HBO's epic series Rome ended its run after two seasons on Sunday, March 25.
The final episode of Rome aired for the first time on Sunday, March 25. The fact that the show had to end is a bit disappointing to me, all historical flaws aside. It was a fascinating show with interesting notions about how the Roman Empire came to be. And most of the characters were excellent and flawed and human, if not a bit insane.
However, I must express my disappointment at how truncated and "tidied up" the last episodes were. Characters that had so much potential, like Timon, Gaia, and Eirene, were simply cast off. And the treatment of the main characters, along with the twisting of the history, a history that was so powerful and interesting in its own right that it needn't have been altered, was flippant to say the least.
I suppose when it was decided by the powers that be that the show could not go on, the producers had to tie up the loose ends and get on with the business of portraying the rise of the brilliant Octavian, who became Rome First Emperor. But to gloss over the pinnacle of his struggle with Antony, namely the Battle of Actium, and reduce it to computer generated background footage was frustrating to watch. And don't get me started on how Cleopatra was reduced to a cowering and whiny, well, girl.
If you watched Rome, what did you think of the series finale?
