Rome

[rm]

I'm a little breathless and so sad and it was just what I needed.



I was s moved by Cicero's death.

And by Brutus'. Brutus in particular, this Brutus, has really plagued me emotionally throughout the show. I know most everyone is on about how he's weak and a coward, but what strikes me about this portrayal of him over and over again until his very last moment is his naivete. He hasn't the tools for his place in the world, for his life, for even his passions. And I feel bad for him. I do. Deeply.

Meanwhile oh chilly little Octavian and Antony trying to deal with each other. Especially that business wehere they are making up lists of people to kill. Aie. I miss Max Pirkis, but this new Octavian is damn eerie and odd too.

Comments

[tommx.livejournal.com]

Brutus' naivete is an interesting contrast to Octavian's almost clockwork mind. Octavian plans things to the nth degree and leaves as little to chance as possible. Brutus, on the other hand, simply doesn't see the strings that are at work. He is largely dependent on Cicero who obviously needed better messengers. I was surprised to find myself mourning the passing of Brutus, and of Cicero. I almost died when Pullo politely asked if he could pick peaches.

Also interesting is Octavian's reluctance to enter into battle. It's easy to say it's cowardice or inexperience, but I suspect it was different:

1. He knew that the battle was not necessarily a slam dunk, as Julius Ceasar was outnumbered 2 to 1 by Popmpey's army at Pharsalus, yet managed to clobber them. Granted Brutus and Cassius were no where near as great military generals as Ceasar, but still.

2. Octavian and Marc Antony still hate each other's guts, regardless of reconciling, and Marc Antony would probably have no problem killing Octavian if he thought he could get away with it. That'd be easy to do in the heat of battle. If, on the other hand, Antony dies in battle, Octavian's problems are largely over.

3. Octavian is more of a tactician than a hand to hand fighter. He knows this. He is still not used to seeing plans he set down on paper executed. Certainly not on a scale like this. Antony had rode side by side with Ceasar himself and fought in battles that were the stuff of legend. Octavian lacked such experience.

Overall a wonderful episode.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I agree Octavian isn't a coward, probably just smart at hell about his own odds, and I agree that Antony would have gladly dispatched him in battle.

I also loved the pre-battle conversations on both sides -- yay for a lack of stirring speeches and just utter mandanities instead.