"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" 1.12: "Revelations"

As we all know, the past few episodes have seen events spiralling faster and faster toward some kind of climax. Each week characters grow increasingly vicious, ambitious, and pernicious, from Paris Hilton BC's shocking murder of her Frenemy to Batty's crazed, take-no-prisoners journey away from shame and poverty that has put So-lame-ius in deep doo doo.

Throughout all of this, Spartacus has remained relatively blind to the insanity around him, focusing all his anger and rage towards Legatus Claudius Glaber, the enemy he never sees. But all that's about to change.

Last week, thanks to a hallucinatory revelation, Spartacus deduced that Batty, his supposed friend, has been maniupulating him this whole time, even going so far as killing his wife, Sura. Bad move, Batty.

The title of the episode is "Revelations," and as we're about to see, it's the most appropriately titled episode so far this season.

We open in the arena as Crisco, back in full fighting form, is tearing an opponent apart. In the cells below, Batty pays a visit to So-lame-ius, chained and loinclothed like a slave. The two trade insults, and So-lame-ius vows that Batty will get what's coming to him, but not before acknowledging had played things well. Too bad for So-lame-ius, they weren't playing chess.

Batty returns to his balcony seats, chats with Old Navy and Lucretia Lawless, and plants a creepy kiss on Numerical's head. Cut to the cells, and Spartacus asks Pit Guy why Batty won't come when he summons him. Pit Guy reminds him that Batty's the guy in charge, not Spartacus, and he's the one who does the summoning.

Batty addresses the crowd and talks about his (crocodile) tears regarding the Madge's death, and that the man responsible, So-lame-ius, will shortly be put to death.

So-lame-ius is brought out, and he looks ready to fight. Batty announces that he will fight Spartacus, and our hero stalks out into the arena. The two battle, and Spartacus seems to be going easy on him, going for light, blood-drawing hits instead of killing strokes.

Paris BC makes a grand entrance, announcing that Glaber will be coming to Capua to discuss patronage of their ludus, causing a pretty fair deal of consternation to Lucretia.

Spartacus eventually disembowels So-lame-ius (gross), but not before telling Sparty that Batty is really his enemy. Sparty says, "Well, duh!" and promises So-lame-ius that he'll be joined by Batty soon enough. Then he beheads him. You know, as one does in social situations like this.

Back in the villa, Pit Guy tells Batty that Spartacus is really jonesing to talk to him, so Batty sends him Mira to distract him until the morning. He then watches Ash-hole being dressed in splendid clothes, and congratulates him on how well he handled that whole "You can trust me, I'm a traitor, So-lame-ius, oops, ha ha, now you're a dead man" thing.

Batty tells him that he'll be moved out of the ludus and into the villa, something which makes Ash-hole a tad uncomfortable.

As part of his "frequent traitor" program, Batty offers Ash-hole a choice of any of the slaves to mack it to, and Ash-hole responds that he wants a slave untouched by any of the gladiators. Uh-oh ... I see where this is going.