Ranked - Spartacus Shows/Seasons

Over the last couple of months I have watched all the seasons/shows of the Spartacus franchise. The show first came out in 2010 and has had a cult following with plenty of views and plenty of great content. So I have now decided to rank these seasons/shows from worst to best in my opinion. Obviously, this is only my opinion and everyone can disagree or agree as much as they like. 

5. Spartacus: House of Ashur

It took 12 years for this show to come out after the end of Spartacus and it was a pretty big waste of time. The reason for the show existing is nonsensical and it feels totally unnecessary. Nick E. Tarabay tires his best but Ashur is meant to be a villain and it is hard to root for him. It still has some decent action scenes but overall it is a poor imitation of the main show. 

4. Spartacus: Vengeance

After the tragic death of Andy Whitfield, Liam McIntyre was cast as Spartacus and he does a great job and really adds a lot to the character. The show continues really well off of the end of the previous seasons and it is really cool seeing the characters trying to take down the Romans. I just feel like this series doesn't quite have as much excitement in the first half of the series and thats what holds it back from the entries that are above. 

3. Spartacus: Blood and Sand

The show that started it all is next on the list and Blood and Sand is a great show. Andy Whitfield is great in the role as are the rest of the cast. The action is a lot of fun and it just embraces its tone and feels like a real spectacle to watch at times. It just has a slightly rushed finale and lack of budget which does hold it back but it is great. 

2. Spartacus: Gods of The Arena

With the showrunners not sure on the status of Andy Whitfield. They decided to make a spinoff prequel show focusing on a new Gladiator in Gannicus and it really works. Dustin Clare steps into the lead really well and it was really cool to see the origins of characters that we saw in the original series. It does suffer from similar issues as Blood and Sand but I just slightly preferred Gods of The Arena. 

1. Spartacus: War of the Damned

For me the best of this list so far is the final series of Spartacus: War of the Damned. It was a fantastic finale to this show and I really feel like it nailed it in pretty much every way. The characters were great, the action is pretty great and it is nice to see a finale of a show actually really delivering. It was so close to a 10/10 but I just didn't quite do it but it a fantastic show to watch. 

Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025/2026) Review

I am a huge fan of The Spartacus show that came out back in 2010 and actually rewatched the whole of it in preparation of watching the new spinoff show Spartacus: House of Ashur. After many weeks, the finale of the show came to the UK today and I have watched it, so here is my review for the show. The premise shows an alternate universe where Ashur survived the events of Spartacus and was gifted his own Ludus. He has to navigate the world of politics, while leading his Gladiators to victory. 

Main Character

Nick E. Tarabay reprises his role as Ashur and he clearly loves playing this role and I love seeing him play this role when he is evil and sneaky like he was in the original show. He still has some of that here and those are my favourite parts of the show. However, because he is the lead here, they try and make us care and sympathise for him and I really just couldn't and I just think that is because it goes against everything that is the character.

Supporting Characters

Graham McTavish plays the new Doctore Korris and he is probably the best character in the show. He has the honour of a gladiator but there is more to him and he is a good character that would have fit in well with the original show. 

Dan Hamill as Celadus is probably the best of the Gladiators. He is one of the older Gladiators and has honour and respect for the ways of the role. I mean he isn't the most ground breaking character but he does well here. 

Tenika Davis plays Achillia as the new main character and honestly, I thought she was pretty bad. She is incredibly wooden and there wasn't much done here to make me care about her character, despite the fact the show really wants you too. 

The rest of the cast offer very little. There are plenty of political characters and I didn't care about any of them and the majority of the gladiators either had limited characterisation or they were just down right annoying. 

Story

The story is the part of the show that I found the most nonsensical. First of all the show, has no reason to exist and actually disrespects quite a lot of the original show. There aren't really any characters that I particularly liked and it just made little sense to me why they went the directions that they did. Also the Gladiators feel like a pretty big afterthought at times which is a shame for a show in this franchise. 

Script

The script is okay, there are some decent dramatic moments in there and some chuckle worthy moments. But it is nothing compared to the original Spartacus and I just think the writing doesn't do enough to make these characters interesting enough. 

Style 

Spartacus is well known for its violent action scenes and its over the top romantic scenes and this show still has all of that and in that way it does a decent job of keeping with this tone. Though, I sometimes think it comes across as a parody of the original show. Also the pacing isn't always great and I think 10 episodes was probably a few too many. 

Overall

Overall, Spartacus: House of Ashur is a below average massive disappointment for fans of the franchise. I don't really know who it is for as it isn't good enough for new fans and does things that will upset lifelong fans, I wouldn't spend your time on this one. 

Rating - 4/10

The Night Manager Season 2 (2026) Review

I binged the first season of The Night Manager in preparation of watching the second season and I very quickly watched the second season in all of its glory now it is full released and here is my review of the show. The premise of the shows sees 9 years after the events of season 1, Jonathan Pine has started fresh, but when a figure from the past arrives he is forced into bad habits. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Jonathan Pine and he is once again fantastic. He is so charismatic in the role and I just love the complexity of his character. Hiddleston adds a lot of star power to the role and it makes Pine a great protagonist for the show. 

Supporting Characters

Olivia Colman also reprises her role as Angela Burr and she is once again great and is clearly relishing being back in this role. However, don't expect to see her as much as she is only her fleetingly which I assume is because of her busy schedule. 

Diego Calva plays Teddy and is the arms dealer that Pine is after this season. He took a while for me to be interested but when the show really delved into his character, I realised that this was an interesting character that just took some time to get used too. 

Camila Morrone plays Roxana and she is really good. She is probably the strongest female character that Pine has had to deal with while on mission. But the acting is really good here and it is actually cool to see a more ruthless character alongside Pine. 

Indira Varma plays Mayra and she is the main character from the MI6 plot line and she is good. She has become a regular on our screens over recent years and she gives another solid performance in this show. 

Story

The story, once it gets going is great. It shows the problems that Pine is going through and further fleshes out some of the supporting characters. The final episode is a truly great finale and does a great job of making me want more. However, this season was a bit slow for its first few episodes and I just felt the overall quality of the plot wasn't quite there for the first few episodes. 

Script

The script is really good. It has strong narrative threads throughout and has some truly shocking moments throughout. It still has that good balance between humour and drama, though it definitely leans more towards the serious nature of the show. 

Style

The style is great in terms of the visuals. It is a beautiful looking show and I loved how some of the grittier scenes were filmed and made it feel darker then the previous season. Though, I did enjoy the international feel of the first season, I mean Columbia is lovely, but it does feel a bit repetitive. The main issue, is the pacing which leaves the show feeling a bit slow over the first few episodes. 

Overall

Overall, The Night Manager Season 2 is a great show and a worthy follow up to the first season. It has a few more issues but is definitely worth a watch, especially for people who enjoyed the first season. 

Rating - 8/10

The Night Manager Season 1 (2016) Review

One of the biggest releases of 2026 is the new season of the acclaimed show, The Night Manager. I am a bit late to the party, so I thought I would finally watch the first season of the show before catching up on the new season. I have now done this and here is my review for thee first season of The Night Manager. The premise of the show sees a Hotel Manager, recruited by MI6 to infiltrate an arms dealers operations. 

Main Character

Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine and he is fantastic. He is so smooth and has so much charisma in this show, he has real depth and you aren't quite sure what side he is on and Hiddleston is great at making the audience care about this character. 

Supporting Characters

Hugh Laurie plays Richard Roper and he is also amazing in this show. He plays this evil weapons dealer and he revels in it, oozing charisma and cockiness. The chemistry between him and Hiddleston is excellent and for me was the best part of the show. 

Olivia Colman plays Angela Burr and she is the handler of Pine's mission and she is just great as Colman usually is. She is giving it her all and she just fits the role really well, she really nails it and is a great addition. 

Elizabeth Debicki plays Jed Marshall and she is really good. She is the younger wife of Roper and she adds plenty of mystery and intrigue to her role. You can tell she was going to be a big deal after this show. 

Tom Hollander plays Lance Corkoran and he is full of great moments and intense scenes. He has the biggest rivalry with Jonathan Pine and their scenes together are really good and adds some real intensity to the show. 

There are some other great performances and the whole cast really knock it out of the park here. 

Story

The story is really interesting, we see Jonathan Pine making friends with all of these arms dealers and whether he is enjoying it and what exactly his plan is. There is plenty of espionage and some great character moments to keep you invested throughout. However, I did think the storyline involving MI6 wasn't as interesting and came across as pretty generic. Also the ending felt a bit too clean and a bit abrupt. 

Script

The script is great, there is a lot of quick off the cuff dialogue that made these feel like real people. It is clearly meant to be sending a message and I thought it did it pretty well, there is a great blend of drama and dark humour that just really worked for me. 

Style 

This show is a very international affair and it is very cool to see this show travel all over the world and the characters getting into these situations under different backdrops. The show is paced really well and it certainly had me gripped throughout and wanting to watch the next episode. 

Overall

Overall, The Night Manager Season 1 is a Fantastic Show that really stands out from other crime shows. A great cast, great writing and great visuals make it a show that should be watched. 

Rating - 9/10

Wonder Man (2026) Review

Amongst all these massive projects that Marvel Studios are releasing, I think that this show fell a bit under the radar. But today, I got the chance to watch all of the episodes of Wonder Man and here is my review for the show. The premise of the show sees two down on their luck actors faced with the chance to get the roles of a lifetime. 

Main Character

Yahya Abdul-Mateen plays Simon Williams and he is fantastic in his performance. This is probably the best I have ever seen him, there is a real depth and nuance to this character. He isn't perfect and has plenty of flaws but you do root for him and you really want to see him succeed and this is one of the great television performances you will see all year. 

Supporting Characters

Not to be overshadowed is the great Sir Ben Kingsley who reprises his role as Trevor Slattery and he gives so much humanity and development to this character. He is amazing and the relationship between Simon and Trevor is what carries the show and Kingsley really commits to giving a wonderful performance. 

To be honest, the rest of the cast aren't as important and feel like afterthoughts compared to our two main characters. But the main ones are X Mayo who plays their agent and is a lot of energy on screen that works well with them. The other being Arian Moayed who reprises his role as Agent Cleary, he is probably a bit more sinister but he fits the character well. 

Story

The story of Trevor and Simon is so well handled that it is one of the best stories amongst the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. The relationship between the two of them is so well done and feels like something that you really want to root for. The only slight issue with the show is that the other elements of the story don't work quite as well, especially the stuff to do with Damage Control. Also the ending is pretty abrupt and seems to be setting up future seasons of the show. 

Script

The show is really well written. There is a fantastic balance between humour and drama and it just makes these characters feel well written and well realised. The writing is quick when it needs to be and slows it down when it needs to and it is just so good. 

Style

The style of this show is interesting, there are barely any superhero moments or action scenes but I was never bored and was fully engaged with what was going on and that is down to the shorter episodes having great pacing. 

Overall

Overall, Wonder Man is a Fantastic Show and a true success for Marvel Studios. This isn't your typical superhero show and if you love Hollywood then this is a must watch. Give it a go and I am sure you will love it like I did. 

Rating - 9/10

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Review

After 28 Years Later was released last year, we knew that a sequel was set to come out the following year. That film came out earlier this month and now I have found the time to watch the sequel The Bone Temple. After watching the film, here is my review. The premise of the film sees Spike facing the problem with the gang that he met at the end of the last film, while Dr Kelson attempts to find out a discovery that could save the world. 

Main Character

Ralph Fiennes reprises his role as Dr Kenson and he is so much fun in this film. He gets way more to do and that shows off more of his personality and he is easily the most charming part of the film.

Jack O'Connell as Jimmy also has way more screen time in the film and he gives a wacky and deranged performance that he rises above and makes the most out of, too make a pretty memorable character. 

Supporting Characters

Alfie Williams reprises his role as Spike and he actually has way less to do in this film but he still gives a strong performance. He is really stuck amongst this group of bad people and you really want to see him get away from the situation and he is still a great young actor. 

We get to see way more of the Alpha, who has a name now of Samson and his story arc is really important. The dynamic between him and Kenson was the highlight of the film and it was really cool seeing some new dynamic towards the infected. 

However, the rest of the cast are pretty dull. This pretty much is the rest of the Jimmy gang, the main one is played by Erin Kellyman who was in Solo & Falcon & Winter Soldier but her character offers very little and the development felt really rushed. 

Story

The story is decent, it really focuses on these two different things and both are handled well. The relationship between Kenson & Sampson was well done and it provided some lighter notes in this dark film. Also seeing the misdeeds of the Jimmy Gang shows how humanity can also be just as dangerous as the infected. But, similar to 28 Years Later the story is a bit all over the place and doesn't feel overly connected until the last 15 mins which are pretty good. Also, this is another major cliffhanger ending which is just their to set up future films. 

Script

The script is really well written. There are so many good character moments in the film and we see real development with these people and how they impact the world. There is more humour here that had me chuckling mixed with some well done emotional work. 

Style

The film does look really good and has some wonderful cinematography. Also, some of the stranger camera techniques are gone and I am happy to see that as it made the film feel more realistic. I guess, my main problem is that pacing and the fact that the two stories don't really come together till really late in the film. 

Overall

Overall, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a good film and an improvement on 28 Years Later. I think if you are a fan of the Zombie genre and this franchise then this is a film to watch.

Rating - 7/10

Steal (2026) Review

In January, we usually get new shows that are meant to grip us to the numerous streaming services on offer. Prime Video have their offering in Steal, a show that has Game of Thrones Alumni Sophie Turner in the lead and I have watched all 6 episodes and here is my review of the show. The premise of the show sees a financial robbery involved in a heist which changes the lives of the majority involved. 

Main Character

As mentioned, Sophie Turner plays Zara and I thought she was great in the role. She plays the character of Zara really well and I thought there was quite a lot of depth to the character and isn't necessarily the nicest person in the world but Turner does make you care and this is one of her better roles for sure. 

Supporting Characters

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd plays DCI Rhys Kovac and he is the detective that is put on the case and again I think he does a really good job in the role. He has his own personal demons and it contrasts really well with Zara and makes them two interesting characters. 

Archie Madekwe plays Luke and he is the best friend of Zara. He really sells the shock of the situation that he is and the fallout from the heist and he does a great job of playing this role. He is a pretty unlikeable character, but I thought that was what the show was going for. 

To be honest, they are the main characters and they have way more screen time then anyone else. But everybody does a great job in the acting department and offers plenty to the show. 

Story

The show has a pretty good story, the first episode in particularly is one of the most intense and gripping episodes of television that I have seen in a long time. It has twists and turns, with well performed and written beats. However, I did think the show did struggle to keep the pace and twists going throughout and led to a slightly disappointing ending that left me asking if that was it and I was probably just expecting more. 

Script 

The script is pretty well written, it had some real intensity to it and characters that are really damaged but not in a silly over the top way. Though, as mentioned above, I do think the writing of the ending wasn't particularly satisfying and felt a bit out of left field. 

Style

The show has a great style to it. It really conveys tension well and builds suspense, especially in that first episode that I think was pretty perfect and had me hooked. It kept me invested throughout and I thought the overall pacing was good. 

Overall

Overall, Steal was a great show and I had a really fun time watching this. It isn't perfect but is just a really easy watch that keep me invested throughout and if you have the time, you should watch it too. 

Rating - 8/10