Revelations...

I finished "Revelations" last night (late, I know, but we had a lot going on here)... and all I can say is "damn".

They are writing Batiatus to be the next historical Crassus, rich, powerful and ruthless in his drive for political position. Here's my latest prediction: When it comes time for Batiatus to die at the hands of Spartacus, it is going to be some kind of special. He's rogered too many people to get the control and prosperity that he has, and that is a lot of climbing that will have to be balanced with a fall. I'm thinking that his fall will rival anything that anyone has suffered on the show to date.

Lucretia is prego, and Batiatus is accepting the child as his own (even though we know there is a 50/50 chance he isn't the dad... and so does he). He has gained his Senatorial patronage, he runs the most successful ludus in the Republic, he either kills or ends up "owning" anyone standing in his way (Clavius, Clavius' son, Ilytheia, Glaber, Selonius, and Spartacus himself), and he now faces the prospect of legitimate political office in Capua. I'm guessing he'll be nominated aedile or praetor of Capua, with the goal of replacing Clavius as city magistrate once Glaber wins Roman praetorian status (which I believe is the historical fact).

And now we see the culmination of events that leads so many of the gladiators of the ludus to seek freedom and revenge. Crixus is scourged and heartbroken by both Batiatus and Asher, Doctore now knows that Barca didn't win his freedom but was murdered, Aurelia has seen her fortunes fall further and further since her husband was needlessly killed at Batiatus' whim, Neavia is beaten and scarred by Lucretia's jealousy and rage and removed from the man she loves, and the German brothers are to be separated (with the inevitable result being that one of them dies), and Spartacus has the obvious reasons that underpin the entire show.

One episode to go, and I think the "revolt" is fomenting nicely, don't you?