SPOILER ALERT: This publish comprises spoilers for the complete first season of “These About to Die,” now streaming on Peacock.
Within the underbelly of Rome in Peacock’s swords-and-sandals epic “These About to Die,” you’ll be able to name Tenax (Iwan Rheon) many issues. Bookie, fixer, faction chief, patron saint of orphans. However by the top of the Season 1 finale, he’s assumed yet one more title, whether or not he likes it or not: emperor killer.
All of it goes again to his messy alliance with Domitian (Jojo Macari), the youngest son of the late Emperor Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins), who by no means fairly accepted his older brother Titus (Tom Hughes) succeeding their father on the throne. Along with working the betting den for the Circus Maximus races, Tenax has discovered himself turning into the chief muscle for Domitian’s efforts to disrupt his brother’s reign –– a precarious job Tenax takes in an effort to get Domitian’s approval to start out a brand new faction of charioteers. Tenax needs energy, fortune and respect, and he can get it by hitching his horse to Domitian’s chariot, so to talk.
However within the finale, Titus is made conscious of Domitian’s plans to interrupt imports to Rome, which might trigger chaos amongst its citizenry. After they preside over the bloody and arousing opening day of the Flavian Amphitheatre –– what we now know because the Roman Colosseum, constructed beneath their father’s rule –– Titus drags Domitian out to listen to the proof in opposition to him, a betrayal he says is punishable by dying. What Titus doesn’t know is that Domitian had already instructed Tenax to orchestrate his assassination, a plan that falls aside so spectacularly that Tenax has to kill Titus himself to save lots of his meal ticket Domitian from dealing with the blade.
Whereas Tenax orders quite a lot of deaths over the course of the collection — which was created by Robert Rodat, based mostly on Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 novel — killing the emperor is, appropriately, a rubicon he can by no means uncross.
“For Tenax, it’s enterprise,” Rheon tells Selection. “It’s all the time enterprise. To ensure that him to have the ability to function on this large league that he has stepped into, each selection he makes is life or dying. He’s continually a step away from being killed at any time. So every thing he does is for survival. It’s not that he needs to do this stuff, and he even says it. At no level does he need to kill an emperor, however he’s confronted with no different choices.”
Jojo Macari as Domitian
Courtesy of Reiner Bajo/Peacock
By handing Domitian the crown, although, Tenax is placing Rome on the mercy of a person who gained’t be as sensible and clear-headed about what drives him. This, in spite of everything, is identical man who mere minutes earlier than watched with glee as his former lover was executed. The tactic of execution? He was strapped to the bow of a ship, and fed to crocodiles within the flooded amphitheater, earlier than a cheering viewers. Don’t overlook, Domitian already had his tongue lower out as effectively.
Rheon says Tenax is beneath false assumptions that he might have doomed himself by committing himself to Domitian. However the time has handed for doubts to make a lot of a distinction.
“You see in his eyes, Tenax isn’t certain that is manageable,” Rheon says of his character’s alarm about Domitian. “Primarily, he has created a monster. He has enabled a monster and put him in energy. It’s nearly whether or not he can management him. Can he management him as he managed Scorpus? Scorpus was a drunk, however genius charioteer. Domitian might have him killed in a second.
“I believe Tenax is scared on the finish, as a result of he finds himself able he’s all the time needed to be in, however the penalties of it are horrifying.”
Talking of being scared, the season involves a detailed with Tenax admitting out loud that he fears, not Domitian, however the relationship he has developed with Cala (Sara Martins). Having entered into Tenax’s make use of to save lots of her enslaved youngsters, Cala has by no means pretended her primary motivation was something apart from to deliver her household again house. However her more and more essential position as supervisor of Tenax’s betting enterprise — and their simple chemistry — intertwines these two wayward individuals in methods they didn’t anticipate. Rheon says Cala brings out an nearly child-like vulnerability in Tenax that he long-ago repressed to harden himself whereas residing on the streets.
Sara Martins as Cala
Courtesy of Reiner Bajo/Peacock
“She might be the one one that is trustworthy with him,” he says. “He doesn’t have associates. He’s a loner, a lone wolf. He doesn’t let individuals in, and he’s a brutal individual as a result of he doesn’t need to query himself morally. However right here she is, and having a kind of companion is kind of large for him. Particularly somebody who doesn’t lie, and whose motivations are fully pure. Everyone seems to be taking part in a recreation, however she isn’t.”
Possibly that’s why he’s so damage when Cala doesn’t hesitate in betraying him to save lots of her youngsters, by revealing proof of his half within the plot to assassinate Titus. In the end, the proof by no means makes it to Titus earlier than Tenax finishes the job. However the harm has been achieved. Of their ultimate scene, he tells Cala he ought to kill her for figuring out his emperor-slaying facet hustle, and she or he resolutely meets his risk with a truth he can’t refute –– he wants her to run his companies now that he has his arms full with Domitian. Their simple attraction has turn out to be the season’s will they/gained’t they romance — however because of this spat, it stays unrequited because the credit roll.
“That final scene was a pleasure to do, and Sara is so fantastic,” Rheon says. “However the truth he doesn’t kill her is essential. Another time in his life or anybody else who betrays him, he kills them. Letting individuals reside reveals weak point. However that’s why he says, ‘You terrify me.’ He is aware of he wants her.”
However what does Tenax finally need? He has proven his aptitude for the enterprise of chariot races and bloodsports. He has spies all around the metropolis, lots of them youngsters seeking to him as a father determine. He has additionally confirmed he’s keen to get his personal arms soiled to additional his trigger. However what is that trigger?
“Respect is what he needs,” Rheon says. “He needs this aristocracy to respect him. There’s something in him that wants that, like a father saying, ‘Effectively achieved, son.’”
Iwan Rheon as Tenax
Courtesy of Reiner Bajo/Peacock
That may make sense contemplating Tenax’s childhood-friend-turned-stalker Ursus (Daniel Stisen) revealed Tenax could be the son of the patrician that raised them as slaves and so they later killed to flee. However, Rheon says, much more than the Aristocracy coursing by way of his veins, Tenax’s proximity to energy in Emperor Domitian has him dreaming larger by season’s finish.
“As quickly as he will get to the top of the season, he’s pondering, ‘I may very well be the emperor,’” he says. “And he would in all probability be a improbable emperor, as a result of he is aware of run issues and make robust selections. He’s an clever man who is aware of play the sport. However first issues first, he has to get himself consolidated. Maybe he’s a patrician, which suggests he might stage up a lot simpler. However there may be the minor downside of Domitian. He has to handle him first.”
Can one handle a psychopath who’s excessive on their first true style of untapped energy? Rheon would know higher than most, having performed a model of that because the chillingly unstable Ramsay Bolton on HBO’s “Recreation of Thrones.” One of the vicious and justly despised characters in the entire Seven Kingdoms, Ramsay makes a few of Tenax’s darker deeds appear like the actions of a very good samaritan.
So who would win if the 2 characters Rheon performed have been dropped into the colosseum for a gladiatorial bout? Rheon is placing his cash on the person with the endurance to come back out victorious.
“I believe Tenax wins,” he says with amusing, pondering the chances. “I believe Ramsay would make a mistake. You definitely wouldn’t need to mess with Ramsay in any case, however I believe Tenax has a cool head about him, and, sooner or later, would draw Ramsay in. Ramsay’s simply an fool, actually. He’s a psychopath. He doesn’t have any empathy. However Tenax could be very empathetic, which suggests one thing — even when he doesn’t actually present it.
“It will be a very good combat although.”
