Fringe 4.16: Walter Likes Yiddish

We learn in Fringe 4.16 that Walter's no fan of Sumerian - "not my favorite ancient language," he explains, "I prefer Yiddish."  Of course, Yiddish is a medieval language - a combination of ancient Hebrew and high German that arose in the shtetls in[...]

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-416-walter-likes-yiddish.html

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'Spartacus: Vengeance' Finale Postmortem: Creator
Addresses Its Bloody Death Toll

Jethro Nededog
SPOILER ALERT: Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight talks to THR about the season-ender's casualties and plot twists on the Starz series.

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Lucy Lawless & 'Spartacus' Creator Talk Shocking
Finale

Don't read this unless you've seen the March 30 season finale of Starz's "Spartacus: Vengeance."

I propose a name change for "Spartacus: Vengeance." It's clunkier, but maybe it should be called "We Just Killed Your Favorite Character."

As we all know by now, "Spartacus" creator Steven DeKnight does not mind killing characters off, and you may even wonder if he revels in the bloodshed that occurs near the end of every season of the show. But "revels" isn't the right word: Having interviewed him several times, it's clear to me that DeKnight loves the show's characters as much as fans do, and yet, when it's time for them to go, he's willing to off them, usually in spectacular fashion.

Welcome to the afterlife, Ashur, Lucretia, Oenemaus, Ilythia, Glaber and Mira. We'll miss you.

As much as I regret having to say goodbye these characters, as I said in my review of "Wrath of the Gods," each death and twist felt earned and logical. The finale may have had an enjoyable vibe of absolute mayhem, but one of the things I love about the show is that, emotionally and logically, it usually feels right for certain characters to exit the gladiator saga when they do. The worst thing any show can do is hang onto characters well past their expiration date, but you can't accuse the relentless (and relentlessly entertaining) "Spartacus" of doing that.

Still, I felt the need to send both DeKnight and "Spartacus" actress Lucy Lawless a few questions. I asked DeKnight to explain and expand on a few key decisions and to confirm whether Ilythia is really, truly dead. (I didn't ask him if he was glad to be thousands of miles away when the finale script arrived at the show's New Zealand studios -- because by this time, all the show's actors should know that the words "Spartacus" and "long-term contract" don't often go together.)

As for Lawless, I asked when she found out Lucretia would die and how she felt about her character joining Quintus Batiatus in the afterlife. Could there be a Lucretia spinoff coming our way?

(Note: Both these interviews were conducted via email.)

All right, DeKnight: Explain yourself.

Is Ilythia dead, or will she be back next season?
Steven DeKnight: Ilithyia is definitely 100d percent gone to grass. Her story was intimately tied to Lucretia's. It seemed only fitting their story should end together.

Why'd you kill off Lucretia, and aren't you afraid that she'll haunt you from the afterlife?
DeKnight: I could not have loved the character of Lucretia more -- nor the amazing Lucy Lawless that brought her to life. But it became apparent that Lucretia had no place in the narrative as the story of Spartacus moves into the war years with [Season 3 character] Crassus pursuing the rebels across the Republic. I made the decision to give Lucretia a grand send-off instead of bringing her back as a tertiary character with little to do. A difficult choice, but definitely the right one.

Are Gannicus, Crixus, Agron, Nasir and Naevia all coming back next season? Are any other characters from Season 2 returning?
DeKnight: Gannicus, Crixus, Agron, Nasir and Naevia -- and the actors that portray them -- are all returning next season. Joining them will be Saxa, Lugo, Nemetes and Donar [all of whom joined the show in Season 2]. I can't guarantee they will all make it to until the end of the season, but at least they'll be alive at the beginning!

Was it hard to say goodbye to so many key characters, or does it help you wipe the slate clean and start up new stories for the next season?
DeKnight: It's always difficult to say goodbye to characters that you love, as well as saying goodbye to the wonderfully talented actors that have so brilliantly brought them to life. But the narrative has to move forward, and part and parcel of that movement is to resolve lingering storylines in order to explore new ones... heartbreaking at times, but necessary.

Is the show done with Capua for good? Are you taking the Spartacus escaped-slave show on the road to Rome?
DeKnight: We have indeed turned our backs on Capua for good. We will not be revisiting the city, Batiatus' ludus, or the destroyed area. Instead Spartacus' Escaped-Slave and Pandemonium Shadow Show (with apologies to Mr. Bradbury) will take their war across the lands of the Republic, offering up stunning new vistas and impossible situations. I've seen some of the early designs and one major set already being built, and they are truly a feast for the eyes. If "Vengeance" expanded the Spartacus world, this next season completely blows it up.

And now Lucy Lawless talks about the demise of Lucretia.

When did you know that Lucretia would die at the end of the season?
Lucy Lawless: I knew before we began filming [Season] 2 that Lucretia was going to meet her end, and how. That knowledge was vital to the way I played everything. It explains why she puts up with certain things, like Ashur's repeated rapes. She had to feel that anything that happened to her, no matter how degrading, must be borne in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled.

Did you think her death made sense within the context of the overall Spartacus story?
Lawless: The Spartacus storyline was moving away from Capua, so I guess if they were going to remain true to Spartacus' journey, then it made sense to offer up Lucretia and Illythia's lives, in the richest, nastiest tradition of the show.

Did you resist the idea of Lucretia being killed off? Did you lobby the producers to change their minds?
Lawless: No, I know better. I was hoping Lucretia's long gown would catch on a branch on the way down and there she'd be like Wyle E. Coyote, dangling from a twig with babe in arms and throwing a huge tanty (tantrum) that her plan to go to the afterworld had failed.

Imagine the storyline to follow: Lucretia raising young Sparty. Now THERE's a show!

Was Lucretia faking her friendship with Ilythia, or was any of that real?
Lawless: I'll leave that for the audience to decide. But basically, the death of Batiatus was a spiritual death for Lucretia.

What was it like to say goodbye to that character? Was it harder or easier than saying farewell to characters you've played in the past?
Lawless: I'm sad over this one. Still, she was originally slated to die at the end of Season 1, so she'd already had one stay of execution. I am so grateful to all the writers for allowing me a role of such scope and depth. I is [sic] one lucky actress.

Click here for my review of the season finale of "Spartacus: Vengeance."

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Maureen Ryan: Holy $#*%: 'Spartacus: Vengeance's'
Insane Finale!

Don't read this unless you've seen the March 30 season finale of Starz's "Spartacus: Vengeance."

Holy shit, right?

A few days ago on Twitter, after I said that fans would be yelling "Holy shit" after the "Spartacus: Vengeance" season finale, a fan responded to me with a question: Could anything in the season's final episode top the moment in which Ilythia killed Seppia and then had sex with Glaber?

I'm going to say the answer is yes.

Let's review, shall we? "Spartacus" killed off Oenomaus (NO!); "Spartacus" killed off Glaber by shoving a sword down his throat (okay, so he had it coming, but damn, I loved that character this season); "Spartacus" killed off Ashur (OK, so I saw that one coming -- nobody who predicts a golden future for themselves ever lives long on this show, but damn! Ashur!); "Spartacus" killed off Lucretia (Noooooo!); and not only that, the show killed off a newborn baby, gods help us -- Spartacus' own son, according to Ilythia, who herself was mortally wounded in the closing minutes of the episode. (And by the way, if you want to know if Ilythia's really dead and how Lucy Lawless feels about the demise of Lucretia, read my interviews with Lawless and "Spartacus" creator Steven DeKnight here.)

It was completely insane, and yet it made complete sense. And you know what I mean, because you're a "Spartacus" fan. That's what I love about this show: Love, logic, vengeance and mercy combine in ways that seem chaotic and nuts, but deep down, we know that everything that happens makes sense on both an intellectual and emotional level.

These "Holy shits!" are earned, my friends. Am I right?

Another thing I love: The show leaves everything on the table. They don't save plots and characters for a rainy day. Everyone is vulnerable and everyone's on the chopping block, all the time.

This season, "Spartacus" killed off major characters that any other show would have held onto for several more seasons. There's no bigger fan favorite than Oenomaus, but he was sent to his beloved wife in the afterlife. Thanks in part to great writing and in part to Parker's terrifically committed and nuanced performance, Glaber emerged as the guy you loved to hate this season, but he's now gone too. We have loved Miss Twisted herself, Lucretia of the House of Batiatus, for two seasons and a prequel, and Lawless has established the character as one of the most memorable small-screen women in recent memory ... but she's gone too.

And all that happened amidst the well-choreographed chaos of battles, sneak attacks and flying balls of fire.

Actually, that's the best way to describe this show: well-choreographed. It is one of the most structurally sound and well-crafted shows on television, and thus there was an almost beautiful symmetry to everything that went down, all of which the show was the culmination of themes and stories that displayed the show's meticulous attention to detail.

At the end of Season 1, Ilythia locked Lucretia in a house full of murderous slaves, and Lucretia nearly lost her life and the baby inside her was killed. Symmetry: At the end of Season 2, Lucretia locked Ilythia inside that same villa, killed all the servants and put a knife in the belly of her "best friend." And of course, the biggest parallel of all was that Lucretia took the baby with her to the afterlife; neither woman ended up getting to raise the children they desperately wanted. Although you could look at it as Lucretia finally bringing Batiatus the son he'd always wanted.

If Glaber hadn't taken Spartacus as a slave and set this whole story in motion, Spartacus' wife wouldn't have died. And as any action-movie hero will tell you, karma is a bitch: Glaber had to die at Spartacus' sword. But Glaber is gone for more than one reason, though of course, Spartacus' revenge was important. It just wasn't credible to keep him around any longer. As my husband said when we were watching the "Spartacus" finale, "How many times can Glaber fail?" Rome doesn't smile on praetors who don't carry out their orders, and it would have strained believability had Glaber spent another season chasing the army of former gladiators around the countryside.

More symmetry, more karma: Ashur had been an oppressed (if crafty) slave, but then, he turned oppressor with Lucretia. In the end, however, he was killed by a vengeful Naevia, whose life he had ruined. News flash, Ashur: Sometimes karma is a bitch with a sword and a long memory.

(Sidebar: As far as the Lucretia-Ashur story line goes, I can't fully articulate why I didn't love it, but it didn't quite work for me. I know this is a show that embraces melodrama, but that storyline was just a little too overheated for my tastes. In previous seasons, Ashur was the conniving guy I kind of loved to hate, but this season, he might as well have been twirling a mustache. His mad dream of power -- including ownership of the villa and his former mistress -- just seemed a little too preposterous of a goal for the shifty Syrian. Having said all that, I'm sorry to see Nick E. Tarabay go. A season of "Spartacus" just won't be the same without his sly machinations.)

Honorable Oenomaus! How am I going to watch this show in the future without him? Peter Mensah always imparted such dignity to the character and had such a commanding presence in the role. In a show with so many ugly and self-serving authority figures, Oenomaus was a true leader of men, a thoughtful and intelligent person who could also kick some serious ass. It's going to be hard to watch the show without him, but I understood why he had to go. I'm just glad he made peace with Gannicus and could go to Melitta in the afterlife with his soul finally at rest.

There was a lot of death, but let's look at the positive side of the ledger. Agron and Nasir made it through, and I hope we see a lot more of them in future. (Sidebar: I almost love that I'm able to make this complaint about a bloody, occasionally crazy gladiator show: It wasn't gay enough! I loved the romance of the super-tough Barca and the sweet Pietros in Season 1, and one of the problems with the shorter, 10-episode "Vengeance" season is that there wasn't enough time to develop relationships among the supporting characters. I heard from a lot of fans who loved Agron and Nasir and enjoyed their relationship -- what little we saw of it. Let's hope for more of the Syrian-Germanic love story in Season 3.)

Another positive: Crixus is still with us! Thank the gods. Manu Bennett just gets better each season, and this year, he faced some serious challenges -- he had to make us care about Crixus' love for a radically different Naevia (whom I called Newvia because she was played by a different actress). I found it hard to get into Naevia's plight at first -- it had been a long time since we saw her, she was much changed and more passive and glum when we met her, and of course she was played by a new person -- but Crixus' grief and helplessness made me care about the story. And of course, when Naevia exorcised her demons by killing Ashur, I was completely into it. In any event, Spartacus needs a strong ally and second-in-command, and I'm glad the big Gaul is around to provide that support.

Great as it is to keep those familiar faces around, there's no doubt that the revelation of the season has been Dustin Clare's performance as Gannicus. The party boy we had known was still a complete badass in battle, but there was a sadness inside him, an emptiness left by the death of Melitta and his unwilling betrayal of his best friend and mentor. With subtle skill, Clare made the character's well-hidden grief incredibly compelling; the heartbreak underneath Gannicus' bravado was impeccably portrayed and made the character even more charismatic and complex. Even his dry, sarcastic wit ("I am for wine and the embrace of questionable women") was one of the season's high points.

Even as he tried to seem cynical, we knew he retained the sense of honor that he had absorbed from his mentor and friend, Oenomaus. The death of the sweet prostitute he'd known disturbed him deeply, and just through the character's demeanor, we knew how much it troubled him. In addition to having morals, his brain rages on as well: His attack on Ilythia's carriage was not only badass, it was an unexpected and wise strategic move. With Gannicus and Crixus backing him, Spartacus' chances of evading the Romans are much better.

All right, I can't write this much about the "Spartacus" finale and not say something about Liam McIntyre as the title character. As I said in a Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan podcast Ryan McGee and I recorded in the middle of the season, the Season 2 version of Spartacus was fine, but the character had not truly grabbed me on an emotional or visceral level -- up until the finale, that is.

I think there are a few reasons for that, and quite a few of them have nothing to do with McIntyre (who, let me state for the record, has been quite competent in the role). First, "Spartacus: Vengeance" is much more of an ensemble piece: The man is a symbol at the head of an army, but the idea of freedom is almost as important and prominent as he himself is. Second, there wasn't as much time to explore Spartacus in depth, especially in a season that had to re-establish Ilythia and Glaber's relationship, introduce fairly major story threads for several other returning characters (including Lucretia, Crixus, Mira, Ashur and Gannicus) and introduce new players like Varinius, Seppius, Seppia and Ilythia's father. There was simply a lot going on, and not as much time to devote to the title character.

But more than that, "Spartacus" was a different show this season because the slaves and the slave owners simply weren't in contact that much. Some episodes were less driven by the pressure-cooker tensions we've seen in the past, and though there were terrific psychological pressures on the characters -- the villa scenes late in the season were coldly scary -- there was less of a visceral, visual sense of their oppression. We didn't see it right in front of us much, because we didn't have the dynamic of slaves living in the same house as their masters. It was just a different dynamic, and I think it was easier to create big, dramatic moments for Spartacus when the slaves and slave owners were closer together. Not that this season didn't have its share of amazing moments (including the destruction of the arena in Episode 5, the crazy events of Episode 9 and the wonderfully bonkers season finale), but there was just less of that kind of material to be mined. That had an effect, at times, not just on the momentum, but on the lead character as well.

Having said that, I think the season as a whole was excellent and I enjoy this damn show as much as ever. And as the season gained steam, McIntyre showed how good he could be at playing the more emotional moments, and if he was cast mainly for that reason, that was a wise choice. But in the finale, as he directed the genius sneak attack on the Romans, he was truly commanding in a way he hadn't been before. His stature had risen, he had grown as a man and a leader, and that's how it was meant to be, I think. Perhaps he hadn't been as commanding before because he wasn't sure how to conduct himself as a leader.

By the end of "Spartacus: Vengeance," he certainly did. Friends, Romans, countrymen: If you're not yet trembling in your villas, now is a good time to start.

A few final thoughts, in bullet-point form, before I turn the discussion over to you:

• We also said farewell to Mira. I hope she found someone to love her madly and deeply in the afterlife. And I love how the show didn't just make her the typical "I love him more than he loves me" pining, whining girlfriend. She kicked a lot of ass, in more ways that one. RIP, Mira.
• Between Mira and her awesome team of archers and "The Hunger Games," who else wants to bet that archery schools nationwide are packed this year?
• My goodness, Spartacus' gang wove together four huge ropes in almost no time at all. Lucky there were so many vines laying around! Ha.
• Damn, I'm going to miss Lucretia. How much of her plan was that of a crazy person -- the wild-eyed, mad survivor we saw in the first episode of Season 2 -- and how much of her plan was coldly calculated vengeance? The brilliance of Lucy Lawless' performance was that both scenarios are equally valid. To understand the depth of Lucretia's madness and for more in-depth reporting and analysis of the finale, I recommend these four pieces: My interviews with DeKnight and Lawless, the long first part of Ryan's excellent interview with DeKnight at the AV Club, Part 2 of the DeKnight interview, and Ryan's writeup of the finale as well.
• I couldn't quite understand why someone as cunning and calculating as Ilythia would tell Lucretia that her baby was Spartacus'. It helped motivate Lucretia to take the baby with her as she jumped off the cliff, but I just can't buy that she would fully trust Lucretia with that information. But the show needed Lucretia to have that information, so she got it. Don't get me wrong, this is not a show that takes storytelling shortcuts all that often, but that one small aspect of the end of the season seemed a bit rushed to me
• Speaking of that kind of minor issue, in general, I would have loved to see more time pass between Ilythia's return from Spartacus' encampment to her new persona as blood-spattered vengeance monster. That transition could have used a little more time and development, though of course Viva Bianco played everything she was given with great verve and conviction. I will miss that charming blonde menace.
• Talking of symmetry, "We are friends, are we not?" "The very best." That Ilythia-Lucretia exchange was heard in both the season premiere and the season finale.
• The true lesson of "Spartacus: Vengeance": Don't mess with German chicks.
• The true value of "Spartacus: Vengeance": My German swearing has improved greatly.
• Declaration: "Spartacus" is one of the most feminist shows on television. It has so many different kinds of female characters, and though it doesn't shy away from showing the restrictions they operate under, and it continually depicts their resilience, their strength, their flaws and their overall complexity. To the people who don't watch this show and pre-judge it in annoying ways, I always say: It's not only one of the best-constructed shows on TV, it depicts all kinds of sexuality in a truly equal and honest fashion (unlike many HBO and Showtime shows, "Spartacus" doesn't put naked women in random scenes just because it can), it's gay-friendly, it's multiracial and it's full of so much lady awesomeness. So the people who dismiss "Spartacus" without taking time to at least sample some of those aspects of the show? I have many choice German curse words reserved for them.

Lastly, the show has cast two new characters for Season 3 (and look away if you don't want to know who they are): Simon Merrells will play Marcus Crassus, one of the richest men in Rome and a major slave owner, and Todd Lasance will play a young Julius Caesar. According to a Starz press release: "Gaius Julius Caesar is a handsome young rogue from an esteemed lineage. His deadly intelligence and skill with a sword will be brought to bear against the rebellion. And Caesar will begin his ascent towards the all-powerful ruler he will one day become. Marcus Licinius Crassus is the richest man in the Roman Republic. Envied and despised by the highborn among the Senate, he craves the power and respect that defeating Spartacus and his rebel army would bring."

Don't forget to check out my post-finale interviews with DeKnight and Lawless here.

And if you've read this far -- gratitude!

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Pauly D Project off to solid start for MTV

© Copyright 2011 , a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used under license. Article source:...

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Hoffman has Inside track at FX

Seymour Hoffman Article source: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118052120.html?cmpid=RSS|News|TVNews

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Guess Which Royal Is Flashing Her Spanx

Chris Jackson-WPA Pool/Getty Images Whoops! During a stroll to St. George’s chapel at Windsor Castle in England Friday, this particular princess left little to the imagination (in the shapewear...

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Demi Lovato Sneak Peek: How She Picked Her
Boyfriend for "Give Your Heart a Break" Video

MORE: Demi Lovato Lashes Out at Cyberbullies Demi Lovato: “Give Your Heart a Break,” featuring the world-premiere of Demi’s new video, premieres Monday at 8 p.m., only on E!...

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Cissy Houston Slams Media in First Interview
Since Whitney Houston's Death (Video)

THR Staff
The New Jersey native sits down with My9?s Brenda Blackmon for a segment to air Monday, April 2.

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'American Idol': No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, Tony
Kanal to Mentor Top 8 (Exclusive)

Shirley Halperin
Two of the Grammy-winning band's four members will help the finalists on '80s week -- an appropriate fit considering No Doubt had a hit in 2003 with a song from 1985, Talk Talk's "It's My Life."

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