Rome 2.03 These being the Words of Marcus Tullius Cicero
The currently best thing about working at a museum that is always closed on Mondays, is that I can watch and re-watch Rome as much as I like. Hee.
However much I like the other characters the main draw for me is the Vorenus and Pullo story. The last few episodes have been heart wrenching as far as they are concerned, but they have also been building up to a confrontation and in this episode it did happen.
I found the way they built up to the fight very interesting. It wasn’t one huge revelation that did it, but the trickling of small ones. The first being the disagreement in front of Memmio. Now I can see Vorenus’ point about Pullo not disagreeing with him in public. It is always better and wiser to keep collected front.
That said - I do not agree about Vorenus’ reasons for being angry at Pullo. He expects Pullo to fall in line and unquestionably follow his orders. But they are not in the Legion any more - Vorenus is not the officer and Pullo not the legionnaire. They are self proclaimed brothers, and brothers are equals.
That seems clear to Pullo, but I’m not so sure it’s clear to Vorenus. Maybe because Vorenus wants to sink into his misery, but maybe also because Pullo has always been his inferior on rank and station - and for Vorenus to consider Pullo his equal doesn’t come easy.
The final blow being of course Vorenus lashing out against everything Pullo tells him, including oaths and confessions of brotherly love. That Pullo didn’t hit him sooner, or threw the first punch was impressive. (Personally I wouldn’t be so well behaved in a similar situation. ;P)
But it also shows very cleary something very evident in this episode; how much Pullo has changed. The events running up to and in the arena altered him, and season two Pullo is a much quieter and calmer man than he was in season one. The ironic thing is that this is very evident to the viewer, but since he is drowned in grief it is perhaps not so evident to Vorenus. So when Pullo acts like the voice of reason it goes against everything Vorenus has been used to. This is after all Titus Pullo - who stole the cart of Gold, who worked as a hired killer for the mob and who used to sleep dead drunk on the Vorenii stairs.
As for the fight it self, I had been wilfully spoiled it, so I expected it. What I didn’t expect was how hard it was to watch - how painful to see these two best friends literary at each others throats. And the scene with Vorenus crying on the floor just about killed me. I felt truly sorry for Pullo yes, but my heart broke for Vorenus. Especially if seen in contrast to the Vorenus of season one; the man who was always so proper and well presented, so in control - and now he is sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. It was simply heart wrenching.
This was also the first time this season that I actually felt sad for Atia. There were two scenes that did it - the first being her sitting on the bed with a blank stare, and the second was shen she was crying and drinking in the bath.
This is Atia! Who was filled with life and snappy comments, and now there was nothing - it was as if all life was drained from her. When Jocasta was being annoying I expected a sharp Atia-reply, but instead she mumble something vaguely snobbish and left. So she might say her son is dead and that she has no son, but I feel the loss of Octavian is breaking her. No matter how horrid Atia can be there was never any doubt that she loved her children.
I felt there was a certain parallel between her and Vorenus in that they both deny the people close to them (a son or a brother), and that decision is destroying them.
A few assorted thoughts:
I loved the sneaky Cicero in this episode. I did not like him much in season one, but in S2 he has been wonderful.
I also liked Agrippa very much. He did look like a younger, more fighting version of Sam Gamgee - but then again Sam has always been my favorite hobbit. I just really like how he entered the Julii household all proud an soldiery, and then he took one look at Octavia and became a stuttering young man with a crush. Hee. I think that appealed to my inner romantic.
And yet - she will end up marrying Marc Antony, so all will not end well.
When Pullo was told that Antony had asked for Vorenus especially my blood ran cold. I do not trust Antony at all, and considering Antony’s treatment of Vorenus in "Son of Hades" this is doubled in Vorenus’ case.
Thankfully after all this heartbreak they chose to end the episode with Pullo riding to find his brother. (For he was riding towards Vorenus right? Not the children? I’m a little confused)
However much I like the other characters the main draw for me is the Vorenus and Pullo story. The last few episodes have been heart wrenching as far as they are concerned, but they have also been building up to a confrontation and in this episode it did happen.
I found the way they built up to the fight very interesting. It wasn’t one huge revelation that did it, but the trickling of small ones. The first being the disagreement in front of Memmio. Now I can see Vorenus’ point about Pullo not disagreeing with him in public. It is always better and wiser to keep collected front.
That said - I do not agree about Vorenus’ reasons for being angry at Pullo. He expects Pullo to fall in line and unquestionably follow his orders. But they are not in the Legion any more - Vorenus is not the officer and Pullo not the legionnaire. They are self proclaimed brothers, and brothers are equals.
That seems clear to Pullo, but I’m not so sure it’s clear to Vorenus. Maybe because Vorenus wants to sink into his misery, but maybe also because Pullo has always been his inferior on rank and station - and for Vorenus to consider Pullo his equal doesn’t come easy.
The final blow being of course Vorenus lashing out against everything Pullo tells him, including oaths and confessions of brotherly love. That Pullo didn’t hit him sooner, or threw the first punch was impressive. (Personally I wouldn’t be so well behaved in a similar situation. ;P)
But it also shows very cleary something very evident in this episode; how much Pullo has changed. The events running up to and in the arena altered him, and season two Pullo is a much quieter and calmer man than he was in season one. The ironic thing is that this is very evident to the viewer, but since he is drowned in grief it is perhaps not so evident to Vorenus. So when Pullo acts like the voice of reason it goes against everything Vorenus has been used to. This is after all Titus Pullo - who stole the cart of Gold, who worked as a hired killer for the mob and who used to sleep dead drunk on the Vorenii stairs.
As for the fight it self, I had been wilfully spoiled it, so I expected it. What I didn’t expect was how hard it was to watch - how painful to see these two best friends literary at each others throats. And the scene with Vorenus crying on the floor just about killed me. I felt truly sorry for Pullo yes, but my heart broke for Vorenus. Especially if seen in contrast to the Vorenus of season one; the man who was always so proper and well presented, so in control - and now he is sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. It was simply heart wrenching.
This was also the first time this season that I actually felt sad for Atia. There were two scenes that did it - the first being her sitting on the bed with a blank stare, and the second was shen she was crying and drinking in the bath.
This is Atia! Who was filled with life and snappy comments, and now there was nothing - it was as if all life was drained from her. When Jocasta was being annoying I expected a sharp Atia-reply, but instead she mumble something vaguely snobbish and left. So she might say her son is dead and that she has no son, but I feel the loss of Octavian is breaking her. No matter how horrid Atia can be there was never any doubt that she loved her children.
I felt there was a certain parallel between her and Vorenus in that they both deny the people close to them (a son or a brother), and that decision is destroying them.
A few assorted thoughts:
I loved the sneaky Cicero in this episode. I did not like him much in season one, but in S2 he has been wonderful.
I also liked Agrippa very much. He did look like a younger, more fighting version of Sam Gamgee - but then again Sam has always been my favorite hobbit. I just really like how he entered the Julii household all proud an soldiery, and then he took one look at Octavia and became a stuttering young man with a crush. Hee. I think that appealed to my inner romantic.
And yet - she will end up marrying Marc Antony, so all will not end well.
When Pullo was told that Antony had asked for Vorenus especially my blood ran cold. I do not trust Antony at all, and considering Antony’s treatment of Vorenus in "Son of Hades" this is doubled in Vorenus’ case.
Thankfully after all this heartbreak they chose to end the episode with Pullo riding to find his brother. (For he was riding towards Vorenus right? Not the children? I’m a little confused)