Those About to Die review: Blood, Sport & Betrayal

Epic sword-and-sandal series Those About to Die shows us the blood, sport, and betrayal required to put on the spectacle of Ancient Rome’s gladiatorial games.

Everyone was so free in their actions, yet no one during this time was really free, if you know what I mean. We’ll see all of this in Peacock’s newest historical fiction series Those About to Die, which is quite an entertaining spectacle. Only this time, our focus in Ancient Rome lies on the one side of her never before told: the deets and deeds that make up the dirty business of entertaining the masses—more specifically, what it takes to feed their bloodlust.

Written by Robert Rodat, the Academy Award-winning scribe behind Saving Private Ryan, and directed by master of disaster Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow), Those About to Die is a large-scale epic sword-and-sandal drama series set in the corrupt world of Ancient Rome during the spectacle-driven gladiatorial games. These games don’t just feature a fight to the death between gladiators or gladiators and animals; they also feature equally dangerous chariot races, which we’ll see a lot of in this series.

The year is 79 AD and Rome is the wealthiest city in the world. It’s a time of political stability and massive expansion under the Emperor Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins, of Silence of the Lambs), who is the last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, a time during which four emperors ruled in succession and was the first civil war of the Roman Empire. Now, 10 years into his reign, Vespasian and his dynasty—the Flavian dynasty—grow weaker by the day. As such, his two sons Titus (Tom Hughes, of The English) and Domitian (Jojo Macari, of Masters of the Air) plot to secure the power for themselves in the event of their father’s death. But there’s much more at play here … so much more.

Those About to Die introduces us to an ensemble of characters from all corners of the empire, each with their own agenda, who collide at the intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties. And if season 1 is any indication of said collisions, there’s no doubt a welcomed season 2 would expand them into explosions.

The 10-episode season features Ancient Rome in all its glory, full of blood, sport, sex, entitlement, and political plotting that pulls from multiple angles. Our story begins with the quest of a Numidian mother seeking to get her children back from Rome, out of slavery. And that’s one aspect I really liked about Those About to Die: We’re brought into the world and plights of real people … plebians, as they were then called. We don’t just hone right in on the rich and their entitlements and entanglements. We’re drawn into a relatable story that engages our heartstrings while the rest of the storylines play out.

We also follow the path of Tenax (Iwan Rheon, of Game of Thrones), ruler and crime boss of the Roman underworld who runs gambling operations for the gladiatorial games. What’s great about him is that he’s a mere plebian, an average working citizen of Rome, amongst all the rich and powerful. I really liked Rheon is this role, and I don’t think anyone could breathe the kind of tenacity into it that he does. Tenax is a tad like Ramsay Bolton but with a heart … and a conscience. However, he does have some dark tendencies and is quite mischievous, his reputation preceding him at every turn. You’ll find as the series progresses, though, that he is utterly lovable and has become one of your favorites. It’s nice to travel his character’s arc, and by series end, you realize his ambition is perhaps our main story.

Vespasian’s sons Titus and Domitian are key characters also. Titus is the soldier and military leader, but he does not command the authority, respect, and dedication that, say, Maximus Desimus Meridius from Gladiator (2000) does. Maybe it’s just that Hughes doesn’t quite fit the character for me. He just doesn’t evoke the nobility and power one would expect out of such a role.

Domitian, on the other hand, is fun to watch. He’s devious and full of political prowess but also a bit immature. He’s very strange and wields a silver tongue, making the most obvious lie seem completely truthful. Domitian wants power, but he also prefers to stay behind the scenes and stage-manage the gladiatorial contests and races for the amusement of Roman spectators. He devises with some pretty spectacular, twisted presentations, especially when it comes down to embarrassing his brother. Macari is a fantastic watch, and his depiction of Domitian leaves you surprisingly curious, as he is much more complex in nature than we’re led to believe. There are even moments that’ll have you drawing conniving parallels between him and Gladiator’s villainous Commodus.

And speaking of, let’s talk about these gladiatorial games of blood and sport, which in Those About to Die take place in the Circus Maximus arena owned and controlled by the four factions—Red, Blue, Green, and White. The factions are families of wealth and power who own and operate professional racing stables, and believe you me, fans LOVED their factions; they drove the mob lust. But Emperor Vespasian wants an arena belonging to the people, so as the games continue, he commissions the building of a new arena to be called the Flavian Arena (aka the Colosseum). This is a bold move, as the Flavian Arena is integral to releasing the stranglehold the patricians have put over the city.

I have to say, I went into this expecting Spartacus-level gladiator coverage and carnage … and I didn’t get it. While Those About to Die does focus on the gladiatorial games, it carries a heavier focus on the charioteers and their races versus the gladiators and their battles. However, that’s not to say there aren’t impressive gladiators and fight scenes, because there most certainly are. They just aren’t as plentiful in depiction as the races are.

Ancient Rome, though, is our central character. She demands loyalty and service, blood and sport, betrayal and intrigue … power at all costs. No one can escape her and those who hope and try to do so either end up bargaining with the devil or fighting for their lives, hence my previous sentiment about everyone during these times being so free with inhibitions while not really being free at all.

As far as blood and carnage go, they’re present, but again, don’t expect Spartacus-level carnage. If you’re looking for that, revisit the hit series or check out Rome. Those About to Die is its own gladiatorial beast, just of a different nature. Nonetheless, it is a spectacle to look at, especially when the first games are held in the new Flavian Arena. Mad props to the special effects department here. You won’t be able to peel your eyes from the screen … or off Domitian.

What I liked is how the series made me think the mother’s quest to retrieve her children was the underlying story; it’s not. This is about the effects of Ancient Rome, how she changes people and draws out the shadows people work to keep hidden to either expose their true selves or to force them to become what they are not (unless they manage to play the game and escape her grasp). What I didn’t like was the use of so much artificial lighting during gladiatorial game scenes. It gave the series too much of an in-house production feel versus an actual outdoor set feel.

Ultimately, Those About to Die drops us right into a place where times of peace are far more dangerous than times of war and presents us with a lesson on what happens when you allow ambition, rage, and vengeance to man the helm. By season’s end, we learn there’s so much more driving this narrative than we realized, and with the way it culminates, we’re left excitedly engaged after a momentous spectacle, craving another season.

So, get your sandals, grapes, and wine ready. The highly anticipated, epic sword-and-sandal series Those About to Die drops its full 10-episode season on Peacock on Thursday, July 18. Before you jump into it, though, below is everything you need to know about Those About to Die, for some historical context.

Let the games begin!