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Vorenus Subplot; Season 2 (Episode 1&?)

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The first episode 'Passover' was dark enough already but the Vorenus subplot regarding the fate of his family was about as intense as it can get...

 

Obviously I'm glad that Erastes Fulman finally got what was coming to him but the 'revelation' before he met his end was absolutely gut wrenching.

 

I assume that this subplot will not end there. It seems quite likely that Vorenus will try and find his children (dead or perhaps even alive) to make sure he can uncurse them so that they can properly enter the afterlife.

 

Question though, where do you think Vorenus was going at the end with Fulman's head?? Seen as how he was going up a lot of stairs, do you think maybe it will be a depiction of the Tarpeian Rock?

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I got the impression that Erastes consigned himself to his fate by announcing to Vorenus that his children were dead. It appeared to me that he willingly offered his neck, once he understood that his guards were dead, and that his situation was hopeless. I could very well be wrong here, but if he had he not been ready to accept his fate, he likely would have offered some possible alternative explanation to an obviously angry Vorenus.

 

No, I don't think the children will turn up alive, but I do agree that he is going to be obsessed with rectifying his curse. He should be a distinctly darker character going forward. Oddly enough Pullo may perhaps play the counter-balancing voice of reason.

 

By the by, who was the woman they found rummaging through Vorenus' home... just a servant I suppose, but I thought for a moment that she looked like Niobe's sister?

 

As for Vorenus' destination with the head, I just got the feeling that the stairs offered an excellent visual effect for a man mostly overcome with a sort of emotional madness... The Tarpeian rock makes sense though.

 

(It's just such a shame that we will only see 2 seasons.)

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Question though, where do you think Vorenus was going at the end with Fulman's head?? Seen as how he was going up a lot of stairs, do you think maybe it will be a depiction of the Tarpeian Rock?

 

More likely the Gemonian Stairs - where the bodies of criminals were thrown for the mob to abuse. I'm not sure when they came into existence, however. Anyone know?

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Unfortunately I believe the stairs are extant only from the time of Tiberius.

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Unfortunately I believe the stairs are extant only from the time of Tiberius.

 

Ah! Thank you Pertinax - I wasn't sure.

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By the by, who was the woman they found rummaging through Vorenus' home... just a servant I suppose, but I thought for a moment that she looked like Niobe's sister?

It did look like her but I feel that he would have been a bit more animated with her if it indeed was. :D

 

You think they'll 'go there' even remotely with flashbacks? :blink:

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More likely the Gemonian Stairs - where the bodies of criminals were thrown for the mob to abuse. I'm not sure when they came into existence, however. Anyone know?

 

Ave Cittadini!

 

this is my first post here, although I have been a long-time lurker, and a huge fan of this site.

Regarding the stairs; there was a special feature available trough HBO On Demand, regarding the stairs.

It seems that it was designed as a set "prop" to show the entrance to the Aventine Hill, and a feature which will alllow future episodes to show Roma from afar - i.e., one can see the various hills (Palatine, eg) from this view, as dictated by the shot.

 

I saw elsewhere on this BB, that Rome will only have two seasons.

Is this confirmed anywhere?

There's so much history to go through, I can't imagine it being achieved in a mere 24 episodes (12 from S. 1, and 12 this season).

 

pax

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I saw elsewhere on this BB, that Rome will only have two seasons.

Is this confirmed anywhere?

There's so much history to go through, I can't imagine it being achieved in a mere 24 episodes (12 from S. 1, and 12 this season).

 

pax

 

There seems to be no absolutes, but the enormous costs of producing the show, coupled with the intricacies of the partnership between HBO and BBC have led many to believe a 3rd season is almost an impossibility. After HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht confirmed that Rome season two would air on HBO in January 2007 (way back when season one had only aired a few episodes), he also stated that there would not be a 3rd season. However, since then, there has been no further confirmation by anyone involved and the HBO people apparently won't comment.

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Well, those questions were answered last night :lol:[spoiler follows!]

 

Apparently, Vorenus running about with Erastes' head was simply his return home. It was amusing that Mark Antony and Pullo made no indication of the stink when they arrived at Vorenus' house, being that there was a green decomposing head sitting there :clapping:

 

It will be interesting to see Vorenus' reaction -- the self-provlaimed child of Hades -- when his family turns up alive. Erastes didn't rape/kill them, but rather sold them into slavery. [They were in the slave cart riding up alongside Octavian on his way to Agrippa]

 

The woman who was "collecting things she loaned" looked like one of the two women with whom Niobe was speaking with last season -- the ones who were miffed at how Niobe "would be glad to receive again" after she had scurried them off when Vorenus was returning home.

 

I really liked the presentation of Antony's funeral speech at the brothel (although it bugged me at first). Apparently, HBO didn't think they could present it better than Shakespeare, so they gave a commoner's perspective.

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It will be interesting to see Vorenus' reaction -- the self-provlaimed child of Hades -- when his family turns up alive. Erastes didn't rape/kill them, but rather sold them into slavery. [They were in the slave cart riding up alongside Octavian on his way to Agrippa]

 

Its fairly clear we are heading towards a major split between Vorenus and Pullo. I was a touch surprised that Pullo did not join Octavian as he left the city, but I suppose it was important to build up the friction first.. Somehow I presume the presence of Vorenus' children in the camp of Octavian will eventually allow the two to reconcile though.

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It will be interesting to see Vorenus' reaction -- the self-provlaimed child of Hades -- when his family turns up alive. Erastes didn't rape/kill them, but rather sold them into slavery. [They were in the slave cart riding up alongside Octavian on his way to Agrippa]

 

Its fairly clear we are heading towards a major split between Vorenus and Pullo. I was a touch surprised that Pullo did not join Octavian as he left the city, but I suppose it was important to build up the friction first.. Somehow I presume the presence of Vorenus' children in the camp of Octavian will eventually allow the two to reconcile though.

It seemed to be clear last season that the buddies were going to wind up on opposite sides -- Pullo's building 'friendship' with Octavian and Vorenus' oath to Antonius. What makes me wonder is Pullo's potential role in the killing of Caesarion -- quite possibly his own son.

 

I was also surprised to see Pullo not going with Octavian, but HBO probably saw fit to strengthen Pullo's and Vorenus' friendship first. Their role-reversal (the who is taking care of whom) will really serve to dramatize their eventual split.

 

Vorenus' family can also serve as hostages. I'm interested to see which they go with.

 

We're also reminded of Pullo's comment to Octavian that he'll be ready to serve 'when the time comes'. The forces are quietly mustering, and the time will come. :clapping:

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Well, those questions were answered last night :)[spoiler follows!]

 

Apparently, Vorenus running about with Erastes' head was simply his return home. It was amusing that Mark Antony and Pullo made no indication of the stink when they arrived at Vorenus' house, being that there was a green decomposing head sitting there :P

 

It will be interesting to see Vorenus' reaction -- the self-provlaimed child of Hades -- when his family turns up alive. Erastes didn't rape/kill them, but rather sold them into slavery. [They were in the slave cart riding up alongside Octavian on his way to Agrippa]

The woman who was "collecting things she loaned" looked like one of the two women with whom Niobe was speaking with last season -- the ones who were miffed at how Niobe "would be glad to receive again" after she had scurried them off when Vorenus was returning home.

 

I really liked the presentation of Antony's funeral speech at the brothel (although it bugged me at first). Apparently, HBO didn't think they could present it better than Shakespeare, so they gave a commoner's perspective.

 

So AGRIPPA is in it?

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Well, those questions were answered last night :)[spoiler follows!]

 

Apparently, Vorenus running about with Erastes' head was simply his return home. It was amusing that Mark Antony and Pullo made no indication of the stink when they arrived at Vorenus' house, being that there was a green decomposing head sitting there :P

 

It will be interesting to see Vorenus' reaction -- the self-provlaimed child of Hades -- when his family turns up alive. Erastes didn't rape/kill them, but rather sold them into slavery. [They were in the slave cart riding up alongside Octavian on his way to Agrippa]

The woman who was "collecting things she loaned" looked like one of the two women with whom Niobe was speaking with last season -- the ones who were miffed at how Niobe "would be glad to receive again" after she had scurried them off when Vorenus was returning home.

 

I really liked the presentation of Antony's funeral speech at the brothel (although it bugged me at first). Apparently, HBO didn't think they could present it better than Shakespeare, so they gave a commoner's perspective.

 

So AGRIPPA is in it?

Yes, he is, but hasn't made his appearance yet. Octavian's on his way to see him.

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Episode 2 was even more interesting than the first.

 

The woman rummaging through the kitchen utensils in Vorenus's home was a neighbor of Niobe. She is there in many scenes in Season 1, including the very first scene where Vorenus returns home after his campaign in Alesia (with the defeat of Vercingetorix), where he is surprised to see Niobe with an infant in her arms. She is also there to counsel her about Pullo and his interest in the affair between her sister's husband (killed / tortured by Pullo / Octavian sometime in Season 1) and Niobe.

 

Vorenus has crossed over to Hades (or the "dark side", to borrow a phrase from "Star Wars") and is in a dangerous place now. Pullo, as someone predicted here, will be the voice of reason and I think will join up with Octavian to battle against the raging Vorenus / Mark Antony combination. As someone already stated here, I think Vorenus's family will be taken as hostages in a truce / reconciliation between Octavian / Antony with possibly Pullo and Vorenus acting as go betweens (as Vorenus now controls Rome in the name of Antony).

 

Interesting stuff.. I wonder who will play Agrippa.

Edited by Skarr

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