The Spartacus saga continues in a new blood-soaked chapter in the upcoming series, Spartacus: House of Ashur. But how is this possible? Ashur (Nick Tarabay) died in Spartacus: Vengeance and was decapitated by Naevia (Cynthia Addai-Robinson)! Also, Spartacus (Andy Whitfield/Liam McIntyre) meets a rather definitive fate fighting against Marcus Linius Crassus (Simon Merrells) in Spartacus: War of the Damned. Well, Spartacus: House of Ashur turns the Spartacus universe upside down with its own alternate, diverging timeline, breaking things off from the Battle of Mount Vesuvius during the second season, Spartacus: Vengeance. The latest trailer for House of Ashur even features a pretty huge reveal that possibly retcons a major plot point from the original series.
The ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ Trailer Reveals a Potentially Major Change From the Original Series
House of Ashur features an alternate timeline that splits off from the original series and depicts a different course of events leading up to the Battle of Mount Vesuvius, portrayed in Spartacus: Vengeance. Somehow, Ashur survives that battle and is not beheaded by Naevia. A new clip from the trailer reveals that it’s Ashur who, shockingly, takes down Spartacus. Ashur miraculously survives in this timeline, and he kills the man leading the slave rebellion against the Roman Empire.
This completely alters the course of Ashur’s fate, and his deepest wishes are finally fulfilled. As a reward for executing Spartacus, the Roman Empire awards Ashur with House Batiatus and the gladiator school, where he was once enslaved, making Ashur the new dominus of his own noble house, allowing him to live out the dream he once foresaw in the original series of forging his own lineage. However, now that Ashur has been granted fame and fortune, he finds himself in a proverbial viper’s den in the brutal world of Roman politics. Where he was once a merciless gladiator, Ashur must now play a deadly chess game to maintain the status he fought so hard to achieve. However, something doesn’t completely smell right about that moment from the trailer that reveals Ashur as Spartacus’ true killer.
Did Ashur Actually Kill Spartacus, or Is There More to This Story?
A brief scene in the House of Ashur trailer clearly shows Ashur as the one who kills Spartacus at Mount Vesuvius, but is the trailer telling the whole story? Given Ashur’s deceptive nature, could it be possible that what’s shown in the trailer is a misdirection about what takes place in the new alternate timeline? After Ashur was injured during a battle in the gladiatorial arena in the Spartacus: Gods of the Arena miniseries, the character took on more of an alternative role, working for his Dominus, Batiatus (John Hannah), as more of an errand boy and spy.
Ashur’s calling was not as a gladiator, but a man with a keen and cunning mind, an opportunist with a will to do anything if it meant advancing his status. Ashur saw people not as allies but as tools to serve his needs and goals. He always acted as a scheming and cunning manipulator before his death, who was despised by the likes of Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) and Spartacus for his treachery. It’s believable that Ashur somehow killed Spartacus by stabbing him in the back, but it’s more likely that the trailer footage serves as a red herring. It would make far more sense if the trailer clip merely depicts Ashur’s version of events regarding his slaying of Spartacus, so it’s highly possible that Ashur did not perform the deed himself. Rather, Ashur could simply be taking credit for the act, setting up Spartacus’ premature murder at Mount Vesuvius and eventually profiting from the aftermath, which sparks the alternative course of events shown in House of Ashur.
Spartacus’ Alternative Fate Could Serve as a Season-Long Mystery for ‘House of Asher’
If series showrunner and creator Steven S. DeKnight takes this hypothetical route, it could serve as a compelling season-long mystery and subplot, meaning that Ashur is keeping a closely guarded secret that only he or a handful of others know. Ashur’s new status as a former slave turned noble indicates that the Roman nobility probably resents Ashur and wants him to fail, which means they will look for any excuse to get rid of him. Therefore, Ashur will want to protect any secret about the truth of Spartacus’ death at all costs because that information could be used against him. Conversely, the trailer footage may depict the legitimate course of events in the timeline of House of Ashur, since the most realistic way Ashur could have taken down Spartacus is by stabbing him in the back.
Another theory for the direction of House of Ashur recalls the Gods of the Arena miniseries. In Gods of the Arena, after Spartacus strikes Batiatus with a killing blow in Blood and Sand’s season finale, Batiatus experiences visions depicting events from five years earlier. What if House of Ashur takes a similar route exploring ideas surrounding Ashur’s final moments? What if it plays out as a fever dream he sees before his death? In this scenario, it serves as his fantasy world where he could overcome foes and ascend within Roman society.
The premise of House of Ashur appears far too perfect and idyllic for its character, so it's almost difficult to believe this series isn’t some type of vivid dream world. This remains unconfirmed but is certainly plausible given past storylines within Spartacus. Either way, we will avidly keep our eyes peeled when one of television’s most exciting historical sagas in Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres December 5 on Starz.
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