Rome II ep 10

Thaaaat's all folks.

HBO's Rome has wrapped up, is finished, done.

We began tonight with a jump cut to right after the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., and follow the events up to Octavian's Triumph in Rome.

Though marred by my usual gripe (the Tweedles are right there, central characters at the making of Empire), Rome's handling of "Antony & Cleopatra™" and their dealings with Octavian were almost underplayed (Cleopatra's meeting with Octavian is the best example. Not underplayed was Antony's impression of Joe Pesci), here done with close cropped or close up shots.

As I've said all along, Rome can handle the history, it's the fiction they sucked at.

Given that, I will give the writers one point: they did produce a tear inducing scene of deathbed forgiveness.

"Greeks talk a whole pile of nonsense. Fuck 'em"

So the series is over, though it had enough set ups for a 3rd season (look at the exchange between Livia and Atia for example).

And as before, Tweedle Dumb and another character (I don't want to give away who, but it maybe the writers greatest liberty taking with History) walk into the distance in the last shot of the show. Dumb's actions in Rome were bizarre, but at least he was consistent in his inconsistency, as were the writers of the flawed series.