Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is essential viewing. While Blood and Sand had a slow first three episodes, this prequel is firing on all cylinders from the opening scene (a brutal massacre in the woods). It solves the "prequel problem" by focusing not on "what happens," but on how the characters became the monsters and martyrs we know.
STARZ, Amazon Prime (select regions), Apple TV. Spartacus- Gods Of The Arena -2011- Season 1 S0...
If you skipped this season to get to Liam McIntyre’s Vengeance , you made a mistake. Gods of the Arena stands alone as a Greek (or Roman) tragedy of ambition, lust, and the fleeting nature of glory. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is essential viewing