Fans of historical epics have recently discovered when the “bloodiest and horniest series of the century” will be returning to Starz for a brand new sequel series, and it seems to have sent them rushing to Netflix to binge their way through the first four seasons before indulging in another round of bulked-up gladiators and busty, lusty Roman ladies. After returning to the streaming platform this week, Spartacus has just entered the arena – and the Top 10 – to bring blood, gore, and plenty of sex and nudity to the masses. What more could you ask for as the weekend approaches?
For anyone who believes the timing of Spartacus’ return to Netflix is anything other than a well-timed assault, coinciding with the release date announcement for Spartacus: House of Ashur, which will debut on Starz with two episodes on December 5, 2025. The series was originally expected to arrive around about now, which is probably the real reason Netflix dropped the first four seasons on their platform on September 22, but it seems that even without the new series dovetailing with the drop, things have worked out quite well regardless.
Created by Steven DeKnight, and produced by iconic director Sam Raimi, Spartacus is a series that has had plenty of challenges, just like its title character. The original series follows the Thracian soldier who will eventually become the face of rebellion, and it made a huge impact in 2010, filling screens with naked flesh, arterial spray, and enough slow-mo to make Zack Snyder’s pulse race. However, star Andy Whitfield, who led Season 1, was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma soon after the series’ release, which put Season 2 on hiatus. While Whitfield underwent treatment, the prequel series Gods of the Arena was released, and though he was declared cancer free by June of that year, his relapse in September forced him to leave the role permanently. Whitfield passed away in September 2011, and Liam McIntyre was cast in his role for the next seasons.
‘Spartacus’ Has Been a Divisive Series
Like many popular shows, the success of Spartacus does not mean that it pleased everyone. Season 1, entitled Blood and Sand, scored just 52% from critics, while Gods of the Arena jumped to 73%. The third season, Vengeance, did not attract any critical reviews when it was released in 2012, but it did please audiences, who scored it 86%. The fourth season, War of the Damned, also landed an 86% audience score and received 69% on the Tomatometer. Now, over a decade later, a new chapter is coming to continue the saga.
Spartacus: House of Ashur is a sequel series that takes the form of a “what-if” story in the franchise, creating a universe where Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) did not die. The series was originally set to debut by the end of September, but was recently delayed to December 5. However, it looks like fans desperate to return to the world of brutal battles and scheming power plays, are not willing to wait that long. For Netflix, this is only a good thing, as Spartacus’ return to the chart proves that there is still a huge audience out there who have been missing this kind of historical bloodbath in their lives.
- Release Date
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2010 – 2013
- Network
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Starz
- Directors
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Jesse Warn, Michael Hurst, Rick Jacobson, Mark Beesley, T.J. Scott, Chris Martin-Jones, Brendan Maher, Glenn Standring, Grady Hall, John Fawcett
- Writers
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Allison Miller, Seamus Kevin Fahey, Miranda Kwok, Tracy Bellomo, Brent Fletcher, aaron helbing, Daniel Knauf, Jed Whedon, jeffrey bell, Andrew Chambliss, Misha Green, David Kob
