The show depicts the Roman general Aulus Plautius’s conquest of England on the orders of the Roman Emperor Claudius in 43AD. In England Aulus Plautius must contend with warring Briton tribes, their Druids and their Gods. I’m half-way through seasons 2 and looking very much forward to the rest. The series ran for 3 seasons.
- this series is absolutely nuts. Entertaining, but absolutely nuts. I appreciate the shows commitment to batshit crazy.
- the show presents the Druids and ancient Briton Gods as being real entities, not just characters paying lip service to the religion(s) of the past as often in historical shows. So I count the show more in the realm of fantasy than history.
- some very violent, gruesome scenes… killing, sacrifice, burial rites.
- lots of humor and one such that I particularly loved was in the first season when the ex-Druid The Outcast was admitting to the Girl that he had been wrong about her, and absolutely COULD. NOT. get the word “wrong” out of his mouth. Still makes me giggle whenever I think about that!
- so much humor that isn’t outright funny scenes or jokes or anything like that but comes from characters expressions or manner when something happens or just like they taste something. Or when two almost-no-name characters, Roman soldiers, go AWOL (or were they the ones to mutiny?) and end up in an abandoned/murdered village and find a “witch doctor’s” stash and spend the episode stoned to the gills and having conversations. It was somehow just so funny how it was written and acted. The show isn’t a comedy by any stretch of imagination, but does have a lot of humor.
- there are also some surprisingly poignant moments; such as when the new Numidian Second-in-Command in season 2, who has been drugged unawares along with the other legionnaires, remembers that the Roman Legionnaires murdered his family and village when he was a child in Numidia and realizes that he is now one of the people who murdered his loved ones and that he is doing it to others now. I got the impression he had sort of repressed the fact until then but now, when he is stoned, it comes up to the forefront.
- I’m not sure I root for any character, but some of the actors are very likable and interesting in their roles: Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Divis (The Outcast mentioned before), Mackenzie Crook as Veran / Harka and Annabel Scholey as Amena. Kelly Reilly was on too short a time. Zoë Wanamaker is always great in everything I see her in! And I’m always happy to see David Morrissey but he doesn’t clock me as an Ancient Roman, so while I’m happy he’s playing the Aulus Plautius, I’m not sure about him playing a Roman. The same goes for the actor of his original Second-in-Command – they are both as English as they come!
- the show’s opening credits songs are entirely unfitting: “Hurdy Gurdy Man” in season 1 and “Season of the Witch” in season 2 and so are all the songs used in the show – they’re similar in vein to the opening credits songs. The original score in season 1 is very good, but I haven’t noticed it actually at all in season 2 so far.
- the show’s opening credits visuals are gorgeous! Might have to cap them to use them as wallpapers.
- I appreciate that all the various characters and tribes each have their own agendas and it’s fun watching them collaborate and collide and change