Changes: Victory

Revision as of 01:48, 21 April 2013

Victory

Season	3
Number	Episode 10
Date Aired	April 12, 2013
Writer	Steven S. DeKnight
Director	Rick Jacobson
Guests
Previous	The Dead and the Dying
Next	N/A

"Victory" is the tenth and final episode of Spartacus: War of the Damned, as well as the series finale. It is the thirty-ninth episode of the Spartacus series overall.

Synopsis

We open in battle between rebels and Romans. Gannicus tells a Roman lord to spread the word to free the slaves or see more destruction. The Roman asks who he is and he says "I am Spartacus." We then get a montage of other battles across the land with various folks proclaiming the same including Nasir, Lugo, and Spartacus himself.

Crassus and Caesar can't believe they're all Spartacus of course, but a strategy to throw off Pompey. Crassus looks thoughtfully at a mold of Tiberius' face and Crassus is set on getting his revenge.

At the rebel camp Spartacus makes plans, Gannicus thinks they might be crazy plans. Spartacus thinks it will hold them off. Agron offers to help. Spartacus asks him to grip a sword and of course, he can't, because of his crucifixion injuries. Spartacus assures him that he will serve a purpose leading the rebel slaves to the mountains with Nasir at his side.Nasir shows a special shield, whith an image of a red serpent, and sword he crafted that ties to his hand so Agron can fight . Agron says he will fight, and not go to the mountains. Nasir assures him he'll stay by his side.

Gannicus says goodbye to Sibyl, and they share an intimate moment before parting ways and tells her she must go with the others to the mountains and freedom.

Crassus prepares to meet Spartacus by sparring with his men. He's still in great shape. Kore is brought to him in shackles. She looks at the Tiberius face mold. Crassus says he appears at peace, she agrees. He says it's a false image of the boy he knew who was always with the furrowed brow, just like his dad. Crassus is reflective and she says she wishes nothing more that their journeys had set a different path. Caesar enters and says Spartacus' men have been spotted. She wants to tell him what happened in order to gain his forgiveness. He says he cannot be moved.

Spartacus and Laeta talk about her helping to lead those who flee to the mountains. She wants to wait for him there. He says she shouldn't jeopardize her own life and that of the others by waiting on him. She tells him she has faith he will defeat Crassus. He thanks her for her faith and the comfort she has offered him.

Agron reports for duty and Spartacus tells him how proud he is of him as the last man standing from the Batiatus reign.

Spartacus gives one last pep talk to the assembled, both soldiers and fleeing civilians. He says many will fall but they should know that their blood will give them the opportunity to gain the mountain path away from death and misery of roam. "Part ways and live free." Lots of folks come up to offer their gratitude to Spartacus and say their goodbyes to each other. Scouts arrive and say Crassus' men are on the way. Spartacus tells everybody to get gone and gives Laeta one last kiss.

Gannicus says he's done with tearful farewells, now he desires blood. Spartacus says "let us make it so."

The armies march towards one another and stand their ground across a field. Spartacus says not to engage until given command. Rufus advances and Spartacus throws a spear at him ,forcing him to stop. The rider says Crassus wants to talk. Up on a hill, Crassus and a clutch of men meet with Spartacus and his main peeps.

Spartacus wonders why he called him up. Crassus says the same reason he came: curiosity. Bouth leaders have an unarmed confab, just the two of them. Crassus says Spartacus can't win this time. Spartacus notes he's been told that by every Roman he's conquered. It is here that Crassus learns the truth about Kore and Tiberius. Crassus tries to talk about their losses, and Spartacus warns him to not make those things equal. And he points out that even if they lose they are making the decision of their own free will. Crassus wonders if Spartacus gets justice for his wife if he'll withdraw from the Republic. Spartacus says there is no justice in this world. Crassus says, finally, something about which they can agree. They shake hands. Spartacus says when they meet again he will kill him. Crassus says he will try. Spartacus responds it's all a free man can do.

Crassus is livid and goes back to his tent to confront Kore and Caesar and the truth comes out fully.Kore confesses when Crassus says only the truth will gain forgiveness. He is devastated and puts a knife to her neck. Caesar explains that Tiberius raped her. He asks why she didn't tell him. She says she tried. He flashed back to telling Kore on the night she left that nothing could turn him against his son. Caesar says they didn't want to cause him further pain. Crassus looks at the mold of Tiberius' face and destroys it seeing himself in it. Kore tries to reassure him. He apologizes to her for all she has suffered and tells her it shall end when Spartacus falls. He embraces her.

Spartacus lingers on a map of his thrace. Gannicus enters and they talk about the cost of war. He asks if he doesn't think they can defeat Crassus. Gannicus says he's been a miracle worker thus far but the odds are against him. Spartacus reminisces to him about his wife and her vision that he would never love another woman. He says it was true with her loss. Spartacus says that he now realizes that the point is killing Romans but the lives of those fleeing that they protect. Gannicus says he's on board. Spartacus says that he has to be a leader now more than ever then. Gannicus asks Spartacus what he would have him do. Spartacus says "the impossible".

The next day, the two sides square off. Crassus gives his gratitude to Caesar. One of his generals sneers that Spartacus is an idiot for facing them with so few men. Crassus retorts that Spartacus has proven to be many things but not a fool among them.

On the Spartacus side they gear up for the fight and look forward to swimming in a sea of Roman blood. Spartacus again recalls his wife, after loojing to Agron's shield, and whips up his troops with a rousing battle cry that it is time to show the slave-holders that all who draw breath are equal. The slaves begin to shout and cheer.

Crassus tells his men to show no mercy. The Romans then use siege engines to rain pitch pots and ballista bolts on the rebel army, to which Spartacus orders the rebel army to advance, so that the siege weaponry cannot fire without the risk of hitting Roman lines. The Roman infantry advance in tandem.

Unexpectedly, Spartacus halts the rebel charge, with the Roman front line continuing to advance and falls into a concealed rebel trap comprised of punji stakes, impaling many. The rebel army then unleashes a torrent of arrows at the Roman line while the latter flounders in confusion, but the romans chage to a protective position. the rebels then pull up planks concealed in the sand to bridge the chasm created by the trap, Spartacus leading their advance, throwing himself into the thick of the fighting.

Crassus orders the siege engines to open fire again, even though this means killing his own men with the fire as well. He says it will end the war, and fratricide in this instance is acceptable. Spartacus tells his people to press forward ahead of the fire. Lugo is set of fire by a catapult and consumed but not before he kills several Romans. Caesar is appalled at Crassus' indifference to the fates of his men. Crassus forcefully reiterates that it's a necessary evil and is starting to feel good, when large numbers of Rebel cavalry lead by Gannicus and Saxa sweep up, ambushing the Roman troops manning the siege engines. Gannicus orders the cavalrymen to dismount and turn the siege weapons against the rear of the Roman lines. This explains the comparatively minuscule size of Spartacus' original forces.

The fighting becomes confusing and intense (and gory) with lots of blood chopped limbs. Castus is killed by a roman soldier on a horse. Spartacus orders Naevia, Nasir, and Agron to move. Crassus calls out to Spartacus, charging on horseback towards him. Spartacus, demonstrating his usual superiority in a mêlée, knocks Crassus off his horse mid-charge. Crassus is winded, and Roman troops surround their Imperator, dragging him off to safety before Spartacus can finish him off. Spartacus, Agron and Nasir meet up and Agron calls it a glorious day with so many Romans to kill. But Spartacus only has his eye on one. He tells Agron and Nasir to keep fighting them off while he pursues Crassus.

Gannicus and Saxa throw jugs of flammable pitch at the counterattacking Romans and then heave flaming brands into their midst, immolating many of them. Caesar and Gannicus meet up in the field and begin to fight. They are distracted from one another and then Saxa goes down and Gannicus cradles her in death. This enrages him even further.

Naevia is the next to go down, at Caesar's hand. Gannicus cries out "No!" and heads towards Caesar again. The Romans box them In as they fight. They are evenly matched, to which Caesar retreats from single combat and Gannicus futilely tries to fight off the entire army from his knees. He falls and Caesar grins, ordering his soldiers to stop. He approaches him and then knocks him out with the butt of his sword.

Crassus is carried up to a ridge by his men but angrily demands to return to the fight, contrary to the insistence of one of his top generals by his side not to risk his life. Ah well, but Spartacus promptly renders their little disagreement irrelevant by charging up the ridge. He slaughters all but Crassus, sustaining a few minor injuries in the process. it is just him and Crassus left facing each other. They begin to spar, both dual-wielding swords. Crassus proves a worthy opponent in single combat, and they both get in their licks. As he fights he pictures his wife being pulled away and then her dead and bloody body and then the body. They continue to battle and Spartacus manages to disarm Crassus, thrusting his sword in for the final kill. But Crassus pulls a familiar trick we've seen before (Spartacus S03E01 - "Enemies of Rome"), yanking the naked blade from Spartacus with his bare hands, and shoving the blade at Spartacus' torso. Spartacus stops the blade using the exact same trick, headbutts Crassus and body slams him into the dirt. Crassus is soundly defeated. Spartacus is about to finish him off - again - when he himself is impaled by three spears hurled by a small band of arriving Roman troops. Crassus yells at them to halt as Spartacus falls to the ground in agony, still alive. Crassus, admiration clearly visible, says to him "Would that you'd been born Roman and stood beside me." Spartacus replies "I bless the fates it was not so." He's slipping away, looking at some discarded thread on the ground but instead hallucinating the purple thread of his wife. Crassus raises a sword, about to perform the coup de grâce as Spartacus closes his eyes and sees his wife. Unexpectedly, Agron rides up along Nasir and the retreating remnants of the rebel army and knocks Crassus off a small cliff on the ridge, killing the Romans who threw the spears at Spartacus. Agron stares at a stunned Crassus wallowing in the dirt, probably contemplating whether to kill the latter (no chance in that, or the series wouldn't be canonical). But Nasir yells at him to come over and attend to the still impaled Spartacus, who asks for a sword. He looks back on the fight and smiles.

Caesar and other Roman troops stream up from the victorious field of battle to come to Crassus' aid. They scramble back up the hill but Spartacus is gone. Crassus says he's bleeding to death. He orders the remainder of the captured revolting slaves crucified at the side of the Appian Way (according to historical account, 6,000 of them) as a deterrent to any slaves throughout the Roman Republic who would think of turning against their masters again.

We see nails driven from Gannicus' wrists into a crossbeam. He's to be crucified along with the other slaves. Kore is crucified next to him. Crassus is clearly saddened but says he did what he had too, because Kore had participated in the so-called Third Servile War on the side of Spartacus.

Pompey arrives with a flourish and reports that he came upon Spartacus in the north and defeated him as they tried to flee to the mountains. Caesar is livid saying he knows this is a lie and that Spartacus was defeated right there. But Crassus is no dummy and says, "why yes, Spartacus was defeated in the north by the valiant Pompey, hero of Hispania". Pompey says Crassus honors him. Crassus says he honors Rome and those who are of like mind who would see her flourish. Pompey, knowing full well what Crassus is doing, thanks him and agrees and basically says "let's do lunch" when Crassus gets back to Rome.

Caesar can't believe that after all they've been through that Crassus would let Pompey take all the credit for victory when Pompey and his men played no part in the final victory over Spartacus (aside from moping up several stragglers from the rebel army). Crassus says that public support will make Pompey their ally and they shall stand a fearsome Triumvirate with means to change the course of history (although historically, Caesar and Pompey would engaged in a civil war two decades after Spartacus' defeat. Crassus himself would die in battle far from Rome, in battle with the mighty Parthians in 53 B.C., and Pompey would get his defeat in 48 B.C. at the hands of Caesar at the battle of Phalasis.)

As the Romans walk away, we see a long line of rebel slaves being nailed to crosses. Gannicus, as he winks out has a vision of Oenomaus. He smiles and lets go with the sights and the sounds of the arena chanting his name. He lets out one last fearsome battle cry.

We cut from that cry to Spartacus awakening. "He yet lives!", Argron yells. He is surrounded by Nasir, Laeta, and Sibyl, anong others, who did in fact wait for him are all huddled around him. He asks if all are safe. Agron reports that Pompey set upon them on the way into the mountains and many were lost. Laeta says they must see Spartacus to the path before they are discovered. Spartacus demurs and says he will rest awhile. Nasir says he can't stay. Spartacus says he cannot follow either. Laeta murmurs his name. Spartacus begins to take his last breaths. He says "Spartacus... that is not my name. I shall finally hear it again, given voice by loving wife." He tells them to not shed tears because there is no greater victory than to fall from this world a free man. They all, understandably, cry anyway. A shadow comes over the sun as the "bringer of rain" fades away. It begins to rain.

Agron closes the dead Spartacus' eyes and says "One day Rome shall fade and crumble yet you shall always be remembered in the hearts of all who yearn for freedom." (He's right. However, Rome falls 547 years later in 476 A.D. after five more milleniums of slavery, the Rome Republic becoming the Roman Empire, etc.) He then kisses Spartacus' head. In the final shot, they raise a cairn over Spartacus' unmarked grave, adorned with the special shield emblazoned with a serpent and sword crafted for Agron by Nasir. Agron, Nasir, Laeta, Sibyl, and the others take to the mountain path to the north, the road to freedom.

Characters in Order of Appearance

Quotes

"Spartacus. That is not my name. I shall finally hear it again. Given voice by loving wife in greeting longed for."

"There is no greater victory than to fall from this earth... a free man."

 -Spartacus

"One day Rome shall fade and crumble. Yet you shall always be remembered in the hearts of all who yearn for freedom."

 -Agron

Trivia

Historically, the final battle between the forces of Spartacus and Marcus Licinius Crassus took place at the Battle of the Siler River in the southern Italian region of Calabria (at the time called Bruttium) in 71 BCE. In the series, the setting of the final battle takes place somewhere in Gallia Cisalpina (now the Lombardy region in northern Italy) at the foot of the Alps.
In history, both Castus and Gannicus were killed in a separate battle from Spartacus' last stand at the Siler River. Gannicus' battle took place some days earlier than the Siler River at the Battle of Mons Camalatrum (Mount Soprano) in Lucania (modern region of Basilicata). Gannicus and Castus are both thought to have died in the fighting.
Upon the final battle, to protect his army from the rebel archers, Marcus Crassus orders his front unit to use the famous roman tactic known as Testudo. However Spartacus and his army lift hidden ladders from under the ground to move over the formation and renders the latter useless.

The Testudo formation
After surviving his last encounter with Spartacus and seeing the rebels have been successfully corralled, Marcus orders Cesar to punish the surviving rebels by the Appian Way.
Despite Gannicus been the only member of the rebellion to have been legally free, he dies by the Appian Way, as any other slave.
The main infantry formation or tactic used by Marcus Crassus during the final battle is known as the Triple Line (Triple Axies). The formation is divided in three ranks, the first rank (which used Testudo), the principes in the second rank, and the veteran triarii in the third and final rank, (this last been Marcus Crassus and Caesar).
During the ending credits of the episode, the writers and producers choosed to credit (by showcasing an image) every single actor who had a significant role during the series, including the late Andy Whitfield.