Rome (TV Series) The Spoils (2005) User Reviews

Vorenus and Pullo

[Xerces88 · 9/10 · 23 January 2008]

This is the episode I have been waiting for... kinda.

I'm not going to discuss what happened outside of Vorenus and Pullo's story. It didn't hold my attention and I found it to be the letdown of 'The Spoils'. Thankfully, Vorenus and Pullo make up more than half of the episode which is a first.

Pullo discovers the one thing he involved himself emotionally in wasn't real. He begins the inevitable down spiral involving: murder, solitude, more murder, and giving up completely.

When this is all done and giving up doesn't work, he stands up and remains loyal to the only thing left in his life that he can be proud of and that is: the thirteenth. Vorenus is touched and has forgiven Pullo on a very personal level. He helps Pullo and shows his loyalty and pride for the thirteenth. Vorenus has made a sacrifice and I suspect there will be great consequence to his actions.

Dark times for Titus Pullo

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 14 March 2016]

As the first season of Rome approaches its ending things aren't going well for Pullo. After killing Eirene's fiancé in a jealous rage he finds himself without friends and finds work as a hired killer for Erastes Fulmen. It isn't long before he is arrested for murder and neither Caesar nor Vorenus will intervene on his behalf… the victim was a known critic of Caesar so any official defence of Pullo might suggest that Caesar was behind the killing. Pullo isn't the only soldier proving difficult; others are demanding land in Italy, claiming they will be forced to resort to banditry if they aren't appeased; Vorenus is given the task of negotiating with their leader. Meanwhile graffiti showing Brutus murdering Caesar is appearing around Rome; he insists that he is loyal but Caesar wants him out of Rome… something that convinces Brutus that something needs to be done about Caesar.

This was a fine episode; one might have expected it to concentrate on the lead up to Caesar's downfall but this is only hinted at. Instead Pullo's story takes centre stage. Ray Stevenson does a great job depicting the former legionnaire's descent into despair… ultimately to the point that he welcomes his imminent death and refuses to put on a show buy fighting back against is executioners. That is until they make the mistake of insulting his beloved Thirteenth and he fights back and gives us one of the most exciting and brutal fights in the series to date. This also served to reunite Pullo and Vorenus; something that is certain to have consequences for the latter. Overall a really good episode; the finale will have to be really special to top it.