Book VI - Television: Recent Episodes
Movies We Dig
We dip into the ancient world as depicted in live action and animated television series. Are historical and mythological stories better serviced by this genre or does longer form narrative come with its own drawbacks?
Rome wasn’t founded in a season of television, but you can watch it on Tubi. Joined by super-special guests and experts ofRead More
Long awaited and much anticipated, we return for the second season of Netflix’s anime fantasy series Blood of Zeus. We dig intoRead More
We all knew Spartacus and his followers would meet a tragic end, but damn if they didn’t make it look sexy asRead More
What happens when a bunch of gladiators break out of a ludus? They loot villas, burn down an arena, and party withRead More
Present ears for listening and broach subject! Joined by our special guest doctore, author and host of Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!,Read More
The ladies decided to have a good ol’ Girls’ Night! And what better series to discuss than the first season of Starz’sRead More
Girls can be warlords too! To celebrate Women’s History Month we’re looking back at the 90’s cult classic series Xena: Warrior Princess.Read More
We wrap up our in-depth analysis on Disney+’s newest adaptation of Rick Riordan’s series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians! Joined by specialRead More
It’s time to get wet! Joined by special return guest, Chiara Sulprizio, professor at Vanderbilt University and creator of Animated Antiquity, weRead More
We brush up on the latest season of the historical TV drama, Domina. Join us as our conversation wanders all over theRead More
It’s the episode we’ve all been anticipating…and dreading. Can a third attempt at Medusa’s story in the Percy Jackson world prove successfulRead More
We continue our survey of ancient Rome on the small screen with our review of the first season of the British-Italian historicalRead More
To keep up with increasing demand and this timely release, we’re trying a new format: minisodes! This week, Christie and new specialRead More
We finish out our discussion of this classic BBC adaptation of Robert Graves’ novel. This half, we dig into the reigns ofRead More
We finally take on the elephant-in-the-room of Rome on television: I, Claudius (1976). Joined by super-special guest Liz Gloyn, we dig intoRead More
We’re back to finish out our discussion on HBO’s historical drama, wrapping up with our thoughts on the much-containing Season 2 ofRead More
We’re back to discuss the rise and fall of prestige television and Julius Caesar, now in one neat stab-able package. This episodeRead More
Gird your togas, it’s time for part one of our much-anticipated look back at HBO’s 2005 prestige drama series, Rome. A bigRead More
We’re coming back! We debut our plans for upcoming episodes featuring Rome in Television (HBO’s Rome, I Claudius, Domina, Thermae Romae Novae)Read More
Joined by a very special guest and the Rock's personal Latin teacher, Dr. Kira Jones (@FlavianSophist), we enter the dreaming of Netflix's The Sandman, based on Neil Gaiman's iconic 1989-1996 comic of the same name. We dig the the mythological foundations of Gaiman's, the nature of dreams and our favorite bits of Latin in modern pop culture. Come for the hot takes, leave never because you're trapped in an eternal waking nightmare!
Or as we like to call it "It Should Have Been Set on Crete." Join us with special guest from Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! Liv Albert as we dive into the semi-historical, semi-mythological world (maybe alternate dimension?) of BBC's Atlantis (2013). This show is a real who's who of mythological characters and British character actors (Vincent Reagan once again graces our screens). We get Oedipus, Minos, Ariadne, Pasiphae, Circe and many others. At the center of our adventure are our heroes: a debauched Hercules, a love-interest Medusa, an oddly historical Pythagoras, all led by an uncharacteristically competent and often shirtless Jason. Overall, this is a light-hearted and often enjoyable but deeply shallow take on ancient mythology which, ironically, felt a little out of time on network TV circa 2013.
You can find Liv at her website https://www.mythsbaby.com/, where you can find her podcast and books, including the latest cocktail book, Nectar of the Gods, and on twitter at @mythsbaby
Gigantomachy II: Electric Boogaloo! Our longest episode to date, we really don't lack for things to talk about. There's a a lot to love in this show and some to look critically at but we really only have one question: who are those people in the bed with Apollo? We get into a lot, such as Zeus as a father, whether the Fates' baby on the table makes any sense, how Heron should dress and which was our favorite giant. Plus, a loooong discussion about sexy lamps and winged phalloi! Stay till the end for the gag reel. Enjoy!
"Screw your winged horse, I want a Manticore!" We break down the first four episodes of Netflix's original anime series with repeat guest Christie Vogler and newcomer Zoé Thomas. We dig into the show's pop cultural influences, its novel takes on mythology and the design choice to make everyone super hot. We also talk at length about Hera's anger, Zeus' faults and convenient vases depicting exactly the myth you need to tell. The mention of unmixed wine also really shakes our kraters. Additional questions: Would a similar show set in Rome with as much attention to artistic style feature too many ugly sculpture? How many brains does a three headed dog need? Should we all just play kottabos when we party? We also introduce new literary lens where all stories are actually about Alexander the Great.
“A man who thinks that he has been done wrong is a mad, mad man.” (the Iliad, abridged). Get these and other hot takes as we finish off our miniseries on this miniseries the only way we know how: by climbing into a big wooden horse and hoping for the best. Joined by another wonderful UT undergraduate, we break down the final episodes of Netflix’s historical action-adventure romance drama. We dwell on the rage of Achilles and his susceptibility to very obvious schemes. We pick apart the denouement of Helen and Xanthias the spy, in all its contrivances. We lament the short-lived presence of the Amazons. Plus, we start asking the big questions. Should Odysseus be empathetic or cruel or somewhere in between? Is Aeneas not bland enough? Does Priam dye his mustache? Count how many times we say “the Iliad” when we actually mean some other text. When you’re in the moment, they’re all the Iliad!
Joined by three fantastic first year students from UT Austin, we continue our discussion of Netflix's miniseries as we get into episodes 4-6. We discuss how this show has updated the tale for this generation of viewers and how it compares to the 2004's Troy. What characters work and don't work for us? Do we want a good or a bad Hector? Are the gods necessary or superfluous? Is what this show needs just more blood? Also witness the exact moment when Colin realizes Aeneas was Dean Thomas in HP. Answers to these and many more await, along with repeated plugs for Shadow & Bone.
We launch the first of a special, three part miniseries on the Netflix/BBC original on the Trojan War. Joining us is UT Classics professor and archaeologist Dr. Adam Rabinowitz who is currently teaching a class on the stories of the Trojan War. We talk about our initial reactions to episodes 1-3, as well as more broadly on the show's place in the modern TV landscape. Is this series actually about family more than love or war? Is there much more to Helen's character than we might detect on first viewing? Why is an extra hammering bronze? What's with the ostrich?
You can find Adam online as well as through his work with the following projects:
- Planet Texas 2050 - a research initiative dedicated to sustaining Texas' critical resources
- Learning from Histria - Adam's archaeological work on settlements in the Black Sea, which you can also read about here and here
- You can also hear Adam speak about his work in Romania on the Slavic Connexion