SPARTACUS: SEASON 2 - EPISODE 8 (BALANCE)

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Spartacus must confront his desire for vengeance against what is just for his conscience, on the latest episode of “Spartacus: Vengeance,”  “Balance.”

The episode begins with Gannicus, who is dragging his hostage Ilithyia through the woods.  They happen upon some Roman soldiers.  Gannicus tells them that she’s his wife, but Ilithyia reveals his true motives.

No matter, as Gannicus turns them into roadkill.  Afterwards, he delivers Ilithyia to Spartacus, telling him that she is his, the instrument upon which to exact the revenge he must feel in his heart.

Hmmm…

Meanwhile, Lucretia is distraught over Ilithyia’s plight, pleading to anyone who’ll listen that “she yet lives!”.  However, Glaber is not only ready to move on from his “loss”, but wants to keep Ilithyia’s kidnapping silent, lest it hurt him politically.  Ashur assures the Praetor that the tracks have been cleared, and no one will know of his wife’s fate.

Back at camp.  As Crixus marvels at how ferociously Naevia spars with him, they and the other warriors watch as Spartacus, Mira and Gannicus arrive with Ilithyia in tow.  Indeed, Spartacus does burn with vengeful feelings, and later, he seems intent on killing Ilithyia, the better to strike at his foe Glaber.  But Ilithyia stays his hand, claiming that the child she carries is his.  She presses him to remember the recent past, when they found themselves unwitting lovers during the fall of Batiaitus.  This fevered memory is enough to give Spartacus pause, for now.  Later on, Gannicus is surprised that Spartacus has not killed Ilithyia, as is Mira, who Spartacus admits to his encounter with her.

Mira seems embittered all of a sudden.  More on this later on…

Meanwhile, Lucretia works on Seppia, knowing that she can have “influence” on Glaber to get him to continue searching for Ilithyia.

Seppia rebuffs this, instead becomes rather naked in her confidence that she will truly replace Glaber’s old wife.

Glaber, with Ashur and the mercenaries in tow, storm the brothel that Gannicus frequents.  Despite their threatening presence, Glaber discovers that no one there knows where Gannicus is.  He instructs Ashur to remain and do some “convincing”.  Later, Ashur returns, filling his box with ill-gotten coin.  Lucretia comes into his room, finds out that Ashur’s efforts have not borne fruit.  Things get heated between them, Lucretia strikes her, and Ashur responds with yet another rape against her.

Ilithyia is visited by Lucius, who she quickly figures out is not a slave.  He tells her his story.  She presses him to help her, offering her husband’s resources to make good on his losses.  He seems to agree to a deal.  He later talks to Spartacus.  Hmmm…

Later, Agron and Nassir are guarding Ilithyia, but their passion begins to overtake them.  Mira relieves them of guard duty, apparently just in time.  As they leave, Mira goes in to Ilithyia and tries to strangle the prisoner to death.  Spartacus arrives in time to save Ilithyia’s life.  Mira spares no words, saying that Spartacus should kill her.  He will not do what she wants, name-checking his wife in a way that makes Mira wonder what her place in his heart will ultimately be.

Lucius arrives in Capua, pushes for a deal with Glaber, who seems to agree to the terms.  Lucius is allowed to leave without incident.  If Glaber is happy to get his wife back, he has a funny way of showing it.

Back at camp, Spartacus is told by Lucius that Glaber has taken the bait.  Spartacus will honor the deal, and the precious supplies that come with that.  He makes it clear that he has no desire to kill Ilithyia, only her husband.  Agron, Crixus and Gannicus (in Oenomaus’stead, in Gannicus’ latest effort to return to his good graces) will go with Spartacus for the exchange.

The “meet” takes place.  Spartacus shows proof that he has Ilithyia, but Glaber is unmoved.  In fact, this whole thing for him is a ploy to get Spartacus in a compromising position.  Just then, Ashur and the mercenaries appear, and the battle rages on.  The Egyptian, in particular, fights fiercely.  Luckily, Mira and Lucius lend support with bow and arrow.  Glaber is wounded, but not severely.  The warriors know they must fall back.  Lucius volunteers to hold them off long enough to ensure escape, the price: his life.

Seppia is flush with confidence that she will be Glaber’s next wife, but Lucretia bursts her bubble.  During her last encounter with Ashur, she spied Seppius’ ornamental bracelet, and she shows it to Seppia, strongly suggesting that Glaber instructed Ashur to kill her brother.

Sure enough, these words cut to the bone, and Seppia suddenly wonders what Glaber is truly capable of.

Finally, Spartacus takes Ilithyia to the forest.  She expects him to finally slay her, but he doesn't.  Instead, he tells her that Glaber essentially sacrificed her life for his own desire to kill him.  He leaves her in the forest to ponder this.

Thus, the episode ends.  How will Seppia deal with the monster she now sleeps with? These and other questions will have answers next week.

For now, what did you think of “Balance”?

SOURCE: SPEAK EASY