Spartacus: Vengeance

:

Season 1
  • Network: Starz
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 27, 2012
Season #: 2, 1
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
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User Reviews

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  1. Jazzychef
    Feb 12, 2013
    5
    Ok, Start with the good, violence and sex is great. that's a no brain-er, if you're offended the shows not for you. i must say i find the over the top blood effects to be amusing and i think they take the edge off the gruesome wounds constantly inflicted throughout, allowing the viewer to unashamably enjoy the death.
    That being said the character spartacus has me at a loss with the    Ok, Start with the good, violence and sex is great. that's a no brain-er, if you're offended the shows not for you. i must say i find the over the top blood effects to be amusing and i think they take the edge off the gruesome wounds constantly inflicted throughout, allowing the viewer to unashamably enjoy the death.
    That being said the character spartacus has me at a loss with the series. to me spartacus is portrayed nothing more than an angry thug with no real vision and all the charisma of a piece of toast. to my mind liam mcyntyre is a bad cast. however even worse is the writing, leaving Liam with a collection of uninspiring dialoge to work with, ultimately making him look like a douche.
    The big problem for me is spartacus' lack of leadership and charisma has me scratching my head and wondering why anyone at all would follow him to war.
    On a lighter note love the gannicus character. I hope this show really pushes dustin claire's career along. currently awaiting epp 3 of war of damned, will finish the show now regardless. but have become much less enthused    … Expand
  2. Nathonas
    Feb 24, 2013
    6
    Quite ordinary and weak compared to the first season. I wouldn't blame the new leading actor but the writers of the show. The speeches in particular get really tiring and cheesy, and the way the slaves manage to beat the Romans battle after battle get a little ridiculous, especially in the ending episode where they are stranded on a mountain. Having said that the typical love for gore,Quite ordinary and weak compared to the first season. I wouldn't blame the new leading actor but the writers of the show. The speeches in particular get really tiring and cheesy, and the way the slaves manage to beat the Romans battle after battle get a little ridiculous, especially in the ending episode where they are stranded on a mountain. Having said that the typical love for gore, nudity and bad language is still present and effective, and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy all of the deaths in the final episode.… Expand
  3. 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'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 forWell, 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.… Expand
  4. 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 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 aIt 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.… Expand
  5. 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 main character. Which is to say... not so well. Really bummed fan here.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  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.
    Read full review
  2. 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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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