Spartacus: Vengeance

:

Season 1
  • Network: Starz
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 27, 2012
Season #: 2, 1
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
Watch Now

Where To Watch

Stream On
Stream On

Critic Reviews

  1. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Aaron Riccio
    Feb 27, 2012
    100
    Well written and acted, almost perfectly paced, and entirely unlike anything else on television, Spartacus isn't just bloody good, it's bloody excellent.
  2. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    Jan 19, 2012
    75
    It's fun sport. [30 Jan 2012, p.44]
    All this critic's reviews
  3. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Jan 27, 2012
    67
    Everything fans loved about the first season--which improved dramatically over its course, by the way--is here. Everyone is not. McIntyre is good, but he's not Whitfield, either.
  5. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Jan 27, 2012
    67
    Your enjoyment of "Vengeance" ultimately hinges on how much you remember the betrayals and back-stabbings of the first season, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."
  6. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jan 31, 2012
    60
    Both the new actor and the revamped series take some getting used to.
  7. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Jan 23, 2012
    60
    Although Friday's season premiere is a bit confusing at times, the Spartacus world comes into better focus in episode two.
  8. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Jan 27, 2012
    50
    With overripe dialogue that sounds like Shakespeare ground through a blender of baroque profanity, punctuated by action sequences of almost comical brutality amid orgies of debauchery, Spartacus is back with a vengeance.
  9. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Jan 26, 2012
    50
    No matter the casting changes, Spartacus remains good, dirty fun.
  10. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Jan 26, 2012
    50
    The writers may work their way out of this corner and Mr. McIntyre, who's a bit lightweight at this point, may grow into the central role. In the meantime there are still touches of the unbridled campiness that made the first season amusing.
  11. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Jan 27, 2012
    40
    So the upstairs and the downstairs people are sorting things out this season, a process that drifts in and out of confusion.
  12. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Jan 23, 2012
    40
    Spartacus: Vengeance is up to the same old tricks, endeavoring to give gratuitous violence and sex a good name.

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best TV Season of 2012
30
#30 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
45
#45 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 144 out of 186
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 186
  3. Negative: 26 out of 186
  1. JennetP
    Feb 6, 2012
    6
    Well, we're reached the part of the Spartacus story in which the personal becomes political, and, I'll admit, I'm worried. I don't think it'sWell, we're reached the part of the Spartacus story in which the personal becomes political, and, I'll admit, I'm worried. I don't think it's a good sign that Episode 2 spends so much time on the former-Doctore's back-story, which suggests a reluctance to move from the gladiatorial arena to the field of battle. The strength of this franchise has always been its unapologetic relish for brawn, boobs, and blood, for sympathetic heroes and dastardly villains, for a cartoon version of history. But, with Spartacus out of the ludus and gathering troops, things will have to get a bit more serious. Does Liam McIntyre have the necessary authority? I don't see it yet, but I'll wait to make that call. I enjoyed "Blood and Sand" and "Gods of the Arena," but "Vengeance" seems, so far, a little lost. But perhaps that is the point: that it tales a while to find your way when a simple act of defiance becomes a revolution.… Full Review »
  2. chris10000
    Aug 15, 2012
    5
    It says a lot about critics that Vengeance was rated higher by them than Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena-they're incredibly stupid inIt says a lot about critics that Vengeance was rated higher by them than Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena-they're incredibly stupid in short. I don't understand why their 'season reviews' are allowed to be put up when, like on the main page of Blood and Sand, they've only seen the first episode, it's ridiculous. The first episode is the worst one, yet it gets fantastic after a quarter of the way through. Anyway, Vengeance was average-a very poor actor and lead in Liam McIntyre who is hopeless in the role, a lacklustre script, story and the direction was truly abysmal; slo-mos occurred literally every 5 seconds during fight scenes, it's like they forgot how to direct! The show's archaic dialogue was effortlessly made modern in the other series but the writing has completely diminished and McIntyre is a joke when saying his lines, making you painfully aware that what he's saying is ridiculous as well as the way he's saying it. In a way I'm glad they're ending the series after War of the Damned as that now they're out of the controlled environments of the Ludus and Arena they're hopelessly lost and don't know what to do with the story and characters. Overall, a few great episodes (though still not nearly in the same league as it's predecessors') and more than a few average and poor episodes make this season a 5/10.… Full Review »
  3. nerdlust
    Jan 27, 2012
    4
    Well the season premiere did as about as well as it could have, after killing off it's best character (John Hannah) and replacing it's mainWell the season premiere did as about as well as it could have, after killing off it's best character (John Hannah) and replacing it's main character. Which is to say... not so well. Really bummed fan here.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »