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
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