Rome Recap: Passover
We return for Season 2 of Rome just where Season 1 left off, on the floor of the Senate chamber, with Caesar lying in a pool of his own blood, the victim of a murderous plot to rid the city of a tyrant. Mark Antony, meanwhile, who was unable to make it in time to save Caesar, barely manages to escape with his own life when he is cornered by over-zealous pawns who decide that they need to take him out. Unfortunately (for them), they are unable to do so, and he escapes unharmed.
As the drama with Caesar begins to unfold, Lucius Vorenus begins a new chapter in his own life. At the end of the last season, he confronted his wife with the knowledge that their "grandson" was in fact her son with another man, and when he did so, he intended in his heart to kill her. But before he could do so, she backed up over the ledge and fell to her death. Here, he goes to attend to her, and when he does, his children come in. He ends up cursing them, which is probably not the response they were looking for, but nonetheless they leave and he is lost, walking the city and eventually robbed by a couple of homeless beggars.
The main reason for watching the show, Titus Pullo, has actually left the city with his former slave, who he has finally summoned the courage to ask to marry him. Let's face it - it's tough to ask someone to marry you when you have killed their love. Because she is afraid of him, or simply has no other options, she agrees, they smear mud on each other, and it is done. Life was so much easier back then. But before long, a rider comes, announcing that Caesar is dead, and Pullo decides to return to the city, where he finds his friend Vorenus in dire straits.
Brutus and Servilia are busy plotting their takeover of Rome, while Atia breathlessly awaits Antony's arrival, and has Octavia and Octavian prepare their things so that they can leave the city before they are destroyed.
It is Octavian, however, who has the ultimate revelation. While Caesar may be gone and declared a tyrant, it was his declaration that put Brutus and the others into their positions, and if he is deemed a tyrant, then they will lose those positions. So this actually gives them some bargaining power. A good thing, for in the will of Caesar, Octavian is declared the heir to Caesar, and in fact is now to be treated as his son. Quite a promotion.
Antony heads to Brutus, and offers them a truce. In exchange for a proper burial for Caesar, they will treat this as if Caesar died "of a lightning strike". Everyone will keep their position, the will will be honored, and things will go on as normal. While Brutus doesn't like it, he doesn't like the idea of giving up his position either, and they don't seem able to kill Antony, so this seems like the best option.
Finally, after Vorenus has nearly given up hope on his children, they receive word that they were taken in settlement of a debt, so they seek out the loan shark (I don't know his name - does anyone?). After killing what appears to be an entire tavern full of people, Pullo and Vorenus threaten him, but he simply laughs and says that he took them, had them, killed them and threw them in the river. It looks like Vorenus is nothing more than a single man again. For the story's sake, this is probably a good development.
