Will "Spartacus" gay character be a gladiator, slave, senator or something else?

Rob Tapert and Steven S. DeKnight at the TCA

During last January's TCA Press Tour, I chatted with Steven S. DeKnight, the headwriter for Spartacus: Blood and Sand, who told me that even though the new Starz series had yet to yet shoot a single scene, cast a single actor, or even write a page of the script, the show would definitely include "gay" characters.

I was happy to hear it, but as my mother-inl-aw used to wisely say, "There's many a slip between the cup and the lip." While I was hopeful that DeKnight would follow through, I was also well aware that more than one gay character has failed to make it out of the writer's head and onto our screens.  

But our own Brent Hartinger recently talked with Rob Tapert, Spartacus' executive producer (and the creator of the much beloved Xena: Warrior Princess) about the show, and Tapert confirmed that Spartacus, currently shooting in New Zealand, will indeed include a gay character. When pressed for details, Tapert clammed up which means it's time for us to play another round of "guess the gay character!"

First, some more info about the show which Tapert promises will be one of the most realistic portrayals ever seen of gladiator life. Which I translate as "Since we're on premium cable, we can be as sexually and violently graphic as we like." That could be interesting, especially depending on who the gay character(s) are and the fact that Starz is spending two million dollars per episode. There is both serious talent and money involved here.

Part of what makes the Roman era so interesting is that their culture had a very different approach to sexuality. Historians believe there wasn't really a "gay" identity as we know it now, but nonetheless that same-sex relationships existed. Often what was more important than the gender of the person one slept with was the status and perceived power of your bedmate -- and who did what to whom.  

So who are the candidates for our gay character? What follows is a list of each character and the actor who plays them. At the end, I'll briefly discuss what pairings I think are likely, what I'd like to see, etc. Then you can go for it!

Australian actor Andy Whitfield (Gabriel) stars as Spartacus, the Thracian soldier captured, turned slave and forced to fight in the gladiator arena.

Spartacus eventually winds up the property of Batiatus (John Hannah) and his wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) who run a gladiator training camp and are counting on Spartacus to restore their fallen fortunes. 

Peter Mensah will play Doctore, Batiatus' most truted and loyal slave.

Manu Bennett is Crixus, the top gladiator at the camp and a likely rival for Spartacus.

Antonio Te Maioha plays Barca, Batiatus' bodyguard and hitman.

Craig Parker has the role of Glaber, a Roman legate (general) who blames Spartacus for the failure of his military campaign.

Finally, Nick E. Taraby plays Ashur, a former gladiator who is now a "bookie" working at the gladiator camp.

Some pretty interesting scenarios, no?

In an interview with Monstersandcritics.com, DeKnight said, "The other part of this is the sexuality of the times, it was very different kind of sexual feeling, particularly with the slave class where it was completely acceptable to have sex with your slaves, even inside a marriage. Usually it was fine for a man to have sex with female slaves and sometimes the male slaves."

Given that comment and DeKnight's other observations about power dictating who is submissive and who is dominant, I'm thinking we might see something between Batiatus and one of his slaves/gladiators. I doubt anything will happen with Spartacus and another male. This might be Starz, but I doubt even they will be that edgy -- though I'd love to eat my words.

But I could see something happening between Batiatus and Doctore, or Batiatus and Crixus. Frankly, I could also see something between a couple of the gladiators, say Crixus and Barca. 

Naturally, it's also easy to see Glaber having a relationship with a fellow soldier, though I'd rather it be with a cast regular and not something similar to Prince Jack on Kings where he had a relationship, but we never really got to see it. 

The entire set-up seems rife with potential and I actually have a fair bit of faith in DeKnight and Tapert, but we'll have to wait until early next year to see. 

So what are your predictions and/or wishes?