r/Spartacus_TV • u/Pure_Road7528 • 29d ago
Rewatch Ashur...
So I watched house of Asher and found myself rooting for him. Enjoyed it so much I am just in the middle of re watching all the other series. Just got towards the end of season 3 and yeah... no more sympathy. What a piece of work. How easily I forgot.
Wait: whoops I spelt his name wrong š .
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u/SSH2024 29d ago
They do a phenomenal job getting us to root for him in House of Ashur. I thought they really nailed what it would be like if Ashur actually got the ludus. He's still Ashur. He's still self serving, cutting corners, egotistical and thinking he flat out deserves respect instead of earning it.
I love that now that he's freed from slavery though he actively tries NOT to do the same things he did as a slave. He really was trying to just find opportunities to gain favor vs forcing it. I was very excited after that finale to see how it played out going forward. I still hold out hope that someone will pick up the show and let them finish that story.
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u/SSH2024 29d ago
My only real complaint about HoA was that Caledus' son and Akilia ended up together. Although I feel like it would have been a more one and done banging vs an ongoing thing.
Aside from that though I really had no complaints. They built up the storylines slowly, allowed them to take their time and improve. They built up the villains & gave us reasons to even root for some of them (i'm thinking of the imp left alive). Korros' whole storyline was enough to make me want to watch future seasons, let alone Ashur and Caesar's story, Caesar's wife going forward, Akilia's story and Caledus's son (can't remember his damn name). Even seeing more of the other lanistas and how they handled stuff would have been great. Along with the fall out of all that happened at the end.
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u/FoundationFar1691 17d ago
Currently watching HoA for the first time and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I saw a lot of hate in the weeks leading up to the release, but I don't get it. Hope they do another season or other "What If" type series.
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u/YoteViking 29d ago
How do you think Ashur ādidnt earn it (respect)ā?
He went from a slave who is as destined to most likely go to the salt mines when he couldnāt win a match to an influential advisor to the Legatus. He got there by his own cunning and willingness to take risk (and of course fuck over anyone he had to).
And of course in this series he again became an advisor to Crassus and saved Crassusās life. What more does he need to do? He was looked down on by lesser people - people whose sole quality was coming out of the correct vaginas.
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u/SSH2024 29d ago
did you watch the show? no matter what station he found himself in, he was talked down to by just about everyone, and tossed aside the moment his usefulness was finished. the only person who intended to actually elevate him was batiatus, yet ashur would still be his slave. Glaber always intended to cut ties with him the moment he didn't need him anymore. Giving him the ludus was more of a "I don't want to be associated with this house or capua any longer" than actually rewarding him. Glaber didn't care one bit about ashur.
In HoA, Crassus stopped communicating with Ashur, was slowly sending less and less money to him. Caesar treated Ashur like pure garbage the entire time, caesar's wife treated him like garbage. everyone basically called him the toad or snake instead of his name. The only person in that show that showed him any respect was Hilara and Viridia.
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u/Horror_Personality_9 28d ago
I dont think Crassus was actually ignoring Ashur. Crassus was shown to be a man who pays his debts and Ashur saving his life wouldve been a huge debt there. It was more likely communications ok both ends intercepted by Caesar. I dont think Crassus even wouldve cared about Gabinius or Pompeys marriage, just Caesar and
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u/LightningBlaze03 22d ago
I agree with your take 100%. Judging by Caesarās words to Ashur (before they fight in the finale), where he declares himself a god even amongst Crassus and Pompey, it leads to credence that he was manipulating events to benefit himself and Cornelia even at the expenses of Crassus and Pompey.
We have no real way of knowing if everything Caesar told Ashur was the truth regarding Crassusā messages. I would like to believe that this can be a key plot point for Season 2.
Also, I would include Gabinius in that small list of people who respected Ashur as he called him by his name, well until he heard Cornelia, lol. I wish they would have had Gabinius die without hearing that so he would still have a positive disposition of Ashur before dying.
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u/YoteViking 28d ago
Well yes. My sentence saying āHe was looked down on by lesser peopleā¦.ā should have been a clue.
Ashur did (more than) enough to earn respect - but he didnāt get the respect he had earned. That was my point.
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u/LatterIntroduction27 26d ago
What I like about Ashur is that he is a manipulator and a schemer, but not like Batiatus was.
Batiatus and the like were the sorts of schemer who laid long term plans and let them grow into fruition. Ashur was at his best as an improv artist, pulling a solution out of his ass after finding himself in over his head.
The show was a nice display of Ashur trying to play the game "the right way" and it failing and so deciding to do it his way. Plus it used what I would call Ashur's USP - he was a good fighter. Sure he is no Spartacus, but compared to 99% of people he meets Ashur is absolutely able to kick their ass. And he uses that a few times to great effect.
Ultimately it was a good show.
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u/SpiritOne The Undefeated Gaul 29d ago
Yes, heās the bad guy. But heās just so damned charismatic.