Rome (Season 1) by Anna (Period Drama Challenge)

About Anna…

Alright, my name is Anna (29 – 1st time around). I am German with a love for Canada. I started reading late but finally my mum got me hooked on books with a story about a Sioux tribe and its struggles. After that it was Enid Blython and in later years my dad introduced me to romance. It’s funny but I think of Zane Grey’s Westerns as the first romance books I read. I started to spend all my allowance on these flimsy dime novels just to dive into a new love story. The taste for romance is still with me may it be in books or series or movies. The favourite period drama that comes to mind is Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow and that wonderfully handsome and sexy Jeremy Northam. That certain kind of nose snuggling he does in this movie got me hooked. Many many more period dramas followed and are now part of my DVD collection. I usually have to beg friends to accompany me to a new movie because I’m all alone on that front. :) Anyway. Since I’m a goner for handsome, warrior type men you’ll find my first review here about a fitting HBO + BBC collaboration:

Atia of the Julii: [to Cleopatra] “Die screaming, you pig spawn trollop.”
I’m still not sure why I started to watch this show. Caesar was a constant in my school life and since I just barely made it through my Latin classes reading “De Bello Gallico” it must have been pure boredom that made me borrow the DVDs from a friend.
Once I had the DVDs in my hand I suddenly had to start watching it right away. Why? Kevin McKidd’s face looked up to me and since I’m a Grey’s anatomy junkie I know him as Dr. Owen Hunt. To see him as a roman warrior? Hell yes… gimme more.

Lucius Vorenus: “Fortune pisses on me once again! “

So I started out wanting to see Hottie McKidd. I got to see many more hotties and a really great show.

On the one hand the opening of the series was really nicely done with fun animated pictures but on the other hand had a modern touch to it that I still don’t think should’ve been used. Cesar is greatly portrayed as a sovereign with charisma, power and a taste for women. His charisma and way with words, how he handled difficult situations and decisions got me involved in Rome’s history. I recognized so unbelievably many characters from former BBC shows in so many great roles that I couldn’t believe it.

Atia of the Julii: “You fucked your sister! You little pervert!”

All the characters speak a nice English with a british accent, so I researched the show a bit and found out it is a coproduction of HBO and BBC. That explains the explicit contents of this show. I’d be hard pressed to find a show with so many sex scenes where you actually see it happening. A sex slave whose penis is “decorated” with a string to show off his lenght makes me wonder what the casting for this role must’ve been like.

Atia of the Julii: “A large penis is always welcome!”

To make it short, Rome doesn’t simplify, sweeten or conceal anything. Due to that the series is so much more believable and intensely satisfying. There’s romance, intrigue, wars, cleverness and …. hotties.
I did not check or care about any historical inaccuracies but they are bound to be there.
For me Rome is a show that depicts Roman life as I pictured it and shows off the great characters of history. I want to revisit Rome and therefore I will watch Season 2 not just because of Kevin McKidd, James Purefoy, James Stevenson or because I have nothing better to do but because it’s just a great informative form of entertainment.

Tagged as: Rome