'Spartacus: House of Ashur' Review: Starz's Unflinching Sequel Series Boldly Revives the Bloodiest, Sexiest Franchise on TV

'Spartacus: House of Ashur' Review: Starz's Unflinching Sequel Series Boldly Revives the Bloodiest, Sexiest Franchise on TV By  Jeff Ewing Published 29 minutes ago Jeff Ewing is a critic, entertainment journalist, interviewer, and screenwriter in LA with a life-long love of horror and film history. He has an M.S. in Sociology from the University of Oregon, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Eastern Washington University. He's been writing about horror and sci-fi film and TV for fifteen years, with bylines in Collider, Inverse, Slashfilm, Looper, The Playlist, Forbes, and elsewhere. Jeff also has contributions in a number of Pop Culture and Philosophy books, and co-edited two books: Alien and Philosophy and Stranger Things and Philosophy. In this track, he founded, hosts, and produces the monster podcast Humanoids from the Deep Dive, which digs into the history, themes, and meanings behind favorite monsters and monster movies/TV series.  Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

It's been a long 12 years since the bloodiest, sexiest show on television last aired. Steven S. DeKnight's Spartacus, loosely based on the historical gladiator-turned-rebel who came to challenge Rome, set itself apart for its realistically bloody, high-octane combat, open parade of gender-inclusive sexuality, and provocative focus on the politics of the arena. Running for four seasons between 2010 and 2013, the series was a hit for Starz and has retained a strong reputation with fans ever since its final bow. Here we are, however, in the era of thinking daily about the Roman Empire (or so I'm told; I'm more of a Macedonian Empire-head myself), and there's still one big question on fans' minds: how can Spartacus be respectfully brought back when the titular rebel has died? Simple: a magical, history-altering retcon. With its premiere this week, Spartacus: House of Ashur boldly moves the franchise forward with a fresh, unflinching series that mostly captures what made the original great.

What Is 'Spartacus: House' of Ashur' About?

Spartacus: House of Ashur begins with one of the most substantial retcons in TV history: what if Ashur (Nick Tarabay) hadn't been beheaded and instead survived to be the man who killed Spartacus and stopped the rebellion? In ancient Rome, full of magical shenanigans and fickle gods, anything is possible. Here, the turncoat gladiator's fate changes in the afterlife, with Ashur now the man who delivered the final blow to Spartacus and saved the Roman elite. For his efforts, Ashur is promoted to be the Dominus of his own house, navigating the political perils of Rome while readying gladiators to compete in the arena. Besides political positioning and betrayal, Ashur finds gladiatrix Achillia (Tenika Davis), controversially tapping her to lead his cadre of gladiators in hopes that a fierce warrior woman will win the crowd and elevate his fortunes. Stakes only mount when Ashur draws the attention of none other than Julius Caesar (Jackson Gallagher) himself.

Spartacus: House of Ashur can't really be the anti-authoritarian series that its rebellious progenitor was, given that it's based around the man who (as of now) killed Spartacus. There nonetheless remains a slight belligerence in the sequel, as Ashur seeks to claw his way upwards in a Rome built for established families. Spartacus: House of Ashur is very much doing its own thing, but it's an entertaining one. Series lead Nick Tarabay gives complexity and a strong, charismatic presence in his return as the titular character, now commanding a gladiatorial pool instead of struggling to survive within one, while the story's political struggles for honor are capably balanced against more action-heavy elements.

'Spartacus: House of Ashur' Captures the Original's Blend of Intrigue, Sex, and Violence

Within the show's extensive ensemble, Tenika Davis shines as Spartacus: House of Ashur's only female gladiator, constantly beset by fellow combatants who wish to see her downfall. The actress delivers both the character's emotional complexity and her penchant for angry combat well, and Achillia only expands and grows as Ashur progresses. The lifeblood of the sequel series, however, is Graham McTavish as Korris, a seasoned gladiator-turned-trainer who becomes roped into Ashur's ambitions but finds emotional connections all his own. He's gristled and capable, but McTavish adds brilliant, subtle layers to the character throughout. While the show primarily revolves around Ashur's political ambitions and machinations, it's Korris who truly evolves as the story progresses (at least within the five episodes made available for review).

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Posts By  Hannah Hunt Sep 25, 2025

Spartacus: House of Ashur also boasts universally realistic blood and gore (not a strong fit for the more squeamish of TV viewers), and anyone looking for intense combat should be satisfied, but a few technical elements, particularly early on, don't always work. One early training sequence includes combat that feels a little too slow to be authentic, even for training, resulting in a fight that feels more telegraphed and closer to stage combat than it should. It would also be desirable for the series to offer a few more open-air scenes to give a sense of Rome's scale, since the season so far spends a lot of time in close quarters. Minor technical quibbles aside, most of the combat feels authentic and brutal, and the effects department makes combat injuries look shockingly realistic, only adding to the sense of danger in the arena.

Spartacus: House of Ashur essentially pulls off the miraculous, leaning on the mythological extravagances of ancient Roman belief to rewrite history and give a character a new lease on life. It's clever, and it works; outside of the event that enables its premise, the series otherwise retains the gritty realpolitik realism that the original show often revolved around. Spartacus: House of Ashur also largely retains the original series' deep showcase of the ancient Roman Id, parading the empire's honorific culture alongside an unflinching orgy of sex and violence (though not always simultaneously). Tarabay is a strong lead, Davis grows into her role quite well, and McTavish excels. While the show essentially follows Ashur's attempts to rise in Roman society, there's room for rebellion to brew, leading to hopes that this element of the original will come to the forefront in the future. In the meantime, Spartacus: House of Ashur recaptures much of what made the original series great, and proves this franchise hasn't lost a beat in its 12-year hiatus.

Review 8 10

Spartacus: House of Ashur

Spartacus: House of Ashur takes a novel path towards restarting the franchise, and it sticks the landing.

Like Follow Followed Not Rated Drama Action History Release Date December 5, 2025 Network Starz Directors Rick Jacobson 8 Images Cornelia and Caesar looking lovingly at each other in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzTarchon, Korris, Ashur, and Achillia gathered together in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzCornelia & Caesar looking regal and holding hands in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzSatyrus in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzAshur flanked by Messia and Hilara in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzMessia & Hilara looking seductive in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzTarchon and Achillia crossing blades while Korris watches in Spartacus: House of AshurImage via StarzClose

Cast

See All

• Nick E. Tarabay Ashur
• Graham McTavish Korris

Genres Drama, Action, History Creator(s) Steven S. DeKnight Expand Collapse Pros & Cons

• Nick Tarabay has watchable gravitas in the titular role, with supporting players like Graham McTavish bringing complexity and further layers.
• House of Ashur doesn't lose a beat in maintaining the flagship series' unique blend of violent danger and rampant hedonism, feeling like a true continuation in many respects.
• Most of the combat (particularly outside training) feels dangerous, bloody, and brutal, courtesy of the effects team.

• Certain individual moments of combat are a tad choreographed in execution.

• TV Reviews
• Spartacus: House of Ashur
• Steven S. DeKnight

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