Spartacus on Starz was a truly epic series. Premiering before Game of Thrones was ever in production, the show combined history and a bit of wishful thinking to create a truly unique show. A few of the episodes weren’t just unique; they were amazing pieces of television history. Here are the top 10 episodes.
Delicate Things
Delicate Things is an intriguing episode. For most of its run time, it is a middling-to-average story. As a watcher, you certainly feel like you know how things are going to turn out and that the status quo will somehow be kept. The last quarter of the episode, though, is when everything turns. This is the moment when viewers realize that nothing can be taken for granted in Spartacus.
Wrath of the Gods
The final episode of the second season of Spartacus on Starz was at once triumphant and ultimately bittersweet. While it was nice to finally see Glaber get his comeuppance, it was also clear that this episode marked the beginning of the end. A great end to the second arc of the series, it helped to establish the stakes of the endgame.
Past Transgressions
Gods of the Arena was always meant to be a stopgap to allow the original main actor of Spartacus to recover from cancer. While the show didn’t need to do much more than mark out time, it still managed to knock a few episodes out of the park. Past Transgressions helped to establish that this series would be worth watching.
Libertus
The return of Gannicus after his appearance in the prequel is worth a spot on this list. Albinius’ death is also another high point, and it showed exactly how far Glaber was willing to go to secure his position.
Fugitivus
The first episode of the second season had to do a lot of heavy lifting. Not only did it abandon the original setting and premise of the show, but it had to introduce a new actor to the role of Spartacus. Fortunately, Fugitivus did more than necessary by setting the tone for a new season.
Reckoning
This episode of Gods of the Arena helps to make a case for why the prequel was made. In Reckoning, we get a much better look at how Batiatus and Lucretia became the people we’d come to hate in the show. It’s a rare prequel episode that feels absolutely vital to the main show.
Shadow Games
This episode tops the list not because of what happened in most of the episode but because of how it ended. Spartacus conquers the arena, becomes the Champion of Capua and is the Bringer of Rain. It also sets into motion the events of the rest of the first season. An absolutely fantastic bit of cinematography marked the end of this great episode.
The Red Serpent
The first episode of Spartacus on Starz set a high bar for the rest of the show. While we didn’t meet all the characters in this episode, the stage was set for the struggle that would become the heart of the show. With just a few scenes, it became clear that Spartacus wasn’t like anything that had been seen before.
Victory
The finale of the series was amazing. Sure, everyone knew how the story ended, but seeing how it finally arrived at the foregone conclusion was satisfying. While the ending wasn’t necessarily happy, it was exactly what the show needed. After an uneven final season, the show went out on a high note. It was definitely the most bloodily satisfying episode of the show.
Kill Them All
The final episode of the first season was everything the show ever promised. Bloody, over the top and incredibly satisfying, it was everything Spartacus was supposed to be. The show arguably never reached this high point again.
