Yes, the series was hotter than Vulcan’s cock! 
I watched the first season. But it got so soapy toward the end–most of the plot points were about bitchy, scheming women–that I haven’t bothered with the second.
Then you are missing a lot! I think the second season managed to out-do the first, if just barely. Oh, for a spare $18 million or thereabouts so they could have done a third season.
Mmmm… Antony.
Got season 1 for christmas… already finshed it. Thank goodness my birthday is next month, I don’t have to wait too long for season 2. I’ve already watched every episode on HBO, but now I can see it whenever the mood strikes.
[QUOTE=SylverOne]
Mmmm… Antony.
[/QUOTE]
I know. Woof.
[QUOTE=Maastricht]
The lack of restraint Pullo has when killing the slave boyfriend of his slave girl-crush? Today, he’d be in a mental hospital for the criminally insane, diagnosed with an impulse disorder.
[/QUOTE]
“I know we got off on the wrong foot; what with me killing your man and all…”
I loved the show. I enjoyed the little historical touches, like when Vorenus and Pullo are in a carriage that comes to a riverbank where there’s a young boy fishing, and they’re literally crossing the Rubicon. And especially during the first season, the newsreader would stand in a public place and read the news, along with commercials.
I think the newsreader was my favorite character.
Seriously, I loved this series. My best friend I would watch it on the weekends on my laptop - it’s what got us through grad school with our sanity intact. Atia became my role model. She is just all kinds of awesome.
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn]
I loved the show. I enjoyed the little historical touches, like when Vorenus and Pullo are in a carriage that comes to a riverbank where there’s a young boy fishing, and they’re literally crossing the Rubicon. And especially during the first season, the newsreader would stand in a public place and read the news, along with commercials.
[/QUOTE]
I also like their little touches of “playing with” history. Like when Cicero (or was it Brutus and co?) is sending for help and the messenger bumps into Vorenus and family and loses it.
I also really liked the whole Brutus/Caesar relationship. I really grew to like Brutus as a character, in spite of (or because of, perhaps) knowing what would become of him.
I guess I’m going to have to add this to my Netflix queue (when I get around to signing up for Netflix). sigh I have so much catching up to do…Buffy, Angel, Futurama…
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee]
I think the newsreader was my favorite character.
[/QUOTE]
YES! He was great. He talked with his hands so well.
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine]
Have you read the mystery series by Lindsey Davis? I’ve heard that one is good also.
[/QUOTE]
I’ve read several of them, and they’re okay but not in Saylor’s class. A big part of the reason for that is that Davis is channelling Raymond Chandler and the hardboiled detective schtick is anachronistic and unconvincing. Saylor does a wonderfully better job at making you feel he’s capturing the essence of the time and setting. Another good mystery series set in the same era would be the SPQR books by John Maddox Roberts.
Saylor’s Gordianus the Finder looks at Rome and Romans from the lower class of freeborn citizens’ viewpoint. Roberts’ Decius Metellus looks at 'em from the upper class. It’s a treat to read their different takes on the same historical incident, the Catiline conspiracy.
Thanks, EddyTeddyFreddy, I’ll look for the SPQR books.
[QUOTE=alphaboi867]
Atia would’ve been a very boring character if they made her the model of Roman matronhood she was in real life. I don’t care if she was dead in real life when Octavian became Augustus, that exchange between her and Livia was priceless.
[/QUOTE]
Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not complaining about the various deviations from history. Such things are necessary for dramatic effect. I lived the character of Atia, and in general the series was surprisingly loyal to the history.
The producers may have changed history here and there, but they had respect for the material, and it showed.
I watched a bit from Tivo last night. I’d forgotten how hot Octavian’s wife was!
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine]
Thanks, EddyTeddyFreddy, I’ll look for the SPQR books.
[/QUOTE]
You won’t be disappointed. Do start with the first in the series and work through them in order; advice that’s also good for the Saylor books.
[QUOTE=silenus]
The producers may have changed history here and there, but they had respect for the material, and it showed.
I watched a bit from Tivo last night. I’d forgotten how hot Octavian’s wife was!
[/QUOTE]
True on both counts. 
On the respect for history issue – I really loved that there was no anachronistic character going around moaning about how slavery is wrong, or prophesying the birth of Christ or the fall of the Empire, or any of that stuff that can really get in the way of historical fiction.
There actually was a hint of pre-Christianity with the Jewish zealots featured in a couple of episodes.
James Purefoy looked so familiar to me…then I placed him as the Black Prince in A Knight’s Tale. Small part, but very very effective.
[QUOTE=silenus]
The producers may have changed history here and there, but they had respect for the material, and it showed.
I watched a bit from Tivo last night. I’d forgotten how hot Octavian’s wife was!
[/QUOTE]
Livia? See, now, if your intro to Roman history and Livia comes from “I, Claudius,” “hot” isn’t the first word that comes to mind for you…brilliantly cunning and a bit scary, yes…hot, not so much.