Nothing gets under the skin of a Roman aristocrat like "the festering disease of rebellion."
Gaius Claudius Glaber, the man who offers that assessment in the exclusive "Spartacus: Vengeance" trailer above, is not a happy man.
The ambitious Glaber was more or less minding his own business (i.e., conspiring and maneuvering to get ahead in the high society of ancient Rome), when a gladiator named Spartacus went and ruined everything for him. Instead of rising through the ranks of powerful Romans, Glaber (Crag Parker) is stuck cleaning up the bloody mess made by the escaped slave and growing band of revenge-minded followers. No wonder Glaber sounds a little cranky.
As the show's fans saw at the end of 2009's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," the title gladiator and his fellow arena fighters rebelled against their owner, Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah), killing almost everyone in his villa and taking off ... to do what, exactly?
That's the question that drives "Spartacus: Vengeance," which arrives Jan. 27 on Starz. In this exclusive trailer, you'll get a sense of the conflicts that will animate the season and you'll also spot some familiar faces: Glaber's wife, Ilythia (Viva Bianca), returns this season, as does Gannicus (Dustin Clare), the gladiator who starred in the "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" mini-season last year. The trailer also offers us a few glimpses of a survivor of the bloodbath at the house of Batiatus (and I'm betting your enjoying Lucy Lawless' crazy-eyed version of Lucretia as much as I am).
The "Spartacus" trailer obviously gives us another chance to check out star Liam McIntyre, who took over for the late Andy Whitfield. McIntyre will have big sandals to fill, but if the upcoming season is anything like the previous two, it'll likely have fans on the edge of their couches before it's over. And if you need more "Spartacus: Vengeance" footage, you can find the first four minutes of the new season here.
For a full list of "Blood and Sand" and "Gods of the Arena" characters who are returning for "Vengeance," check out this story, and I also talked to creator Steven DeKnight about the upcoming 10-episode season of the hit show.
We'll have more from DeKnight and from McIntyre early in the new year, so be sure to return then for all your gladiatorial needs.