This time around the show that got a lot of attention and I also mention before that it could be a hidden gem is called "Those About to Die", it is based in ancient Rome, to be more specific and generic its very similar to the movie Gladiator probably a great opportunity to anchor on the popularity of the upcoming Gladiator movie, but this time we got more than Gladiators, we get more games like chariot races and a lot of political power involve. This series has gather a lot of attention from critics from both sides, the series is based on a non fiction book published in 1958 by Daniel P. Manni, which depicted the real life scenario of that time. The director of this show is Roland Emmerich, who directed such movies as “Independence Day” and other similar blockbusters. It is a large scale production with many characters, multiple plots, and attempts to portray all facets of Roman society, the rich and the poor, the clean and the filthy. Some people like that the show is built on the switch between different characters and their story line, while others find it hard to follow. There are political intrigues, wars, family disputes and it also brings in some major themes such as oppression of blacks and the issue of power.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10569934/
- Platform: Peacock
The Good Stuff
Fast Paced Storytelling
What I can say about this show is that it keeps the pace across episodes, it is not like those slow and sometimes boring series where a person can think for an entire episode. Nope, this one moves from one scene to another and from one character to another as if it has so much to tell but that is also one of the problems from this show, I will talk about it latter. It might be a bit overwhelming for some people, they say that it does not allow the viewer to develop the characters’ personalities, get what each is about, but if you are the type of person who gets easily bored then this could be just for you. That is something like the show is telling the audience, “If you do not like this scene, just wait, we will give you something new to better on the next block, this is something similar to other shows that know how to replace action with drama and suspense like Game of Thrones or House of The Dragons does. It is never predictable which can be rather thrilling at times. It’s one thing to be sitting through a scene where the lords and ladies are having a heated conversation in a grand hall and the next you are in the middle of a gladiator battle. It definitely makes things less boring.
Creative Action Scenes
This is not an ordinary show in which all the fight scenes seem to be similar. The creators of Those About to Die have really made an effort to shake things up a little. For instance, the gladiator fights were not enough, they describe how other events like fighting animals or getting traitors devour by animals were a thing back in the day. It is not just two men sword fighting at each other but they add so many variations. One of the scenes is when Kwame has to fight with weapons that he has never used before and he is tied to his opponent, this is not a fight of the fittest, it is a fight of the intelligent, of the quick witted, something that in fact was not in the well known Gladiator movie, something that I appreciate very much. Such an approach to the action sequences helps to avoid the cliches and makes the scenes more interesting. It’s not only the fact of violence but the process of character depiction and development, the way they act and think. It is not only the gladiator stuff as well. Chariot races are also quite significant with all the action and thrills that come with it, I cannot deny that the director Roland Emmerich knows how to bring out the big and the grand.Interesting Characters
Contrary to what some critics have to say, the show does a fairly decent job with the characters. Yes, there are a lot of them and at times it seems as if one has to maintain a consistent story of them all. However, each of them has its own well defined objectives and motives for the actions they perform. You have got Tenax, a business man who comes from the lowest on the lather who is looking to cause some stir in the racing gambling, trying to get to the top of Rome and create his own faction. There is Titus and Domitian, two siblings who are in the process of a power struggle as to who will be the next emperor. Elia and his brothers are dreaming of becoming successful horse breeders, who eventually end up becoming way more than just horse breeders, all the way up to chariot drivers. And Cala and her family just want to get back home to Nubia, after her two daughters and son where caught and sold as slave. This is something that the show does really well, as it is clear as to why each of these people are acting the way they are, how through each episodes their life start to connect with each other in a different way, this TV series sounds and look complicated to follow because of this specifically, its a big web of story lines that took time to connect with each other. Jojo Macari as Domitian is quite entertaining to watch because you are never quite sure if he is really intelligent or just pretends to be. Goncalo Almeida’s portrayal of Elia is quite innocent and naive which is something quite rare in this rather bleak series.
The Not So Good Stuff
Too Many Characters and Lack of Focus
It is as if the show cannot choose which narrative it wishes to explore, and it explores all of them, you have the political aspect with the emperor and his sons, the criminal aspect with Tenax and the gamblers, the slaves trying to be reunited, the chariot racers, the gladiators, it just goes on and on, I hope there is a second season. However, since all of these are potential plots for the show, packing all of them into one show makes everything seem rather superficial with the exception of Tenax story I believe he is the only one that really got develop. Right when you begin to develop some interest in the fate of one character you are transferred to another character’s story, it's is like having five different TVs on and watching five different shows at the same time, for this some people may enjoy the fact that there is so much happening at the same time, while others may find it confusing.The series is attempting to be a political drama, action series, historical piece, and social statement at the same time, it is quite all right for a show to have many layers, however, does not seem to know which one is the most crucial. This lack of focus results in the fact that although the show may be enjoyable during its airing, it lacks substance mostly due to the missing backstory of the characters.
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