The people, they like tales about underdogs, war, and sex, and “Spartacus” has it all, baby. It’s rated TV-MA for “graphic violence, strong sexual content, and coarse language.” If you’re going to have one type of mature content, might as well throw them all in and make it a party! STARZ definitely brought their party hats with “Spartacus,” a guilty pleasure filled with tidal waves of blood, gratuitous sexual situations, and a lot of scantily clad men fighting for the position of alpha male.
“Spartacus” premiered in 2010 with lead actor Andy Whitfield taking on the eponymous character Spartacus. Whitfield gave a great performance, delicately balancing the expectations of a raw warrior and the compassion of a lover. When Whitfield passed away in 2011 (may he rest in peace), Liam McIntyre stepped up to the seemingly impossible task of playing the leader of the slaves. Despite the difficult beginning of losing a main cast member, “Spartacus” prevailed, lasting another two seasons, totaling four seasons of guiltily pleasing blissfulness before coming to a bloody, butts-and-booties filled finale.
If you reach back to that high school history lesson, you might recall Spartacus is an actual person. Let me drop a knowledge bomb on you- STARZ based their series on the historical figure Spartacus, but since that period of time isn’t exactly known for its diligence in record-keeping, they had plenty of liberty to fill in the blanks with whatever makes for good television. However, a real guy named Spartacus really did lead a group of enslaved gladiators into rebellion, and a lot of the main characters are based on historical figures. End of history lesson- we wouldn’t want to get too deep in “school stuff” when we’re talking about a guilty pleasure. If you’re looking to learn accurate historical facts through a show, look elsewhere. “Spartacus” is more about exploitative entertainment than it is about cramming your mind-hole with knowledge.
One of the most exploitative elements about “Spartacus” is its gore. No one wants to see violence and gore in real life, so we turn to Hollywood to provide it in a controlled environment. “Spartacus” is unbelievably gory and violent, which should come as no surprise since STARZ has the freedom to put as much mature content in their programs as they want- and thank goodness for that! The first season of “Spartacus” takes place at the house of the slave owner, Batiatus, so nearly every episode features some kind of gladiatorial fight.
At the very least, the gladiatorial training provides a bit of action and a lot of flexed sweaty muscles for those who are into that. The later seasons take the action out onto the battlefield, where you have all-out brawls between large armies. “Spartacus” utilizes the kind of approach to gore that’s reminiscent of ‘70s Exploitation films. All it takes is a single nick from a sword and it’s like a water hose gushing out blood. Most of the time, though, the injuries are far worse than that. They show beheadings, dismemberments, and anything else imaginable. At the end of any fight the ground/walls/characters are all painted red, making audiences both laugh and wince at the insanity of it all. Sometimes having an excess of something is a really, really good thing.
Another piece of the guilty pleasure entertainment puzzle is the sexual content. While most shows focus on parading around half-naked women in every episode, “Spartacus” provides bountiful eye candy for both men and women. The gladiators’ wardrobe generally consists of a loin cloth and the women’s wardrobe generally consists of a well-placed drape. And what goes along with having boatloads of chiseled, half-naked people? Sexual situations, that’s what, and there are plenty of those to go around. STARZ knows what the people like, and it’s adult situations with a capitol N for Nudity
Let’s not forget that there is a story behind all the gratuitous violence and sex, and while it’s not the most original or complex plot, it does manage to provide a satisfying framework for the characters, as well as establishing the basic conflict of slaves fighting for freedom. Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? This light story provides just enough of a foothold for audience members to grab onto so that the sex and violence doesn’t feel like it’s there for pure titillation.
“Spartacus” also shined a light on several relatively unknown, but talented, actors like Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law, and Jai Courtney. Bennett is now kicking ass over on “Arrow” as Slade Wilson, a.k.a Deathstroke a.k.a The Terminator, and Courtney starred alongside Bruce Willis in A Good Day to Die Hard.
If you’re looking for the next guilty pleasure to curl up on the couch and watch, give “Spartacus” a try. It’s a testosterone driven show filled with over-the-top fighting and over-the-covers nudity, though I recommend bringing a tarp to protect you from the gallons of blood that’ll come flying at you, episode after episode.
