SPOILER ALERT! ‘Spartacus: War of the Damned’ ended its run on Apr. 12 with a blood-soaked shocker of a finale. Read on to find out the five things about the episode that truly took our breath away!
The third and final season of Spartacus, titled “War of the Damned,” has been working its way through the (historically accurate) slave rebellion led by Spartacus from 73 to 71 BCE. We finally got the climax of that war with the show’s series finale, which aired on Apr. 12. And boy, we were blown away!
‘Spartacus’ Series Finale: The 5 Most Shocking Things
1. The Finale Was ’300,’ ‘Gladiator’ & ‘Braveheart’ All Rolled Into One!
Spartacus leading the rebels against the Roman Empire truly had all the elements of the classic battle movies. The music, the fight choreography, the violence — it was all there. We were especially reminded of Gerard Butler in 300 when Spartacus leaped at his archenemy Crassus.
2. ‘Spartacus’ Finale Was Surprisingly Tame
For shows like Game of Thrones that lead the way in premium cable TV, sex and nudity (otherwise known as “sexposition”) seem to be a pretty integral element. Over its three seasons, Spartacus has been no different. But the finale on Apr. 12 was shockingly void of all that. And we’re thankful for it — we like a good sex scene as much as the next guy, but sometimes there are wars to be fought. The finale did a good job of driving that home.
3. Gannicus Bites The Dust
One of the show’s most badass characters was brutally — and sadly — killed during the finale. After being surrounded by Roman soldiers, Gannicus was captured and mercilessly crucified along with other rebel fighters. But in a touching final moment, the strong warrior saw his fallen friend, Oenomaus smiling at him. If he had to die, this was the way to go.
4. Spartacus: Our Hero Dies!
History tells us that the slave rebellion was squashed by the Roman Empire, but that Spartacus’ body was never actually found, so we were holding out hope that he would somehow make it out alive. No sir. In the midst of fighting Crassus, Spartacus was suddenly speared in the back by a nameless solider! Talk about a surprise. Though if we’re being honest — we agree that the best way to end this gory show was to have the hero meet his demise at the end, so we applaud the writers for making that hard choice.
5. Crassus Didn’t Kill Spartacus
This is where Spartacus really differed from the classic battle movie/TV tropes. No matter what — the good guy will always meet the bad guy on the field of battle, and one of them will kill the other. But in the finale, a random soldier did Crassus’ dirty work! “It gives it, just a little hint, of the cowardly Romans,” Spartacus showrunner Steven S. DeKnight explained to Entertainment Weekly.
The series finale of Spartacus was amazing. It took a ton out of us, but in the best way possible. There won’t be another show like it in some time, and we’ll miss it.
What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Let us know!
WATCH: Spartacus: War of the Damned Episode 10 Preview
– Andrew Gruttadaro
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