Rome: The Complete First Season

While it may lack the narrative drive of The Sopranos or the verbal pyrotechnics of Deadwood, HBO's epic Rome is…well…epic: from the size of the ancient sets to the size of the slave's penis whom the treacherous Atia (Caesar's niece) sends to Servilia (Caesar's lover) as a kiss-and-make-up gesture after Atia has vengefully sent out a posse of Roman homeboys to paint graphic graffiti on the city walls depicting Caesar and Servilia in flagrante delicto (which is seen by Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, who—understandably—is miffed). Opening in 52 B.C., Rome is all about Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), even though he is onscreen far less than most of the other major characters in the first half of this 12-episode 2005 first season. Like I, Claudius (only taking place earlier in Rome's history and featuring lots more sex and violence), Rome is all about the backbiting and infighting that takes place in behind-the-scenes, while in the foreground a power struggle is waged between Caesar, who after eight long years of fighting has finally conquered Gaul, and politically strong Senate leader Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), for control of the city. One of the strokes of genius by the series' creators is to place at the center of the story two companion soldiers: the serious centurion Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and the not-so-serious legionary Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), who is given to such salty locutions as “it's hotter than Vulcan's dick!” One or the other or both manage to turn up at key points throughout the series, especially Pullo, who not only serves as a fighting trainer to Atia's (Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker) bookish son Octavian (Max Pirkis), but also has a notable encounter with the Egyptian dope-smoking princess Cleopatra! Rome snagged eight Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction, and Michael Apted (49 Up) was honored with a Director's Guild Award for the first episode, "The Stolen Eagle" (one of three he directed). DVD extras include eight audio commentaries, optional text pop-ups for each episode, five behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a photo gallery. Recommended. (R. Pitman)