Spartacus: House of Ashur Review: Blood, Sand, and Sacrifice Ignite a Shakespearean Arena Triumph

Spartacus is back, and yes, the sand still stings. House of Ashur drops us right back into a world of blades, bodies, and scheming, but with a twist: this time the show plays with history on purpose. It feels like 2010 all over again, in the good way.

The setup

In this version of events, Ashur — once beaten and buried — is brought back and reenters the arena world as 'Dominus,' running his own house. He is hungry for status among Rome's elite, and his power play is introducing the first female fighter to the games. That move lights the fuse on a mess of consequences no one sees coming.

Still Spartacus at heart

If you show up for the trademark mix of bloodletting, bare everything, and goblets of wine, you will not leave thirsty. But House of Ashur is also reaching for more: it is telling a parallel story about scraping your way up, the ugliness of prejudice, and how power warps everything it touches. The series revives that stylized Spartacus dialect, leans hard into bone-crunching arena combat, and stays open and unashamed about sex, relationships, and race.

Who stands out

• Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur: Now the self-made 'Dominus' with his own stable of glory-chasing gladiators and a house full of trouble. Tarabay chews it up in the best way — theatrical, precise, and constantly plotting — and remains a major reason to watch.
• Graham McTavish as Korris: The house 'Doctore' and strategist. McTavish plays him as a disciplined, queer warrior pulled between desire and the respect of a community that does not respect him back. His scenes with Opiter (Arlo Gibson) — an influential mover in the games and the object of Korris's tightly bottled affection — crackle. When the hot tub shows up, you will know. Chills.
• Tenika Davis as Achillia: Dubbed the 'Goddess of Death,' she is presented as the first gladiatrix — acquired by Ashur and pushed toward the arena. Davis goes feral and focused, selling every near-loss, self-sacrifice, and decisive finisher. Underestimate her and you are eating a finishing move straight out of a Mortal Kombat fever dream.
• Also in the mix: Claudia Black, India Shaw-Smith, and Dan Hamill make their marks amid the blood and dust.

Politics with teeth

The show is not just swinging swords; it is trading favors. Backroom deals and senate-floor strong-arming ripple across Rome, and the fallout lands on everyone. Plans launch without warning, schemes collide, and the betrayals land hard. There is a midseason skirmish that opens so nastily I actually gasped and swore at the TV.

Five episodes in, the read

I have seen the first five, and the thing hums. The fights go for the jugular, the world-building swagger is back, and the character work around identity and power feels sharper than you might expect from a show this gleefully messy. Also, if you are counting every time someone says 'cock,' please hydrate.

The angle

House of Ashur plays like a resurrection and a remix: history bent, stakes raised, and the arena wide open. On style, spectacle, and nerve, it delivers.

Score

7/10 — Good