Last week’s episode of Spartacus: War of the Damned made Marcus Crassus seem to be an unconquerable enemy for the rebels (that is, of course, historically accurate), with his superior intelligence proving almost unbelievable. He is always two steps ahead, tactically beating his foe at every stage.

It is this trait and the arrogance that he gains from it, though, that finally provides Spartacus with the opportunity to outsmart Crassus and free his army from the desperately dangerous situation that they had been left in. It is no simple achievement, however, and the losses suffered by his force are sure to felt in future battles.

Over a thousand of Spartacus’s followers die in the snow, leaving his army significantly affected but also providing the means to cross the ditch built by the Romans. A bridge of corpses is certainly among the most gruesome things to ever appear on Spartacus and it is memorable image that succinctly displays just how much has been lost in this latest conflict. Crassus may not have trapped the rebels as easily as he’d hoped to but he’s clearly already made a greater impact than any previous opponent.

The bridge of a thousand bodies isn’t the only impressive visual from ‘Mors Indecepta’, with this episode redefining just how expansive the scale of television can be. So much of what is onscreen is created with special effects but it’s becoming impossible to notice.

The geographic staging of these scenes, clearly showing where the warring armies wait, is effortlessly depicted. It may seem like grand praise, but there are so few other shows that could even hope to really sell the sort of scale seen here.

Throughout the episode, the strength of the rebels is tested in ways it hasn’t been so far. They are forced to wait and endure in a scenario that appears to be bringing them certain death. Tensions between Spartacus and Crixus erupt in a fist fight that has been a long time coming. While the events at the end of the episode helps mend their friendship, there’s no doubt that they’ll continue to clash over critical decisions.

Meanwhile, the ongoing development of Gannicus reaches an important moment as he and Sibyl begin a relationship that is more real than almost all of his previous ones. Some may see this as inevitable, but it’s another essential progression for the character that has become the heart of the season.

There’s quite a lot of the usual behind-the-scenes Roman drama here too, but the most important thing to notice is Kore’s decision to leave the camp and join Spartacus. This is what slavery really means, it’s her knowledge that she lacks choice above all that drives her to flee what is the seemingly more comfortable environment. Were she to remain loyal to Crassus she would have to stay under Tiberius’s authority, so she takes matters into her own hands.

While Crassus’s obliviousness to problems right under his nose and the feud between Caesar and Tiberius grow tiresome, the realisation of what Kore has done is a truly effective argument as to why the Roman leader’s approach to keeping slaves isn’t as perfect as it could be seen as being. In the end, it’s better to suffer in the cold and have free will than to be deprived of it.

Once again, this show burns through plot faster than expected and opens up even more unpredictability to come. What occurs in ‘Mors Indecepta’ is required if Crassus is to be taken seriously as a villain. His intelligence makes him threatening, but his inability to predict everything now makes him more human. Spartacus is able to prove himself a more worthy challenge than recent episodes had shown him to be and it’s sure to not be long before the two men meet in battle again.

Aired at 10pm on Monday 25 March on Sky1.

> Buy Spartacus: Vengeance on DVD on Amazon.

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