Spartacus resumes training after his time in the pits.Meanwhile, the romans are holding a primus in the arena in hope of placating the Gods to end the draught.
Tropes:
- Bait the Dog: After appearing as a sympathetic Anti-Villain, even a scrappy underdog against the rest of the snobbish roman elite, for the last 5 episodes the audience finally sees what kind of a sadisitic monster Batiatus can be.
- To start with he has the slaver who trained the slaves that nearly killed him kidnapped and proceeds to torture him by beating his face to pulp. When the man tells him it was Ovidius, Batiatus slits his throat anyway.
- When Batiatus confronts Ovidius and promises him hell let him live if he tells him who told him to arrange his death. When Ovidius tells him it was Solonius, Batiatus simply has his slave murder him and then commands him to murder everyone in the villa, including Ovividus 5 year old son, out of spite.
- Cue the Rain: Capua has been suffering a drought for the last five episodes, paralleling the tight situation the House of Batiatus is in. Spartacus defeating Theokoles results in a sudden downpour.
- Fanservice:
- On the night before the Primus both Spartacus and Crixus are presented before Ilythia. So that she can both taunt Spartacus and ogle Crixus. When she tires of Spartacus and commands him to leave shes left alone with Crixus. She then demands that he be stripped completely naked. When he does, she walks over to paw at his physique, while the camera lovingly lingers on his naked body as much as she does. There's even a few seconds where the camera is fixed on Crixus muscular ass.
- Spartacus and Crixus are likewise inexplicably naked when they have their two talks in the baths. Including their pull-apart brawl.
- Foreshadowing: Ilithyia is talking about sleeping with her husband when she says to Spartacus "when we are entwined in our bed", and he turns to look at her in that very moment. The scene then cuts to a shot of Lucretia watching them. She will arrange a Bed Trick that results in the two sleeping together later in the season.
- Hide Your Lesbians: Ilithyia plants a big kiss on Lucretia, and then immediately says "we are friends?"
- Hourglass Plot: The conflict between Spartacus and Crixus is that the former fights only motivated by the thought of being reunited with Sura, and the latter only to "honour these walls". Spartacus learns that winning the match will benefit the ludus and allow him to be with Sura, so he chooses to fight for more than her. Crixus meanwhile realises that fighting for Naevia gives him even more of a purpose.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The priestess of Juno performs a fertility ritual to ensure Lucretia has a child after all. While she doesn't complete it in sleeping with a man within the necessary time frame, she does eventually get pregnant at the end of the season.
- Oh, Crap!: Solonius at the end of the episode. While everyone in the arena is thrilled at Spartacus victory over Theokoles and the sudden rain, Solonius looks utterly horrified. This is because he knows that such an enormous victory will make Batiatus men the most sought after gladiators in Capua and not his. Also, because he knows Bataitus is aware he tried to kill him and will try to get revenge soon.
- The Power of Love: Discussed by Crixus the night before the games.Naevia: You said love drains a man.Crixus: It can give him hope. In the right arms.
- Shameful Strip: Crixus is forced to strip completely naked for Ilithyia's pleasure.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The plot of the episode involves Crixus and Spartacus having to work together to defeat Theokoles.
