HBO's ROME, Stylish and Authentic Looking

oh JOKES!

I get jokes.

Has anyone noticed the borrowing being done from the Godfather?

I mentioned several different items to Nancy early (cannot remember what they are right now, but I'll try to revive the memory.) But the scene where Titus kills the young man Eirene was in love with...has Vorenus making a speech almost out of Godfather II. "Here...in my home...where my wife and children sleep!"

I could imagine that. Rome was rather run by a bunch of early Mafioso. Let's hope they don't go so far as to borrow the horse's head scene. The last two episodes of the season should be electrifying.

Looking forward to the last two myself, LW.

I'm reading a bio of Cicero right now. Boy...those Romans sure knew how to do intrigue...bit time!!!!

Is is really that much different than Washington? People haven't really changed in thousands of years. They just do their killing with technological secrecy and may not take always someone's physical life but they can destroy lives nevertheless. However, I do think they were still clever in their politics of that time and got away with a lot. How Dubya got away with his until his ratings began sinking into the slime is beyond me.

Vorenus: "Titus is dead to me."

Michael Corleone: 'Fredo is dead to me.'



When those bastards killed Caesar...my heart almost broke...although, obviously, I knew it was coming.

Can't wait for next season...to have Octavian do some revenge.

A superior assassination account to any I have ever seen before and no "Et Tu, Brute." I've just wondered how far they will go with the series -- clear up to Constantine, maybe?

I doubt it, LW. I don't think the series can go further than Octavian becoming emperor....maybe one more season. Without Voranus, Pullo...and perhaps Atia...there simply is no series.

I watched the rerun last night...and my reaction to the assassination was, if anything, even more disturbing.

You don't think they could connect Vorenus and Pulo in w/ Octavian?

pulo & octavian already have a history together.

I don't think the show can go on forever either, but I see some possibilities.

I also found the assassination scene heartbreaking. Goodness those are some good actors. The scene where Servilia tells Atia what's happened was also amazing. But the end, where Vorenus finds out his grandson isn't his grandson, well, that was even more heartbreaking.

oh, I just about died when (sorry, I can never pronounce V's wife's name) just let herself fall off the balcony.

I was wondering the emotions that promoted her.

disgrace?
she didn't have time to consider she was leaving a child without a mother, she just acted.

that was really devastating.

Both Vorenus and Pullo have a history with Octavian (Vorenus and Pullo rescued Octavian from the barbarians and took him to Caesar)...and I am sure they will use that as the main thread for next year's production.

Vorenus and Pullo are not fictional characters, by the way. They were mentioned in some notes of Caesar's...although I doubt they were anything like the characters in this production.

The "HBO Rome" site has some terrific background material (over an hour's worth) and is well worth exploring.

The actress...Indira Varma was excellent in the Kama Sutra. You certainly get to see a lot of her in that movie.

I expect she figured she either died at her own hand and possibly got the kid's life spared as a result...or took a knife from Vorenus and sees the kid killed as well.


The kid as an adult may play some part in the future of the series.

Nice to see Pullo and Eirene getting on together...although I expect that to be a stormy (and humor providing) relationship.

re pulo and eirene - Yeah, I'm glad they are together for his sake. P needs her.

It made me think about relationships in that day. People were much more practical minded.

In E's mind, she's thinking that even though P killed her future husband, hey, I have to marry someone, and he'll take care of me. Besides the fact he killed my love, I like him well enough.

at least that's my take on it.

V & P were real?
Interesting, I'll have to read up on that.

I've been thinking about it. I think she felt that Vorenus would kill someone in anger, and that it would be the boy (because he loved her too much). So she felt if she were to die it would satisfy him. Hence, "the boy is blameless".

But I'm not sure at all about that.

bump

I just caught the 1st episode of this season by accident the other night, missing the first 15 minutes.

I'm so glad I'm recording this episode at a later time.


I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!!

I encourage anyone who wants to watch some quality drama and superb acting to rent last seasons shows.

This is one of the few shows on TV that doesn't insult your intelligence and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I'd have to say I like it even more than the better episodes of the Sopranos.

Any other fans of Rome out there?

Echo that. I was just about to cancel HBO and along came the second season of Rome. Bastards!

I absolutely love the show...and if the first episode of the second season is any indication...it will continue to be painfully true to life.

I cannot remember a full cast of such quality.

I recommend it without reservation to EVERYONE.

(Thanks for the note, Chai. Love the new avatar.)

I have got to make more of an effort to watch this show. As a kid, I was fascinated with all things Roman and I've only seen bits and pieces of the program, enough to know that it is gorgeous to look at and pretty heavy in content. It just looks like it would be very good.

HBO is on a real roll, producing quality tv again and again. I'm still watching reruns of Entourage.

You're right eoe. I love looking at the buildings and interior design, and their choice of color. It's very interesting seeing how people really dressed, and how they could beautify themself, both men and women.

Heavy, yeah.

Someones first reaction might be that the show is not only violent, but way beyond what would be considered sane today. Same with sex.

But, when you realize that we are talking about a completely different culture, in how they thought about and their values on human life, it's really understandable. I've really got to put myself in that era and suspend the mores we've grown up with.

Last year, I tried to talk about the show a couple of times with someone, and all she kept saying was "how could so-and-so have DONE that to what's his name"?

Although Pulo does sometimes act as a little comic relief at times. He's pretty clever. Actually, no one is getting any wool pulled over their eyes in the show.