| Chris Quinn: ‘Rome' fans will have to survive HBO's brutal slashing |
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What a coincidence it is that only a week removed from the Ides of March, one of the best dramas on cable television is about to get its own version of 23 slashes when HBO ends the vicious, stylistic and historically inspired pearl “Rome.”
HBO's decision to stick it to yet another loyal fan base by canceling “Rome” had me throwing monkey biscuits at the great-unwashed masses. Literally, I ran down to the zoo, joined my brother simians in their cages and let loose with angered howls and biscuits. Because when confronted with the emotional stress of a canned TV show, I revert to baser instincts. You can only imagine the havoc that followed “Deadwood's” cancellation. I guess the hardcore of “Rome,” like “Deadwood's” loyal fans, will just suck it up and move on. And the shame is a series like “Rome” had so much potential. We could've basked in the thrilling, horrific lights of the entire Julio-Claudian dynasty. Can you imagine the story of Caligula or Nero in the hands of the show's creators and writers? From rich and flavorful characters to detailed sets and actual Roman locations, the show rose above catchy stereotypes found in most dramas. When the series debuted, it chronicled the tumultuous struggle between Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus, which ultimately led to Roman civil war. Season Two attempts to portray the shift from republic to empire as Gaius Octavian, soon to be Augustus, and series favorite Mark Antony face off in a bid for power that will culminate this Sunday, March 18. As with the entire series, we can expect great historical license to be taken with the story as the climatic end of Antony and Cleopatra are laid against the crescendo of one of Augustus' greatest triumphs. But the show's divergence from historical fact shouldn't put anyone off. Its fictionalized drama is one of the reasons “Rome” is so damned good. And the changes don't lessen the historical relevance. Fiction often is tastier than truth. Case in point: The story of Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo. Two fictionalized characters based on real people of that time. And in the hands of this show, they achieve more notoriety than they would have otherwise. Their story within “Rome” is strong enough to carry its own series. And now? Now the show is no more. And I am as depressed over it as I have ever been for a nixed TV show. I guess the ratings didn't justify the series' cost. Or maybe it was canceled because there were no useless dancing celebrities or singing morons who got other morons to dial a phone number. Ah, well, stultorum infinitus est numerus. Then again, stultior stulto fuisti, qui tabellis crederes. Here's to ya, “Rome!” Thanks for making TV not so provincial, if only for a short couple of seasons. |
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