The Spartacus House of Ashur Finale Is Television’s Spectacle of the Year

You don’t want to miss what’s coming in the season finale of one of the best shows of the year.

Matters reach a head in Spartacus Season 1 Episode 10, “Hail Ceaser” as the emotional and political pressure becomes too much and everything explodes.

If there is something the Spartacus universe has mastered, it’s the art of the slow burn that doesn’t feel dull. Events will unfold quickly, but they will build on one another.

Starz has released promotional material for the episode releasing at midnight on Friday, February 6, and they tease an epic finale.

Caesar is back in Capua, and he’s being a really bad boy. Gabinius is dead, and the House of Ashur is seeking vengeance and glory.

“Achilia returns to the arena to face her greatest challenge, while Ashur wrestles with the emotional fallout of his actions,” reads the official logline for the episode.

There exists a high-octane promo video — embedded at the bottom of this end article — that previews what’s on the horizon.

The Big Game

It’s not the Super Bowl or anything; it’s the death match between Achilia the Nubian and the Scythian.

This is the event of the century. A woman in the arena is something that has never been heard of, but two women? Now that’s a tale for the centuries.

These games have always been male-dominated, and I love seeing women shake up male-dominated fields.

Yet to Achilia, this fight represents more than making history. If she wins, she stands to win her freedom and take down the woman who killed her lover, Celadus.

The mission is strong enough to bring two mortal enemies together as Tarchon is seen training with her. Is this his final attempt at taking the champion title from her, or has he truly accepted the reality and wants to help Achilia win?

Despite his numerous flaws, Tarchon is a good fighter and knows how to spot weaknesses in his opponents.

Now, those skills might not have saved him from the thrashing in Episode 9, but he could technically help Achilia improve her craft.

And at the basest of levels, his hate for her means he will give her his best during training. Nothing kicks survival instincts into high hear that the idea that your friend is lowkey your biggest enemy.

These stakes heighten what would otherwise be a game for the glory of the House of Ashur — not that it’s a minor goal since this house could use all the glory it can muster.

The fight between the two women is not the only interesting thing. Spartacus: House of Ashur saved one of the Brothers Ferox, and while it wasn’t clear why at the time, it’s clear now.

Satyrus has nothing to live for anymore, so he’s willing to do anything. He’s taken down one of the gladiators from the House of Ashur, and he can do it again.

They underestimate him because of his size, but he carries the pain and will of the biggest gladiator. The best thing your enemy can do is underestimate you.

This is another interesting fight to watch.

The Emotional and Political Status of Things

Meanwhile, Ashur has a lot riding on this. Caesar and Cornelia’s appearance has rendered him a slave in his own home.

With Gabinius dead, he’s emotionally volatile. Imagine that! Ashur feeling something when it doesn’t benefit him? Wonders shall never cease. 

His romance with Viridia continues, but a man ridden with guilt does not make a very good lover. Will Viridia sense Ashur retreating into himself?

In the Spartacus universe, we should expect curveballs. Given the episode’s title, “Hail Ceaser,” are we about to see the brat ascend to the most powerful position in Rome?

This would not be good for Ashur, as he would forever remain under Caesar.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and Gabinius death is bound to create a mad rush to fill that void.

Who do you think is coming out of this alive, Spartacus: House of Ashur Fanatics? Be careful because this show leaves no prisoners.

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.

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