Among the most interesting things that Spartacus explores is just how the participants of the slave uprising are affected mentally. It’s always reminding us of the physical cost, but it also puts significant effort into considering just how the minds of the rebels would be changed as a result of their experiences. “Honour” is a central idea in this show but it could be argued that the word has lost its meaning. It’s difficult to find many actions that would qualify as honourable from Spartacus and his cohorts in this week’s episode.

For Spartacus, his experiences have made him untrusting. This is shown numerous times and is a complicated issue because in most cases he’s right to be cautious. Indeed, he trusts Laeta and she is shown to be keeping Romans safe from the danger posed by some of the army’s leading figures. Crixus sets Romans against one another in gladiatorial combat for food while Gannicus watches and does nothing. It’s a risky move for the show to display our heroes acting so villainously, but it makes sense and is a fascinating turn of events this late in the series.

Naevia’s behaviour in ‘Men of Honor’ perhaps comes off as the most strange. It seems she is so afraid of Romans that even those that appear harmless are considered threats. There’s a possibility that the violent world she is living in is causing her to lose her grip on reality, which would be an intriguing direction for Spartacus to take.

Elsewhere in this episode, a group of Cilician pirates led by Heracleo (Vince Colosimo) enter the picture to make a deal with Spartacus. Meanwhile, the son of Crassus, Tiberius (Christian Antidormi), discovers that the rebels have taken a city and makes plans to move against them.

This is an episode that makes slow progress, but like last week, the conclusion is definitely worth it. Everything ends in a fiery battle that sees negotiations between Spartacus and Heracleo come to a sudden halt when Romans attack. The ensuing bloodshed seems inconsequential because few die on either side, but it is an encounter that’ll set things in motion going forward. Tiberius’s impetuousness will be noted by his father, as will the injury that he has been left with. The deal between the rebels and the pirates will be strengthened after they work together in the fight.

Despite the tense and exciting final few sequences, this episode is one in which very little happens. It works well when examining people’s motivations, but it also struggles to be engaging at every step along the way. Things are still building towards an inevitable clash between Spartacus and Crassus (it may come at the end of the season or much sooner, there’s no guessing here) and the show needs to find ways to ensure the current storylines are compelling.

That’s not to say this is disappointing, however, as ‘Men of Honor’ remains a decent instalment of Spartacus: War of the Damned. The show is capable of greater feats, though, and the scripting should strive to blend the spectacle and the character details in a manner that is more effective.

Aired at 10pm on Monday 25 February on Sky1.

> Buy Spartacus: Vengeance on DVD on Amazon.

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