I want you to take Germany.
I command the army of the Rhine.
Instead of leading it into Germany,
I lead it into Rome.
Give this to my brother. It's important.
My brother's hand only.
[Gaius] It's an exact copy?
[Vistilius] I gave the original to Tiberius.
Can't break the code without the key.
[Livia] Write back.
You want me to tell him I support Stepfather.
What choice do we have?
[Julia] Agrippa?
Oh, my love.
[Tiberius] It'll be me who has to marry Julia.
He'll give her to someone who-- who he doesn't fear at all.
Your mother told you about the wedding?
Thank you. It's a great honor.
I don't want to get married again.
[Iullus] I love her.
I can't remember a time when I didn't.
Julia.
Gracchus. [laughs]
[Livia] Sorry about Marcellus, Gaius.
I really am.
I had no choice.
[Gaius] I never cared that she killed Marcellus.
I care that she got caught.
[Antonina] Mother, your difficulty
with Livia must be resolved.
Her difficulty with Livia, as you put it,
was my brother's murder.
And unlike you, I'm not about to forgive or forget.
If you want any kind of power in this city,
you'll need to get rid of Livia.
[Domitius] I just found out.
It wasn't Agrippa that had your brother killed.
It was Livia.
The wife of Augustus.
[birds calling]
[animal howls]
Father.
Thank you, Germanicus.
[man 1 shouting indistinctly]
[man 2] Ballomar, he's over there.
They've found us. It's all over now.
[man speaks indistinctly]
[Ballomar] Germanicus.
Ballomar!
[both laugh]
[Ballomar] Hello!
Your wife, Lord.
Drusus!
Drusus, I've had most of the Eighth out
for the past four days searching the forests.
We went...
We went on a hunting trip.
Without telling me or anyone?
Drusus...
My love, we need to leave today.
Fuck. The wedding. [laughs]
I completely forgot.
Come on, Germanicus. We're off to Rome.
Poor Uncle Tiberius is getting married again.
Where the fuck have you been?
We've been hanging around here waiting like fucking slaves.
All right, all right.
Dickhead.
Since the joyful day is tomorrow,
I assume you've both read the final draft agreement?
So, for the duration of the marriage,
the bride will remain the property of her father,
and not her husband.
Subsequent to but also
including the day of the wedding,
both parties agree to forego all and any sexual relations.
Said marriage, consequently, will remain
without pregnancy or issue.
Both parties agree to grant the other
complete freedom and independence,
outside the performance of normal social and public duties.
The bride will receive a yearly allowance of 100,000 sesterces,
and in return agrees at all times
to abide by accepted standards of social behavior.
I still don't see why we have
to have that stupid morality clause.
We accept.
For obvious reasons, this document has no legal validity,
but I take it both parties now finally agree.
To the happy couple.
[birds chirping]
[scoffs]
This wedding's really cheered you up.
Well, they hate each other.
They'll live separate lives. Many couples do.
Julia's unstable. So is he.
Aren't you at least happy to have Drusus back?
Drusus is more unstable than they are.
He's done well in Germany. Even you can't complain.
Shitty swamp. Pointless war.
Mm, how wrong I was.
But it's still the best place to make your name.
-And your grave. -Come on.
You could have got your husband to recall him,
if you wanted to.
[exhales deeply]
Soon.
But for now, it's safer to keep Drusus and Gaius apart.
Especially now.
What?
Octavia's dying.
Shit.
How long's she got?
First Agrippa, now Octavia.
-She never liked you. -Mm.
No, but her death will leave Gaius isolated,
and that's not good.
So, what you're telling me, in fact, is that
this is a critical moment in everything,
which requires calm and stability, but instead--
What could go wrong?
[exhales]
Don't worry.
We'll be there to keep an eye on things.
[Domitius] She's still at Piso's.
I know where fucking Livia is.
My men have been camped out there for days, waiting.
She's leaving before dawn tomorrow.
She has to, or she won't make the wedding.
Tycho's gone to escort her back
with just four bodyguards.
[laughs] Is that all?
Those woods are full of ruthless outlaws.
Tomorrow, you're killing the wife of Augustus.
You can laugh when she's dead.
[theme music playing]
[giggling]
[Tycho] Come on, Ursa. We're late.
Sun's already up.
Mm, but oh, look.
Livia's keeping us waiting.
Oh, what a surprise.
[indistinct conversation]
[tense music playing]
[hunter] They're on the move.
Let's go.
[horse whinnies]
How are you?
Will you not come?
Even to the ceremony?
[Octavia] Hmm.
[sighs]
[whispering] Gaius, I want you to come back...
here tonight, after the wedding.
There's something important I want to ask you.
I'm here now. What is it?
Enjoy the day and just promise to come back and see me later.
Swear.
I swear.
[crying]
Well?
Julia! Julia, come on! Time to get up.
You're getting married today!
Go away. Let me sleep. Ugh.
What the fuck?
This can't go on.
You need to pull yourself together.
No.
I'm not doing this without a drink.
You don't do anything without a drink.
Your affair with Gracchus is the scandal of Rome.
It's a miracle your father hasn't heard about it.
Even I heard about it,
and I live in a forest in fucking Germany.
And if anyone ever finds out where you met him--
What? Huh? Why? Where did she meet him?
Look, Julia, just try to see your marriage
to Tiberius as a fresh start.
Oh.
A fresh start, you say?
I am sick,
sick of being bought and sold and bulled
like a farmyard heifer. I mean, aren't you?
That's the game, and everyone has to play it.
Listen, Julia.
You need to be very, very careful with Tiberius.
There's a side of him you don't ever want to see.
Well, here's a surprise for you, Antonina,
there is no side of Tiberius that I everwant to see.
"A fresh start"?
Seriously?
For fuck's sake.
"That's the game and everyone has to play it."
What did you expect, really?
All right, fine. So, this is the new plan.
We just have to get her through today,
keep her away from Gracchus and Tiberius and the wine
and her father and Iullus.
[sighs]
[clears throat]
Hey, Tiberius. How's it going?
"How's it going"?
Well, my beautiful, fragile wife has been married off
to that venal twat, Gallus, and while he mounts,
enters, and defiles my beautiful, fragile wife,
I'm getting a spiteful drunk that I can't divorce
or even abuse for my own entertainment,
because she's the daughter of a psychopathic tyrant.
So, I don't know, Iullus, how do you think it's going?
Yeah.
[Tiberius grunts]
How about you? Are you all right to officiate?
Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Julia and I finished a long time ago.
It's--It's nothing to me whom she marries or sleeps with,
although I don't...
get why women find Gracchus attractive. [laughs]
Anyway, I'm, uh, I'm over it, of course.
Gallus and Vipsania are obviously invited.
We need to keep Tiberius away from both of them...
and Julia... and Mother.
Nobody wants bad Tiberius gatecrashing the party.
[birds chirping]
[Ursa] Does the water go all the way to the sea?
Yes. From all the rivers and falls around here.
It goes to Rome first, though.
Only polite.
Come on. We're late.
[horse whinnies]
You.
I'm fed up with you sulking in bed
and feeling sorry for yourself.
Drusus isn't right.
I mean, most of the time he is, and then suddenly he isn't.
Mm. Bad Drusus.
No, he isn't bad. He's just impulsive.
With the wrong people and at the wrong time,
impulsive can be very dangerous.
That's why it's bad Drusus.
And he's never gotten over that slut, Gemina.
He told you that?
He talks in his sleep. You know that.
What else does he talk about...
in his sleep?
Oh. Mother's little disciple.
[scoffs]
I prefer your contempt to your self-pity.
You're right, Antonina.
We need to keep Drusus away from Stepfather.
And we have to get him recalled from Germany.
There's a darkness there, in the forests.
Something... other.
It's consuming him.
I feel it, too.
[Vistilius] Augustus. I hope I find you well.
Allow me to present the General's formal report
and the statement of accounts from the Rhine Army.
What's the informal report?
It's a brutal war of attrition.
And it's taking its toll on everyone, including Drusus.
He takes great risks, leads from the front.
His wife is worried sick, wants to have him recalled.
But his men adore him. They'll follow him anywhere.
I need to decipher his letters.
Bring me the key.
I never forget my friends.
Get him to play dice with you.
It'll distract him while I look.
[dramatic music plays]
[Piso] Yeah, I do love a good wedding--
the plotting and the bitching and the fighting.
I remember my first one.
You wanted to butcher Gaius and Agrippa at the dinner.
[laughs] What, did your father tell you that?
No, I was snooping outside while you argued.
[horse whinnies]
"It's practically a tradition," you said.
[laughs] Well, it was.
But, obviously, I would've waited until after dessert.
Killing those two back then
would've solved a lot of problems.
Made a lot of new ones.
Livia, get down!
[Musca] Get the woman! Kill the rest!
Go! Go, Livia!
Ursa!
[Musca] Stop those fucking horses!
Get her!
Aah!
[yells]
[Tycho] Piso!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Leave it!
Leave it, leave it, leave it. It's better.
[breathing heavily]
Just go, Tycho.
I'm done for.
Go on, fuck off!
Fucking go and find Livia!
Promise me, promise me.
[breathing heavily]
I'll be back.
Ah! [gasping]
They've ditched their fucking horses.
Right, fan out, and use the horns,
once to give your position, twice means you see them.
But remember, I want her alive at first.
-[dress ripping] -[Ursa] No, no, no!
[Livia] We have to run!
[Ursa] Oh...
[Livia] Do the same to me. Do it!
[Ursa grunts]
Where are we?
If we get lost up here, we'll never find our way out.
Water! The stream will lead to a river.
Yeah, and the river runs to Rome.
[horn bellowing in distance]
Run!
[horn continues bellowing]
[horn bellows loudly]
[tense music plays]
[panting]
Hi.
Nice mask.
[breathing heavily]
[heavy breathing stops]
[indistinct chatter]
Do you think something bad's happened?
No. Your mother's late.
She's always late. She's Livia.
We can't keep the guests waiting any longer.
Where the fuck is she?
I don't know, Drusus.
Perhaps she's off uniting my Balkan legions
with your Rhine Army in order to overthrow Augustus.
All right, that was just a suggestion.
Trying to be helpful.
[Gallus] Tiberius.
Drusus.
Gallus. Vipsania.
I'm sorry I missed your wedding.
Mm, I wish I had.
But of course, you were off in Germany,
covering yourself in glory.
That's right, I was.
I was hoping to run for Consul next year,
but now I understand you are.
[Drusus] I'm afraid so.
Well, obviously I needn't bother.
No. That's right.
[both laugh]
See you inside.
Come on!
[pounds wall]
Stop it.
Come on. I'll be next to you the whole time.
It's gonna be fine.
-No, it isn't. -Yes, it is.
No, it isn't.
Well, maybe it isn't.
Augustus.
Livia's missing.
Take a cohort. Search the roads between here and Piso's estates.
Call my daughter.
Father.
[sighs]
Perhaps Tiberius isn't everybody's idea of a husband.
I wouldn't say that.
Are you ready?
[drum music plays]
[indistinct chatter]
[man] A fine union.
Gracchus... is your wife not here?
She went into labor... last night.
Never mind, Domitius.
I can wait for Julia.
I can't see this chariot crash lasting.
Well, let's just enjoy it while we can.
I've never seen Julia so miserable.
Tiberius. Are you ready?
Julia, will you marry now?
Then I congratulate you both.
[crowd shouts]
Make the sacrifice.
[goat bleats]
[cheers and applause continue]
[Scribonia] Livia didn't even turn up.
And everyone was probably hoping that it'd get
postponed or canceled,
but Gaius made them go ahead without her.
[Octavia speaks softly] No.
And so it's done.
They're married. [laughs]
Perhaps it won't end up being
the poisonous catastrophe we're all expecting.
[Octavia laughs]
Oh, I doubt that.
I'm sorry I shall miss it. [chuckles]
The constant malice and recriminations,
the cruelty that so brighten this family daily.
[both laugh]
Honestly, one quite looks forward to
wandering the wastelands of the underworld for eternity.
[groans weakly]
[inhales sharply]
I should get back to the wedding.
No.
Please don't go.
Don't leave me. I don't...
I don't want to be alone.
Yes, of course. [grunts]
[indistinct chatter]
Where have you been? Germanicus had a fit.
I'm surprised you didn't hear it.
Is Livia here yet?
Where's Scribonia?
I don't know, but we don't need them.
It's all going pretty well.
Where's Julia?
You were supposed to stay with her.
She was right there just now. Can you see Gracchus anywhere?
No. Okay, you check the backrooms.
I'll see if the boys have seen her.
I'm the older sister, I say what we do.
Well, what shall we do then?
-All right. -Mm.
Hey, have you seen Julia or Gracchus anywhere?
Gracchus is with Gallus and Vistilius.
Well, he was a moment ago.
Oh, here comes the dice board!
No.
Tiberius. Where's fucking Tiberius?
He must've gone.
"He must've gone"? What?
[Gaius] Come on!
Who's going to help me pay for the wedding?
-Or my new beach house. -[laughter]
He said he'd keep an eye on him. The gods, Iullus.
You need to stop Drusus playing fucking dice!
-Look, you don't wanna do this. -Yes, I do.
Come on, Iullus, get your silver out.
You're always unlucky.
Let's go for a walk.
What's the maximum bet?
[Antonina] Drusus, darling, may I speak to you for a moment?
Sorry, I have to plunder Augustus's treasury
to pay for our new beach house.
You wish.
It's really urgent.
I'm sure it can wait, Antonina.
Vistilius, help Iullus keep a lid on Drusus.
You know what he's like when he starts gambling.
I do.
Julia's not in the back house.
The spare rooms.
[indistinct conversations, laughter]
[tense music plays]
[Antonina] Excuse me, excuse me. Sorry, sorry.
♪♪♪
[Julia and Gracchus moaning]
[Antonina] Julia, what are you doing?
What the fuck, Julia?
[Julia] Just go, both of you, go, now!
[Antonina] How dare you, Gracchus?!
[Gracchus screams]
This was bad enough when she was just a widow,
but she is the wife of Tiberius, and it's your wedding day.
I know. It's perfect. I just couldn't resist.
What?
What the fuck do you want?
-[Iullus grunts] -[Julia] Iullus!
[Antonia] Iullus! Enough! Stop it!
[Gracchus] Get off!
[Julia] Iullus, please!
-[Iullus grunts] -[Julia screams, thuds]
[Antonia] Julia! Iullus!
[Antonina] She's out cold.
Go, we'll look after her.
-I'll remember this. -You'll forget this now,
unless you want your wife and my uncle to hear about it.
You idiot, Iullus! Why are you even here?
I left you with Drusus!
Vistilius is there. He knows what to do.
[Iullus grunts]
All right, so now things are not going pretty well anymore,
and we need Livia.
Listen, Ursa.
Okay, I want you to follow the river down on your own.
Keep going until you find help.
What are you gonna do?
I'll wait here a while, then follow.
The hunters are not after us. They're after me.
Why? Who are they?
If you stay with me, you're in danger.
On your own, you're safe.
But I don't care. We're sticking together.
No! You do what I say!
Everyone does. That's how it works.
Well, I'm not leaving you here on your own, so there.
Run!
[tense music playing]
-[horn bellowing] -Come on!
[horn bellowing]
-[Livia] Come on! Jump! -[Ursa] I can't!
[Livia] Come on!
[Ursa screams]
[hunter] Shut up!
Cut the girl's throat!
Then use the horn to call everyone here.
No!
[grunts]
Argh!
[horn bellowing]
Time to go.
[breathing heavily]
[horn bellowing]
Fuck, it's a dead end!
Shit!
[crowd murmuring]
Bad luck, Drusus!
A Roman never gives up.
Where's Vistilius?
He slipped off a while ago with Scipio's wife, Polilla.
Drusus has dropped an absolute fortune, Antonina.
Put that new beach house on hold.
Drusus!
Let's raise the maximum,
otherwise, I'll never get my winnings back.
They're not winnings if you lost them, technically.
What are you thinking? 500 a throw?
[all gasp and laugh]
Let's do 10,000.
[all gasp]
Drusus!
You're not some stupid kid anymore.
You're the general of the Rhine Army!
Antonina.
Don't ever, ever
talk to your husband like that in public again.
[crowd murmuring]
What's wrong, Stepfather?
You're not scared of losing, are you?
What's mine is yours. You know that.
Armies, money, women.
Your throw.
[whispers] Come on.
[all cheering]
We need to find Tiberius.
Vipsania's not here either.
[tense music plays]
[horn bellowing]
[Tycho] It's an old silver mine.
Tycho, what happened to Piso?
He was alive when I left him.
[sighs]
He told me to look after you.
[horn continues bellowing in distance]
Thank you. Thank you, Tycho.
[Antonia] I was sure they'd be here.
[clatter, thud in distance]
[lowered voice] There's someone in my bedroom.
Vistilius!
Oh. Polilla.
Antonia. Antonina.
What are you doing in our room?
I did ask Drusus if he minded.
I left you there to look after him.
Yes, but he... Uh...
We should go.
Your underwear.
My regards to your husband.
What?
I don't know. Nothing.
[lid closes]
[child's laughter in distance]
[child giggling and babbling]
Gallus won't let her see her son anymore.
Tiberius, wake up.
It's Drusus.
[dice roll, crowd gasps]
Drusus, you have the heart of a wolf, and I love you.
But that wolf has lost an unbelievable amount of money
in a very short space of time.
You're right. He has.
But the darkest hour's just before the dawn.
-No, it isn't. -Yes, it is.
Stepfather, may--may I speak to you?
It's fine. Enough dice now.
[crowd groans]
Oh, come on! Just one more.
One more throw.
-All or nothing. -[dice clatter]
-[crowd gasps] -Oh, no.
If I roll a double, any double, we're even.
Even?
Those odds are not great, Drusus.
-Six to one. -But if I don't throw a double,
I will give you six times what I've already lost.
[all murmuring indistinctly]
Be clear. Be very clear.
If you lose this bet, it will bankrupt you,
and I will take everything you have
and not think twice about it ever again.
[crowd continues murmuring]
Neither will I, Stepfather.
I can promise you that.
Is this how you lead my legions?
I've had no complaints.
[tense music playing]
[dice rattling]
[dice clatter]
[cheers and applause]
Unbelievable.
[laughs]
This is the key to his private code.
I copied it and put the original back.
I just wanted to ask,
is there any news of Livia?
Strabo will find her.
I'm sure everything's fine.
What?
What do you mean, what?
If you've got something to say, just say it.
I was thinking about my daughter...
and this.
All this is because we killed that Vestal.
[scoffs] We didn't kill her.
I walled her up and left her to die in the dark
because you asked me to.
And we're paying for it.
The gods don't care about you. It's me they want.
Oh, and yet here I am.
[horn bellowing in distance]
They're getting further away. We should leave.
Antigone told me what you were really doing...
with the boys.
Getting them to restore the Republic--
a secret you never trusted me with.
[whispers] That secret can get you killed.
I have the right to be the judge of that!
I killed the Spaniard with my bare fucking hands!
I earned your trust!
-I set you free! -Yeah, to do your dirty work!
Well, I release you from your dirty work.
[scoffs]
Go. Go! We're done.
I say when we're done!
I might die today, and I might die for you,
so you're gonna shut up and listen to one more thing.
That night after Agrippa's funeral,
when you had that nightmare where you couldn't breathe.
It wasn't a nightmare.
It was Tiberius.
Your son had a pillow jammed over your face.
When I turned up, you'd stopped breathing,
and if I hadn't dragged him off, you'd be dead.
And Vipsania just... watched.
Anything else?
Yes. You're making a mistake.
The Republic sucked.
It was corrupt, and nothing worked!
We are much better off with a dictator like Augustus,
and so is Rome.
[horn bellows loudly]
[hunter groans]
Run!
[horn bellowing]
-[Ursa screams] -Ursa.
Wait, wait. Where's Livia?!
Oh, oh, no.
What?
She's leading them away... from us.
[panting]
[intense music plays]
[horn bellowing]
♪♪♪
[horn continues bellowing]
♪♪♪
-[hunter] She's here! -There she is!
Tycho. Tycho!
[Tycho] Oh, gods!
Livia. Recognize me, lady?
Oh, you knew my brothers, though.
Varica and Vilbia.
And I hear it was you who got Vilbia killed.
Not interested, no?
Well, I was very fond of Vilbia.
So, in a bit, I'm gonna cut your guts out while you watch.
Perhaps that might get your aristocratic attention.
But first, we're gonna fuck you.
All of us.
[hunters laughing]
[under breath] Fuck.
Uh... nah.
I'm the daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus.
I never get fucked.
[hunter] What's she doing?
No!
[Tycho] No!
[sighs]
Fuck!
[Julia groans softly]
I have a truly astounding headache.
Julia, you're killing yourself.
Yes.
Why is it taking so long?
[gasping]
[coughs]
[Ursa] There she is! Livia!
Wait.
Late again?
You were wrong about the Republic!
Well, we'll see, won't we?
[horse whinnies in distance]
[soldier] There they are! It's them.
-[whinnies] -Centurion!
Thank the gods.
[soldier] Centurion!
She's alive!
Lady.
[Livia] Did you find Piso?
We've taken him to Rome.
Livia's still not here.
Actually, you know what? We did all right without her.
We made sure Julia didn't drink too much,
and we kept her out of trouble.
More or less.
Apart from Gracchus.
And we totally shut him up.
And although Drusus made an absolute ass of himself,
even that turned out all right in the end.
-We deserve a drink. -We do.
[tense music plays]
It's done.
-You're sure? -I'm sure.
Don't forget your promises.
I never forget anything.
[indistinct chatter]
Everything all right?
It will be.
Just tying up some loose ends.
[both grunt]
[Drusus] Tiberius, I know you won't agree with me,
and Mother never will,
but now is the time to act.
If I bring my legions to Rome
and you bring yours from the Balkans,
Stepfather will have to cede power.
We will make him a living God, which is what he wants,
and cover him in honors for a happy old age.
If we act together, we can restore the Republic
without bloodshed or war.
But I cannot do it alone.
It will take both of us together.
An overwhelming show of force.
Think this over.
Give me your answer.
And don't tell Mother or Piso.
Stepfather. People are leaving.
Thank you. [laughs]
Drusus.
Did you give Vistilius permission
to fornicate in our bedroom?
Yes.
No? Possibly. Who can remember?
I love you.
The slaves can change the sheets.
You're gonna have to do better than that.
[intriguing music plays]
It's all over.
Mm.
So I see.
Fabulous dress, Mother.
What did I miss?
Tiberius was brilliant.
We totally got away with it.
I assume there's a sensible explanation for all this.
Bandits.
Our escort was wiped out, and Piso badly wounded.
But for now he's alive.
You should not have looked so shocked
to see Livia alive, my dear.
Hopefully no one else noticed.
Piso.
Hey, you left me to die.
[both laugh]
And?
Tycho, you left me to fucking die, too.
[Tycho] Good to see you.
Who were they?
Musca and his friends.
Vilbia's brother.
Someone's been talking about Livia.
That could only have come from inside the family.
They were very well informed.
There will be a reckoning... with all of them.
But not yet.
[dishes break in distance]
[Julia] Oh, fuck!
[Julia laughs]
[broken shards clattering, door opens]
[door closes]
What do youwant?
This is my room, you weirdo cocksucker.
Get the fuck out.
I have a very serious headache.
What the fuck, Tiberius?
Tiberius!
What the fuck are you doing, you fucker?
He's not here.
[door opens]
So, what did I really miss?
You need to get Drusus recalled from Germany.
Your mother wants to see Gaius. Do you know why?
No.
We'll talk tomorrow.
[breathing heavily]
[whispering] I thought you wouldn't come.
I'll always come.
I will leave you soon.
Before I go...
I must ask you something.
Anything.
In return for my son's life,
I want you to take the life of one of Livia's.
Just one, either one.
Tiberius or Drusus...
...as a matter of family honor.
I need you to settle this account for me...
...as now, I cannot.
[theme music plays]