alexandral (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alexandral) wrote2007-02-21 06:40 pm
alexandral) wrote2007-02-21 06:40 pm
"Rome" episode 6 "Philippi"
Notes on "Rome" episode 6 "Philippi". I liked it very much because I do like "Rome" and it can't do anything wrong for me at the moment, but I had some uneasy and confused feelings about involvement of Pullo and Vorenus into the murder of Cicero and other murders. Historical inaccuracies don’t matter much for me, and even the fact that Vorenus and Pullo are the weapons of the execution of hundreds of innocent citizens do not worry me that much too. This is their job. Though I was expecting Pullo to disagree with the assignment to murder Cicero, especially in the bit where he was nailing Cicero’s hands to the door.
The main thing I am not sure about is the “peaches” scene when Pullo murders Cicero. I don’t know, but Pullo seemed to look quite uncaring what Cicero’s feelings were at that moment and hesitating unnecessarily. And what worries me even more that asking to pick the peaches for his wife from the guy whom you are about to murder is somehow a silly (and quite a cruel) thing to do. And I do not like to see Pullo cruel or silly. ;(
I liked Cicero in this scene, though. He was full of dignity. I thought that may be Cicero's death is in parallel with the death of Brutus in Philippi and the "Philippi" in the title refers to the both of them. A cruel death as an acceptance of their fate.
But a very good thing is that Pullo is totally impervious to Gaia’s charms and sees her through!! I knew this!!!!!!!!!YAY!!! And I have made my mind about Gaia – I DO NOT LIKE HER! She is very bad news and a great stirrer of trouble. And she is trying to cause trouble between everyone.
Even the latest rift between Vorenus and his daughter about the make-up is all Gaia’s doing. Though Vorenus keeps being clueless in how to behave himself with his daughter, smack his head!!!! And the older Vorena’s suitor seems to be very very creepy. And obviously he is working for Memmio.
But I still believe that the differences between Vorenus and his daughter will be resolved, and it was so wonderful to see the younger kids happy at the countryside picnic. And the way Vorenus goes around carrying little Lucius and being very protective of him is so heart-warming! And how little Lucius carries the elephant that Vorenus mended everywhere around with him!
The picnic:
And how sad it was to hear Pullo saying that he doesn’t know where his is coming or going and that the only thing he knows and likes is violence. Very poignant scene, very difficult one because at the same time it is a scene where we see Vorenus and Pullo talking to each other, being that great unit of friends. And among all this, if I understood Pullo correctly, he wants to go and do his own thing. He is not satisfied with being “the second man in Aventive” anymore. I absolutely don’t blame him, but this doesn't mean that I am happy that the boys will go their separate ways.
As a side point, I am not sure what to think about Vorenus’ attempt to make the collegia an honest place. How will it all go? With the enemies like Memmio? From the blood money?
But all this said, it is fabulous to see Pullo and Vorenus together and Vorenus “full of purpose” as Pullo said:
Two picspams of the day
Agrippa and Octavia My little shippy heart is so happy!! This is where I use up my daily allowance of exclamation marks! And I am so warmed up to Maecenas too because though he knows everything about Agrippa and Octavia, he is not saying anything to Octavian. But Agrippa!!! Agrippa is definitely my favourite historucal figure. His gandfather was a slave (is this true?) and his name is written upon the Pantheone for the many generations to see. And I don't want to think about the consequences of Agrippa's and Octavia's love, at all.
Brutus breaks Alexandra’s heart. It is not a spoiler as this episode is named Philippi I guess
EEE! I have blurted this all out! Now I can go and read everyone's posts! And also I should go home and catch up on some sleep!!
The main thing I am not sure about is the “peaches” scene when Pullo murders Cicero. I don’t know, but Pullo seemed to look quite uncaring what Cicero’s feelings were at that moment and hesitating unnecessarily. And what worries me even more that asking to pick the peaches for his wife from the guy whom you are about to murder is somehow a silly (and quite a cruel) thing to do. And I do not like to see Pullo cruel or silly. ;(
I liked Cicero in this scene, though. He was full of dignity. I thought that may be Cicero's death is in parallel with the death of Brutus in Philippi and the "Philippi" in the title refers to the both of them. A cruel death as an acceptance of their fate.
But a very good thing is that Pullo is totally impervious to Gaia’s charms and sees her through!! I knew this!!!!!!!!!YAY!!! And I have made my mind about Gaia – I DO NOT LIKE HER! She is very bad news and a great stirrer of trouble. And she is trying to cause trouble between everyone.
Even the latest rift between Vorenus and his daughter about the make-up is all Gaia’s doing. Though Vorenus keeps being clueless in how to behave himself with his daughter, smack his head!!!! And the older Vorena’s suitor seems to be very very creepy. And obviously he is working for Memmio.
But I still believe that the differences between Vorenus and his daughter will be resolved, and it was so wonderful to see the younger kids happy at the countryside picnic. And the way Vorenus goes around carrying little Lucius and being very protective of him is so heart-warming! And how little Lucius carries the elephant that Vorenus mended everywhere around with him!
The picnic:
And how sad it was to hear Pullo saying that he doesn’t know where his is coming or going and that the only thing he knows and likes is violence. Very poignant scene, very difficult one because at the same time it is a scene where we see Vorenus and Pullo talking to each other, being that great unit of friends. And among all this, if I understood Pullo correctly, he wants to go and do his own thing. He is not satisfied with being “the second man in Aventive” anymore. I absolutely don’t blame him, but this doesn't mean that I am happy that the boys will go their separate ways.
As a side point, I am not sure what to think about Vorenus’ attempt to make the collegia an honest place. How will it all go? With the enemies like Memmio? From the blood money?
But all this said, it is fabulous to see Pullo and Vorenus together and Vorenus “full of purpose” as Pullo said:
Two picspams of the day
Agrippa and Octavia My little shippy heart is so happy!! This is where I use up my daily allowance of exclamation marks! And I am so warmed up to Maecenas too because though he knows everything about Agrippa and Octavia, he is not saying anything to Octavian. But Agrippa!!! Agrippa is definitely my favourite historucal figure. His gandfather was a slave (is this true?) and his name is written upon the Pantheone for the many generations to see. And I don't want to think about the consequences of Agrippa's and Octavia's love, at all.
Brutus breaks Alexandra’s heart. It is not a spoiler as this episode is named Philippi I guess
EEE! I have blurted this all out! Now I can go and read everyone's posts! And also I should go home and catch up on some sleep!!
no subject
Oh, I totally disagree. I think he is treating Cicero as a human being - unlike the other men whom Vorenus sent to kill the Senators, whom he allowed to loot (and rape - poor Jocasta!) and slaughter without mercy. The fact that Pullo has the courtesy to ask if he can take the peaches (rather than grabbing them after Cicero is dead) is actually much more respectful to me. It's not unfeeling - just that for Pullo it is the luck of the draw; if Cicero/Brutus/Cassius had won, then someone like Pullo would be at Atia's house, plunging a sword into the necks of Antony and Octavian and Agrippa. Fortuna favors one side, then the other.
I guess in Cicero’s book nailing his hands to the doors as his arch-enemy Mark Antony wanted is most likely as bad. From his POV it must be a huge dishonor.
And no, I don't think nailing Cicero's hands to the Senate door is NEARLY as bad as raping his daughter would have been - for one thing, he is already dead. (Plus, historically, Fulvia, Antony's wife, ran his tongue through with a sword - the gesture is because his tongue and his hands - for writing - were the weapons that he used against Antony.) And he already knew, I think that this would happen if Antony "won." I think Cicero almost dies content, because he believes his message will get to Brutus and Cassius in time.
Pullo says that he LIKES violence. I am very confused!!!! Where is Pullo of the beginning of this season? Is “the old Pullo” out again?
Well, the same Pullo who tenderly took care of Vorenus is also the one who participated in the bloody slaughter of Erastes Fulmen's men. I don't think it's an either/or situation with these two men - both Pullo and Vorenus are men of violence and they have ALWAYS been men of violence because these are the times they live in (Vorenus, though he personally kills no one in this episode, is of course the one who orders the murders of hundreds of people without any compunction and of course all the little side-crimes like the rape of Jocasta are also a part of that order - and in the same episode, he is extremely tender and kind and gentle with his children.) I don't see this as a contradiction - I think these two elements in the personalities of Pullo and Vorenus have been there all along. It is just difficult to watch them kill people who are more likeable than Erastes!
What strikes me is that Pullo does not want to be an assassin any more - there is honor in being a soldier, and a structure and honor to the violence of being a soldier. Pullo once told Erastes Fulmen that he was a soldier, not a murderer - and then of course, he became a murderer for Erastes, and then after he came out of the arena, sorry for all the 'bad things' that he did, he is now again a murderer, even if this time it is for Octavian and for Vorenus. When he was in the Thirteenth, it is a different kind of violence, not the killing of unarmed and defenseless people.
Now, onto the Vorenus family dynamic - yes, Vorena is much happier (and I like that Vorenus has hired a kind of governess to watch his daughters) but I do not think that Vorenus is himself the cause. She's still furious with him - and I think the scene where he makes her take off the makeup (I too loathe Gaia) is kind of fraught with tension, so flirting with that guy is a way to get back at her father. But I do agree that he really seems to have a lovely bond with little Lucius. Perhaps this boy will be the one to 'save' Vorenus somehow (and Vorenus of course can easily adopt him to make him his heir - this is very common in Roman history, so Augustus adopted Livia's son Tiberius, for example.)
no subject
For me, it is not that he took them with or without asking, it is that he did think about peaches more then about the other man’s death (and more important, voiced it!). Especially such an important politically man; and not noticing that he is important is showing Pullo to be a simpleton. I think that even THINKING about the peaches right at the moment of someone’s death is sort of disrespectful. It is true, I remember thinking about all kinds of silly things during funerals, we can’t help these things sometimes, but voicing things like that is a different thing. I don’t like Pullo looking “simple” here, but I guess I was just reading something into his character that was not there. We have to agree to disagree. :D
And no, I don't think nailing Cicero's hands to the Senate door is NEARLY as bad as raping his daughter would have been - for one thing, he is already dead.
Again, can we agree to disagree? She is at least ALIVE and can do something about it in the future. Cicero can’t do anything! His corpse is dishonoured for centuries!!!
I think Cicero almost dies content, because he believes his message will get to Brutus and Cassius in time.
I think he realises that this is THE END and there is no other way and accepts it, but I didn’t see him being content. He was scared, very scared. But he was glad that he managed to send the letter, I agree.
I don't see this as a contradiction - I think these two elements in the personalities of Pullo and Vorenus have been there all along. It is just difficult to watch them kill people who are more likeable than Erastes!
That I guess what I wanted to see – for them to be more conscious about the murders!!! But arynsnx made a good explanation of this and “Pullo liking violence”, I am going to adopt it for now.
there is honor in being a soldier, and a structure and honor to the violence of being a soldier
This is what is confusing for me, actually – that Pullo looked very sad viewing the fields of Mutina. I took is that he saw the ugly side of war and any sort of violence. But I guess I was just reading into something again.
Now, onto the Vorenus family dynamic - yes, Vorena is much happier (and I like that Vorenus has hired a kind of governess to watch his daughters) but I do not think that Vorenus is himself the cause. She's still furious with him
Oh, yes, I agree, but I was glad to see her getting better! Vorenus is still clueless, but I am still VERY hopeful that he and his daughter are going to be reconciled.
But I do think there will be some terrible horror for Pullo’s baby and Eirene