Should You Try It: Those About to Die on Peacock

It’s getting to be Olympics time, which means we’ll get a break from most regular content. But right there on the Olympics’ streaming home, Peacock, we have a high-profile new scripted series waiting to be binged. But is the show worth your time to check out? Let’s dive in and weigh the evidence!

Series: Those About to Die

Where to Find It: All 10 episodes are streaming on Peacock

What’s It About: The series is based on the book of the same name from Daniel P. Mannix. It’s set in the Roman Empire during the time the Roman Coliseum was built. The series, which sets up as an epic in the tradition of Game of Thrones, follows three distinct stories and all its sub-plots. The first is the Emperor, Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins), who is nearing the end of his life. As he builds his legacy, his sons (Tom Hughes and Jojo Macri) are fighting for the right to take his place when he passes.

At the same time, a big project for Vespasian is building the Coliseum and changing the nature of the games. This works well for Tenax (Iwan Rheon), a criminal who runs the gambling enterprise associated with the games. He dreams of forming his own competitive team and moving into a more legitimate position, seeing the Emperor’s new initiative.

Finally, we have Cala (Sara Martins), a Numidian trader whose daughters and son are seized by the Romans and brought to Rome to be sold into slavery. She travels to Rome in the hopes she can buy their freedom, which puts her in the path of the powerful people jockeying for power in the capital.

You Should Try It If: You’re a fan of period pieces, a fan of gladiator action, or a fan of edgy dramatic series.

One Man’s Opinion of Those About to Die

It makes sense that Peacock would invest in this kind of high-profile, edgy series. Every network wants something in the style of Game of Thrones, which captured audiences and set a template. And we’ve seen various networks and services invest in stories that hit that same kind of feel. That’s the case with Those About to Die, which is based on a book and has a strong look. You can see the investment of money on the screen in the sets and effects, and in the high-profile cast. Many, chief among them Hopkins, Rheon, and Hughes, have had starring roles in other big projects. All that is promising.

I was excited to check out the series, especially because of Hopkins. But, unfortunately, the story construction in the early episodes is difficult and it makes the show somewhat difficult to follow. The stories and characters are sprawling, but their connections and aims aren’t always clear. The series is constantly dropping locations before scenes but for those unfamiliar with the geography of the Roman Empire, it doesn’t always make sense. Nor do the goals and aims of the some of the characters. There are also so many characters that it can be hard to keep them straight.

But the biggest knock for me is that the first two episodes I sampled were dull. There wasn’t enough of a hook with the stories and characters to make me excited about investing 10 hours in the world. It’s a big swing for Peacock, and one that will likely attract more viewers thanks to the Olympics. But the end product doesn’t deliver on the promise of the premise.