Spartacus: Blood and Sand is an American historical epic series created by Steven S. DeKnight, who serves as an executive producer alongside Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. The series tells the story of a Thracian warrior who leads a rebellion against the Roman army that enlisted him so he can return home to defend his village from barbarians, only to be captured by the Romans. With his wife forced into slavery, the warrior is taken to Capua to be put to death by gladiators before the public. Here the warrior proves his worth as a fighter and is sent to the House of Batiatus to be trained as a gladiator, earning the name Spartacus. The series premiered on the Starz Network on January 22, 2010.
For the first season, the role of Spartacus was played by Andy Whitfield, who was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma at the completion of the first season. Although in June 2010 Whitfield was reported to be healthy and cancer free, in September his cancer returned and he will not return for a second season. Australian actor Liam McIntyre will take over the role of Spartacus.
Season 1: Blood and Sand (2010)
Episode 1: "The Red Serpent"
In the series premiere, a Thracian warrior and his fellow fighters align themselves with Rome to protect their homeland. But disenchantment with the Romans soon sets in when their allies' battle strategies leave their villages unprotected from barbarian invaders. The warrior leads a rebellion and deserts the Roman army to return to his village and his wife. Invaders attack and he and his wife escape, only to be captured by the Romans. The warrior's wife, Sura, is forced into slavery and he and the other deserters are taken to the arena in Capua to publicly be put to death by gladiators where he proves his worth and is given the name Spartacus.
Episode 2: "Sacramentum Gladiatorum"
Enslaved warrior Spartacus enters the ludus of Batiatus to receive training to fight as a gladiator. He quickly makes an enemy of the champion of Capua, Crixus, and receives training by the whip-wielding taskmaster Doctore. He meets Varro, a fellow recruit, who becomes his ally in training. Spartacus's owner, the crafty Batiatus, makes him an offer he finds difficult to refuse. Spartacus faces the test which determines whether he is fit to be a gladiator and bests Crixus through the use of a small ribbon of cloth belonging to his wife when Crixus stops fighting to gloat. Spartacus swears to the oath of the brotherhood of the gladiator.
Episode 3: "Legends"
As the gladiators prep for an important competition that will be the highlight of a festival, Spartacus cleverly maneuvers to secure the right to battle Crixus, the unbeaten champion of Capua, in the main event. Despite Lucretia's objections, Batiatus reminds her that Spartacus' bravery and previous exploits have "struck a chord with the public's interest." Meanwhile, Crixus is desired by a number of noblewomen, but he is enamored of one of Lucretia's slaves (Naevia).
Episode 4: "The Thing in the Pit"
Spartacus' disgrace at surrendering to Crixus leads Batiatus to punish him by forcing the Thracian to fight in the "pits of the underworld," a hellish, vicious subterranean arena where anything goes. Meanwhile, when the slave girl Naevia rejects Crixus' gift, he misunderstands the reason for her refusal.
Episode 5: "Shadow Games"
Bitter enemies Spartacus and Crixus are charged with learning to fight as a team in order to take on an unbeaten champion in the arena. Meanwhile, a financially strapped Batiatus receives an opportunity of a lifetime that involves his battling band of gladiators.
Episode 6: "Delicate Things"
Lies, distrust and duplicity plague the house of Batiatus and impact the hopes of both Barca and Spartacus, who have benefited from good fortune and envision a future away from the grounds. Barca expects to buy his and his lover's way out, while Spartacus anticipates his promised reunion with his enslaved wife, part of his reward for a monumental victory in the arena. But just in case things go wrong, Spartacus dreams and schemes an escape plan.
Episode 7: "Great and Unfortunate Things"
Spartacus has to find new meaning after his world is changed by the death of his wife and finds it in the arena. In the absence of Barca, Pietros struggles without a protector in the ludus and the attentions of Gnaeus. Varro is visited by his wife and receives unwelcome news. Spartacus faces the truth about those left behind by warriors when they leave through speaking with Pietros. After a tragedy occurs, Spartacus faces off with Gnaeus and earns Batiatus's displeasure. Doctore seeks the truth behind Barca's departure from the ludus.
Episode 8: "Mark of the Brotherhood"
Spartacus continues to embrace his new standing as the champion of Capua. The former champion, Crixus, recovers from his wounds and struggles to return to training to protect himself from being sold by Batiatus because he is suspected of being too damaged to be the fighter that he once was. The ludus acquires six new recruits that begin training, and Ilithyia finances one of the recruits with her own coin. Impulsively, she makes promises of freedom to her champion in training in exchange for an act he must carry out. When he is discovered in an attempt to carry out this act, he finds himself emasculated and crucified as punishment. Crixus and Spartacus find the meaning of brotherhood with one another, but still do not become great friends.
Episode 9: "Whore"
Licinia, a rich noble woman and cousin of Marcus Crassus, the senator, has asked Lucretia to taste the wares of ludus, i.e. have a masked encounter with Spartacus. Lucretia, having a mind that Spartacus would not satisfy the needs of "a noble Roman woman", prods a servant to prepare him for his encounter with Licinia. Ilithyia is of the same mind and, jealous of her rich friend's desires, also wants to have a secret masked encounter but with Crixus. Enraged, Lucretia has other plans in mind for her friend. Ilithyia unknowingly has sex with Spartacus before Licinia and Lucretia arrive and discover her. In a rage, Ilithyia murders Licinia after it is revealed that they both had intended to see her succumb to scandal of allowing Spartacus to sleep with his enemy's wife. Varro's wife has gone missing, and Spartacus arranges for one of the female house slaves to search for her. Ashur, slighted, apparently makes a deal with the enemy of Batiatus.
Episode 10: "Party Favors"
Spartacus and Crixus are set up to fight in an exhibition match for Numerius' coming of age party, when he will don the toga virilis, but Crixus is intent on blood. Ilithyia seduces Numerius to get Spartacus to fight, and then kill, Varro instead. Deeply saddened, Spartacus is forced to kill Varro against his will. Stricken with grief, Spartacus smashes the objects in his cell until Mira comes to comfort him.
Episode 11: "Old Wounds"
Spartacus wrestles with the death of Varro and admits to Varro's wife Aurelia that his best friend died by his hands. A festering wound from the fight with Varro weakens Spartacus. While he recuperates with the help of the medicus and Mira, visions of Varro and Sura haunt his feverish dreams, urging him to "tend the wound". As Crixus reclaims some of his lost glory, Spartacus discovers Batiatus' hand in Sura's death. Batiatus kidnaps Magistrate Calavius and Ashur aids in setting up Solonius for Calavius' murder.
Episode 12: "Revelations"
Lucretia and Batiatus anticipate the arrival of Glaber, the husband of Ilithyia; Spartacus, after slaying Solonius in the arena, plans revenge against Batiatus. Spartacus is warned by Mira that if he goes through with the murder of Batiatus, he is risking not only his life, but the life of all slaves due to the Roman laws. When Glaber visits, Spartacus is ordered to fight against his soldiers as a demonstration of his skill. The relationship between Crixus and Naevia is revealed to Lucretia, who is now pregnant and whose relationship with Crixus is made known by Batiatus. The mystery behind Barca's death is finally revealed to Doctore by Naevia.
Episode 13: "Kill Them All"
In order to get his revenge, Spartacus enlists the help of Crixus and the rest of the gladiators to defeat the house of Batiatus once and for all. A battle to the death between Crixus and Spartacus is arranged for the Capua elite at the ludus. Doctore (who Batiatus refers to by his real name, Oenomaus) confronts Batiatus about Barca's death and Ashur's hand in it. Spartacus gains support from Mira who is tasked with opening the gate to the villa from the training area. Crixus resists aiding Spartacus in hopes of reuniting with Naevia. However, after learning he was weakened to ensure Spartacus' victory, at the last moment he joins with Spartacus. Doctore initially stops Spartacus from killing Batiatus. In the ensuing chaos of the gladiators killing the guards and some guests, Crixus persuades Doctore to join him with Spartacus, Illithyia escapes and has her guards seal the outside door to the ludus, Doctore, making good on his word, tries to kill Ashur but ends up being eluded, Crixus grievously wounds Lucretia with a sword stab to her abdomen piercing her womb and killing their unborn child, Aurelia kills Numerius after revealing to him that Varro was her husband, and Spartacus finally kills Batiatus in front of the seriously wounded Lucretia. After the massacre, Spartacus vows to free Rome of its slavery.
