This is Peacock’s attempt to match the spectacle of Game of Thrones, but it doesn’t come close. Iwan Rheon (from GOT) leads this large cast in this epic drama set in the days of Roman emperors (Anthony Hopkins is it for the first few eps). To take the citizens’ minds off their hunger, they launch spectacles; chariot races and gladiator fights. The series starts like a cheesy historical melodrama, but eventually gets more gripping. There’s lots of treachery and unbearable cruelty, passion and drama. Sadly, the visual effects (esp. the races) are noticeably bad. Five of the eps are directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow), but the emotional heft doesn’t materialize until the other director, Marco Kreuzpaintner, starts work. The ending episodes ramp up the evil to provide several shocks. Some of this uneven series is trite and some is trashy, but it ultimately provides a melodramatic look at violence and ambition. (10 one-hour eps) 
(2.5 / 5)
