Season 1 – Those About to Die

Audience Reviews

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Max R Not perfect, but a lot of fun! Plenty of great sets and costume designs. Chariot racing was an exciting new element. Dialogue and storyline was good overall. Tenax and Domitian are great characters and I like Kwame's arc as well. Not the most epic series of all time, but I really enjoyed it and hope we will get a second season, and more Rome related content in general. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/30/25 Full Review Paul o I'd be shocked if this lemon get renewed for season 2. I tried to make it through ten episodes but I couldn't its soooo bad Outside Anthony Hopkins and the guy who plays Tanax the inn keeper terrible all around acting, terrible writing I cant tell which its so bad . And with no character on the screen for more than 1 minute at a time theres no background info on anyone or any attempt to build any sort of character development of any kind. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/25 Full Review Nika F Another review described Those About to Die as landing somewhere between HBO’s Rome and Spartacus. A fair assessment. Is it game-changing television? Far from it. But it offers an enjoyable romp into the underbelly of the Circus Maximus. Yes, the CGI animals miss the mark. But this criticism feels overstated compared to its actual impact. And yes, Roman aficionados will groan at the leather armor or the ahistorical emphasis on the plebeian–patrician divide. This is not a show for history purists. From a storytelling perspective, it also stumbles. Ten episodes are crammed with too many characters who rarely reach real depth. Time is wasted on plot threads with little payoff. Characters make choices that don’t feel earned. Moral ambiguity is only lightly explored for Tenax, leaving our antagonists to be painted mostly as “unlikeable baddies”—humanized only in fleeting moments, like when they cry as their partners are maimed in the amphitheater. The writers also have an annoying habit of coddling the audience by underlining implications or outright repeating thematic points, where a better show would trust us to connect the dots. Yet with all its flaws, the grit and grime of a chaotic Rome still break through. The world feels lived-in. Iwan Rheon proves himself a capable lead, and the chemistry between Tenax and Carla is palpable and well-paced—one of the show’s highlights. Seeing the Roman Games contextualized within broader Roman life is a remarkably fresh take, given the shadow of Gladiator I & II, which the show arguably outshines. Complaints about unlikable characters speak less to their nature than to the show’s stumble in articulating its ethos: climbing to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. Still, the foundation is there. If a second season were to thin the cast, deepen the remaining characters, tone down some of the cheesier moments, and trust the audience more, Those About to Die could yet find its stride. I am still hoping for a renewal. I would definitely keep watching. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/27/25 Full Review Lola P Must see! Wonderfull actors and good storyline. Roman setting Also well Done 💪🏼 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/08/25 Full Review Don L Those about to Die is underrated and needs to be renewed for a second season Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Audience Member From historical perspective the show is complete nonsense from episode 01, I feel sorry for Anthony. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Those About to Die — Season 1

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