It was great to get Oenomaus backstory. He is perhaps the character I am invested least in out of all the main good guys, because his loyalty to the system goes against my beliefs, but the backstory does go a long way towards explaining his view and the man is also perhaps the biggest BAMF on the show.
Crixus tearing the world apart looking for Naevia is about the sexiest thing I have ever seen. During the scene with the dominus, what I loved most of all is that when the Roman tries to blurt the whole “I didn’t know she was someone important” as an excuse for viewing Naevia as a thing and raping her, Crixus’ response is that she breathed, she was a woman, therefore she was important. You have no idea how much I love that. Because this is a huge step from “she is important and shouldn’t be abused because she is someone I love” to “she is important because everyone is.” And it’s in stark contrast to how the Romans view people. It’s even a contrast from Crixus of early S1 - he has quite a character arc.
Ilythiya and Glaber continue to be magnetic villains. A lot more low-key than Batiatus and Lucretia but they suit the new tone. I still want them both gruesomely dead.
I continue to be a rabid Spartacus/Sura shipper who really wants Spartacus/Mira to work out because she makes him happy.
Ooooh, a new character I like! I really like the Syrian ex-slave Nasir and hope he sticks around for a while (with my luck, he is going to get killed in the next ep). Because it took balls to try to kill Spartacus (and I love that Spartacus sees this as a chance to train him as a fighter, and to be a fighter not to fight for something Spartacus asks, but for anything he wants). And because he is smart and saved all their necks with the Romans. Also, I loved his little interaction with Agron. That’s the most we see Agron unbend with anyone…Stick around, Syrian dude, don’t die right away, k?
I love love love Spartacus and Crixus being friends - they will never be as close as Spartacus and Varro were but I love their complicated bond. Damaged alphas with mad devotion to their OTPs unite! Also, I am really getting to like Liam McIntyre in the role. And I love the way Spartacus is - wanting freedom and equality, but also with strength and anger behind his actions. I love the debate this show has going not just between the bad and good guys but even within the slave uprising itself - Spartacus, Crixus, Agron and the rest have very different views on how the slave rebellion is to be run, what it is really about etc (take their different take on civilian slaves).
