its place. The answer came in the form of two new series: Extras and Rome. Extras is the new dry comedy from the politically incorrect, Brit genius Rick Gervais (BBC's The Office). The series follows around a pair of extras on the set for a couple of days as their megalomaniac Hollywood stars, playing twisted versions of themselves, spin low-key hilarity. On the opposite end of the television spectrum, Rome is the lavish historical drama that spies on Caesar and his cohorts as they rule the dawn of enlightenment. After heavy procrastination all season, I've decided to duck in on the last act to see if Rome has the goods to be the greatest thing since Gladiator, or if its more akin to a pale one act Shakespeare play given by the local junior college. |
Rome is in upheaval. Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) is giving the power to the people, forming a Senate to give them a voice in the governing. Just gloss over the fact that he is the dictator perched over this little makeshift democracy. In the episode prior, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) yanks Titus Pullo's butt out of the arena of death after Pullo (Ray Stevenson) proves himself to be the greatest gladiator since Russell Crowe. Admittedly, his shining moment was the phone-tossing event. Pullo is busy licking his wounds in the hospital when a sketch artist clues him in to the fact that he's the greatest thing since the yet to be invented sliced bread. The songs and stories that will be told of his epic exploits are already being passed down from father to son. Like any great game winning quarterback, Pullo knows he's got to hop on some tail while his exploits are hot. He picks his stray guts off the bed and awkwardly mounts a horse for the awaiting orgyville.
Vorenus is busy wringing his hands, not knowing if Caesar will be adding his head above his mantle for interfering with the slated execution of Pullo. Vorenus takes his newly rediscovered wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), and the kids to his swatch of land in the country, planning to live off the land like he'd heard those silly common folk like to do. Overjoyed with his ingenuity at keeping his head firmly attached to his body, Vorenus decides to get down and dirty with Niobe right in the cornfields while the kids, servants and priests all sit in the bleachers watching on. Hey, it's a spectator's sport. Pullo is busy wooing his servant he freed to marry; then killed her boyfriend when he found out she was attached. Seems like a bit of an overreaction, but when in Rome... She's busy detesting him, but not even the prospect of no strings sex can get him to loose his eye for his former toe jam cleaner.
 | | | Rome: Series Finale | | Starring: Kevin McKidd, Lindsay Duncan, Ray Stevenson, Tobias Menzies, Kerry Condon & Indira Varma |
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Vorenus still hasn't connected the dots concerning Niobe's hanky panky while he was away fighting and ultimately written off for dead. She's still claiming her new child was her daughter's naughty dalliance although the truth is looming like an ominous cloud on the horizon. Speaking of ominous clouds, Caesar's wife is having freaky dreams of dastardly deeds befalling the original frat boy. Toga, toga, toga! Our PM dream analysis says the sky blackened by birds signal she stayed up too late watching the Hitchcock classic, and they're swarming to resemble the face of the Spanish pool boy is just last night's Mexican food backing up on her. Forget the ides of March, beware of the dutch oven Caesar. Anyway, she warns Caesar to dock the chariot and play hooky from work the next day, and he, of course, writes her off for the silly woman that she is.
The people love Vorenus for his heroic ways so Caesar takes a page from the Godfather's playbook. Instead of mounting Vorenus' head atop a tiki torch, Caesar not only makes him a part of the Senate, but also anoints him as his right hand man. This little twist throws a monkey wrench into Brutus (Tobias Menzies) and Cassius' assassination plans. They can't knock off the hero and still stay in the people's good grace. They cleverly decide to plant the truth of Niobe's infidelity in Vorenus' ear to free Caesar's side up for prime knife sinking.
On discovery of the decapitation of his world, Vorenus storms home to confront his loose woman. He has the fire of someone who just sat through two hours of Atlanta bumper-to-bumper traffic brimming in his eyes. He seethes with the betrayal. He writhes with the disappointment. He wields a dagger, eyeing her like a bloodthirsty soldier. Getting drunk on the receiving end of the blinding rage, Niobe takes a header off the balcony, and her betrayal becomes painted all over the sidewalk. Moments later, Vorenus' empty consolatory tears fall as he holds her lifeless body in his arms.
Across town, the Senate is bustling, ready to open session for the day. The betrayers waste no time turning the valiant Caesar into a pincushion. Brutus sits back stunned, unable to stab. As Caesar lies clutching to the last vestiges of life, Brutus swoops in for the cowardly killing blow. Thus Caesar's infamy is sealed as required reading for college freshman everywhere.
Rome is a highly delectable treat. The acting is top rate all around as we would expect for an HBO/BBC feature drama. The costume and set design have spared no expense, looking like they are the result of some mega-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster. The story is full and the suspense is executed with delicate grace. This week's finale showed tremendous promise for the makings of a new must see series. This definitely sparks you on to play catch-up when season 1 finds its way to DVD. Everything I've read notes that 12-episodes of Rome is all the fun we get, but if they can find a way to march on past the fall of Rome's most famous citizen, we may just see a season 2. What? It could happen.
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