After having contracted cancer, Andy Whitfield, the handsome star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, had to drop out of the successful gladiators Starz show, causing a big delay to the production of the series’ second season.
In order not to leave the fans of the show without new episodes for 2 years, which would have likely doomed the series, Starz greenlit Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel to the original show that turned out to be just as good, if not better.
Gods of the Arena takes place several years before Blood and Sand, at a time when Batiatus has just taken the reins of his father’s ludus, a training school for gladiators. His father is still alive, but ill health has forced him to move to Sicily.
What makes Gods of the Arena even better than its predecessor is that the kinks from the original have been smoothed over and worked out, which bodes well for Blood and Sand’s second season.
Furthermore, it’s always nice to find out more about the past of the main characters of a show, how they got to be who and where they are, and that’s exactly what we get with Gods of the Arena, a lot of backstory to fill that void.
Well pumped muscles, flesh, fights, and goriness obviously abound, as well as intrigue, cunning, political maneuvering, and loss of main characters.
If you liked Blood and Sand, don’t miss Gods of the Arena. It’s a nice addition to the overall Spartacus universe, even though the Spartacus character isn’t in it.
Grade: 8
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