EMPIRE: ARKHAM (TV)
Summary
One in this historical drama miniseries set in Rome in 44 B.C., detailing the rise of Octavius, the first emperor of Rome.
Camane disrupts Cassius’s plans to spread misinformation about Caesar by posting his last will and testament on the Senate walls, intriguing the people and enraging the Senate. Meanahile, Octavius and Tyrannus make their way to the villa of Magonius, general of the Fourth Legion, in hopes of currying his support for Octavius’s efforts to claim the rule of Rome. However, upon arrival they find Magonius bound and surrounded by Cassius’s men, trying to get him to give his military support to protect the Senate. He refuses and is captured; Tyrannus and Octavius are captured as well, as Magonius passes them off as his slaves. Rioting in Rome increases, but Cassius refuses to be moved, hoping that they can elect new consuls in place of Marc Antony to “please the mob” while maintaining his control of the Senate. He sends General Rapax into the Temple of Vesta to capture Camane, but Noella forbids him, as only the Pontifex had the authority to enter the temple. Rapax leaves, but promises that the Senate will find a way to return. Camane muses that she risks a painful death by choosing sides in the political struggle engulfing Rome.
Octavius, Tyrannus, Magonius, and a host of other captured men are taken to the Combat Dungeons of Arkham, a gladiator training camp. Tyrannus, drawing upon his former experience as a gladiator, warns Octavius about the dangers within; most do not survive the training. Despite his advice, Octavius immediately gets noticed and beaten by one of the guards. Amidst the riots in Rome, Cassius nominates senators Cimber and Quintilius to serve as consuls. However, both of them contrive excuses to exempt themselves from service. Cassius warns that in that case they will not be afforded protection from the rioters, and Cimber offers to find suitable replacements for the consulship. At Arkham, Tyrannus is worried that he will be recognized by his fighting style, and advises that he and Octavius should keep a low profile. Cassius is frustrated that the Vestal Virgins have brought his political machinations to a standstill. Servilia devises a solution: she believes the Senate can appoint a new Pontifex to enter the temple, as the position was previously held by Caesar and was vacated upon his death. Cassius decides to make Brutus the new Pontifex and sends him into the temple to retrieve Camane.
At Arkham, Octavius is called out to fight and nearly gets himself killed by one of the guards. Despite the risk, Tyrannus steps forth to defend him and is savagely beaten for his troubles. However, Tyrannus uses the opportunity to secretly hide a knife in the dirt of the practice ring, and Octavius takes note of this. Octavius tends to Tyrannus’s wounds before the guard who fought him arrives and speaks to him alone. He inspects Tyrannus’s various injuries he accrued over the years and pegs him for a former gladiator, although Tyrannus denies it. Nevertheless he promises to make Tyrannus’s death slow and painful. Octavius takes the opportunity to speak to Magonius, and tells him who Tyrannus is. Magonius tells Octavius that he may need to sacrifice Tyrannus’s life if he is to escape and secure the loyalty of Magonius’s legion. One of the guards overhears part of the conversation and believes Octavius is a nobleman’s son. Octavius tries to fight back but fails, and the guard keeps him alive for the time being.
Brutus uses his new position as Pontifex to enter the temple and speak with Camane. He commands her to denounce her allegiance to Caesar and Octavius and support the Senate, but she refuses on the grounds of her religious duties. Brutus paints himself as being torn between his love for Caesar and his duty to the Republic. He warns her that should she refuse to cooperate she will be named a traitor to Rome, and then even the temple will not provide her with protection from the punishment of the Senate. Cassius visits Magonius in Arkham, and Octavius shadows him. He tries to convince Magonius to support the Senate, trying to convince him that men like Octavius and Marc Antony would be nothing but self-concerned dictators. However, Magonius believes that Cassius participated in the murder of Caesar purely for personal gain, and announces he has decided to throw his lot in with Octavius. Cassius leaves, and on the way out orders that Magonius be killed. Magonius is led out to be executed, and complies despite Octavius’s urging for him to reveal his identity. Octavius watches as Magonius is stabbed, dying with the words “hail Caesar” on his lips.
Cassius inspects Magonius’s villa, which he intends to claim for himself. He learns about the two “slaves” captured alongside Magonius and immediately deduces that they were Octavius and Tyrannus. He asks to be returned to Arkham immediately. The guard who threatened Octavius earlier confronts him again, revealing that he figured out his identity from Magonius’s dying words. He tries to extort favors from him and in retaliation Octavius caves in the man’s skull with a rock and hides the body. He tells Tyrannus of his deed and is shaken from it, but Tyrannus tells him not to be daunted and that it is time to put their escape plan into action. Tyrannus emerges and challenges the guard who taunted him earlier to a fight, distracting him long enough for Octavius to secure the knife that Tyrannus hid earlier. Tyrannus then reveals his true identity to the assembled crowd and easily kills the guard. Octavius takes the opportunity to start stabbing the other guards, and the two of them inspire the other slaves into a frenzy. They all attack the guards and free the prisoners, causing a full revolt. Cassius arrives amidst the slaughter and orders his men to capture Tyrannus, but Octavius grabs Cassius and holds a knife to his throat. He uses this opportunity to make his escape with Tyrannus, sparing Cassius’s life.
Cassius returns to Rome to find that Cimber and Quintilius were unable to find Senators willing to take up the consulship. The only willing volunteers they could find were Panza and Herteus, aqueduct commissioners of the Servian Wall. Cassius reluctantly appoints them to the consulship, much to his anger and their delight. Octavius and Tyrannus set off on the road on horseback and eventually they encounter a patrol of horsemen led by Marc Antony, making Tyrannus quite agitated. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: July 5, 2005 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:40
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:88078
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Drama, action/adventure; Rome; Roman emperors
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2005
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – America Online internet service
- TV – Commercials – Arm & Hammer carpet cleaner
- TV – Commercials – Best Buy electronics
- TV – Commercials – Blockbuster video rental stores
- TV – Commercials – Botox facial cosmetic treatment
- TV – Commercials – Bud Light beer
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- TV – Commercials – Hyundai automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Lays potato chips
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- TV – Commercials – “Wedding Crashers” motion picture
- TV – Promos – “Dancing With the Stars”
- TV – Promos – “Empire”
- TV – Promos – “Good Morning America”
- TV – Promos – “Hooking Up”
- TV – Promos – “Invasion”
- TV – Promos – “Night Stalker”
CREDITS
- Chip Johannessen … Executive Producer
- Tony Jonas … Executive Producer
- Craig Zadan … Executive Producer
- Neil Meron … Executive Producer
- Thomas Wheeler … Executive Producer, Created by
- Jacobus Rose … Producer
- Carrie Henderson … Producer
- Julie Herlocker … Co-Producer
- J.B. Levine … Associate Producer
- John Gray … Director
- William Wheeler … Writer
- Richard Marvin … Music by
- Santiago Cabrera … Cast, Octavius
- Vincent Regan … Cast, Marc Antony
- Emily Blunt … Cast, Camane
- Michael Maloney … Cast, Cassius
- James Frain … Cast, Brutus
- Jonathan Cake … Cast, Tyrannus
- Trudie Styler … Cast, Servilia
- Graham McTavish … Cast, General Rapax
- Amanda Root … Cast, Noella
- Ian Bartholomew … Cast, Cimber
- Alan David … Cast, Quintilius
- Clive Riche … Cast, Herteus
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths … Cast, Panza
- Dennis Haysbert … Cast, Magonius
- Terrence Maynard … Cast, Atticus
- Joe Hanley … Cast, Lagos