I love this show. I love the slow pace. It speaks to just how meticulous the writing has been. It took them five episodes to use the word "vampire." Love it. As an English Lit fanatic I love the flowery language and constant allusions to the Romantic poets. I love all these slowly fashioned and sordid characters, and…

Couldn't close out the season without one more go at the insipid Feminist critique, I see. Are they offering joint Gender Studies/New Journalism majors now or something?

Lol! I'd link you to a whole thread on the Bronze Tiger vs Deathstroke debate which has screen caps from the comic. But the level of nerdism in the comments is too embarrassing.

I would agree with you but you know who else Bronze Tiger fought and beat in the comics? Yep, Slade Wilson.

Definitely. They shoud carry out a full scale pillaging of Spartacus cast members.

I think its a delicate balance the writers have to walk - satisfying viewers and comic fans. I don't envy them. And I'm just glad that they've been successful at it because the characters i grew up with are being appreciated by a lot more people.

This Slade plot line strikes you as creative and new?

Hate to be that comic purist guy but although Manu Bennet's portrayal of Slade Wilson is my favourite thing on the show, they have gone REALLY far from the source material. In the comics Slade is just a badass mercenary, the ultimate super professional. Not really digging the mass murdering psycho wanting revenge for…

I think the storytellers set the scene very well for Michael's return. It will also be good to see someone who can compete with Klaus and Elijah in terms of power. Kind of hard to create credible antagonists for God-like beings.

I'm one of those who has never seen the Vampire Diaries. All my knowledge of this universe comes from The Originals. I must say, this show started off shaky for me but I'm loving it now. This episode was outstanding, especially the pacing.

"I'd suggest its because we are so conditioned to seeing casual and extreme violence done on men that it washes over us."

It's the rise of "pop culture critic gender feminism." No show will go unscathed.

Lol. I think you are confusing me with someone else. I have an opinion on storytelling and the way ideology bleeds into storytelling. These are not real people. They are characters.

Careful, you might get called a "rape apologist."
I totally agree with your analysis. The problem is too many ideologues with media microphones.

As a history buff I really like the hat tip to Rome - the super pagans - and the whole air of unearthing lost and valuable knowledge. It was the superiority of Roman tactics that gave the English their first win against the Nords in the series.

Is this sarcasm?

Jesus, this gender dogma is crippling any kind of critical analysis of storytelling. In a show full of scheming, sick, murderous people, are you really looking to make an ideological argument about rape? I swear you people are just as imprisoned and twisted by your belief system as fundamentalist theists.

I've noticed that there is such a blind spot among reviewers when it comes to poorly depicted, "patriarchal" villains like Largetha's new husband. He had no personality other than monster and his behavior towards her was comic book evil. Really abysmal characterisation.