Empire

Will

Season 1, Episode 2, Aired 6/28/05

Episode Summary

Atia, Caesar's sister and Octavius' mother, has kept his will hidden and safe from the senate. When she is coerced to speak to the public at his funeral, she reveals that Caesar names Octavius as his heir, much to the disappointment of Marc Anthony, one of Caesar's generals and closest friends.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Jonathan Cake

Tyrannus
Vincent Regan

Marc Anthony
James Frain

Brutus

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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The continuing journey of a boy (Octavian) and his mentor (the slave Tyrannus) on the road to fame, fortune and empire!

5.6

"Mediocre"

By dignitas, Jul 12, 2005 Report Abuse

Wills were routinely kept with the Vestal Virgins. Even foreigners filed theirs there because the persons of the Vestals were so sacrosanct that no one would dare to touch them (let alone enter the Temple of Vesta with armed men. The Vestals lived in a place called the Domus Publica which was also the residence of the Pontifex Maximus (Caesar until his death).

Octavian far from cowering arouond the outskirts of Rome was busy asserting his right to be Caesar's heir.

Throughout the next seventeen years Octavian fought to obtain power in Rome -- In 43 BC he formed the Second Triumvirate (a three man dictatorship) along with Antony and Lepidus.

The following year Brutus and Cassius die
Six years later Pompey dies (at the hands of the Egyptians).

Though we have reached episode 3 we still have yet to meet Octavian's best friend and the author of his military triumphs: Marcus Vispanius Agrippa.moreless

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so wrong-headed it drove me mad.

6.0

"Fair"

By rachelc258, Jul 06, 2005 Report Abuse

Ok, I am not generally anal-retentive about historical accuracy, I understand the need for artistic license. But this is SUCH revisionist history it just makes me sick. (It doesn\'t help that it\'s a revision that\'s been supported for political reasons for centuries) So if you do watch this, imagine a fictional place called ancient rome.
Forget history. Caesar and Augustus were NOT the good guys. They were the rich, ambitious men who toppled the republic and managed to beat their competitors.

And that they\'ve been made the good guys is just the most appalling rewriting of history in the show. There are plenty of others that are almost as bad.moreless

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A slight improvement over the first that is turning into an intriguing political drama.

8.0

"Great"

By stogster, Jul 03, 2005 Report Abuse

The second episode was a slight improvement over the first.

I believe they have ramped up the intrigue. For those who don't know the history of Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, and Octavius this episode provided a great mystery. Who will seize control of Rome? Who will become its next Caesar, Antony or Octavius? And what of the Senate? Will they pay for what they have done to the great Julius Caesar or will they gain the power they strive for?

I also find the Vestal aspect intriguing. It looks like it is going to play a major part in the series.

And Michael Byrne (Cicero) was great, but once again it appears we've lost another great actor/character early in the series. However, Michael Maloney (Cassius) is proving deliciously evil.

All in all, I'm enjoying the series. It's an ancient political drama!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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Notes
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- "Pilot" and "Will" aired as a special two-hour premiere on June 28th, 2005. Edit
Quotes
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- Camane: Witness the birth of a civil war. An empire is dawning. An empire built on the rage of the mob. It is the mob who will determine the next ruler of Rome. Edit
- Cicero: He names his nephew. Camane: Octavius. Cicero: He's just a boy. Camane: So was Caesar once. Cicero: Caesar was a boy, yes. But not every boy is a Caesar. Edit
- Cassius: Who ever thought a God would hold so much blood. Edit
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