Spartacus: House Of Ashur Stars Discuss Shocking Episode 6 Death

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Be warned, major spoilers follow for Spartacus: House of Ashur episode 6, “Empty Things”! The episode delivered a shocking end to the unexpected relationship between Korris and Opiter, and the actors are now discussing the pivotal death. Graham McTavish, known for his role in Outlander, played Korris, the Doctore assigned to Spartacus’ ludus, tasked with training Tenika Davis’ character, Achillia, to become a gladiator.

Arlo Gibson plays Opiter, a Roman trainer whom Ashur initially sends Korris to with the goal of winning his favor and getting Ashur’s school into larger fighting competitions. Throughout the first season of Spartacus: House of Ashur, Korris and Opiter gradually develop romantic feelings for each other, especially after Cossutia, played by Claudia Black, sends assassins to nearly kill Korris.

The events came to a head in the sixth episode of Spartacus: House of Ashur, titled “Empty Things.” Opiter confessed he was planning to escape Capua because of his role in Viridia’s abduction. Although he first refused, Opiter then offered Ashur ownership of his gladiator school if Korris would accompany him. However, Simon Arblaster’s associate, Proculus, discovered this deal and ordered the Ferox brothers to kill everyone in Opiter’s household before it could be finalized.

I recently chatted with Graham McTavish and Arlo Gibson before the latest Spartacus: House of Ashur episode aired. When I asked Arlo about filming Opiter’s dramatic death scene, he actually laughed! He said he felt incredibly fortunate to play it, revealing that, as a child, his absolute favorite game was… being murdered! It was a surprisingly cheerful admission about playing such a brutal moment.

Arlo Gibson shared that growing up, he often felt defeated, which is why he found it appealing to play a character who pretends to be dead. He praised the set design and the director of that particular episode, as well as his kind co-stars, especially Leigh Gill, who plays Satyrus. They even apologized to him beforehand for having to ‘murder’ his character.

Despite the enjoyable experience, Gibson noted the creative team fully embraced the intensity of the scene, and how unsettling Opiter’s death actually was—feeling it was essential for the story. McTavish even shared that he has a photo of himself and Arlo immediately after filming the gruesome murder, and they were both beaming.

The actor, known for his role in the Spartacus series, explained that despite the graphic violence, filming death scenes is surprisingly enjoyable. He said there’s usually a lot of laughter on set during those moments. Agreeing with a comment made by Gibson, McTavish described filming scenes like the death of his character, Opiter, as ‘enormous fun,’ even though he ended up covered in fake blood.

Arlo Gibson mentioned they were surprised by the number of fake stab wounds used as props – that’s what initially drew them to the project. He was talking about Graham.

Korris Will Be “Haunted Constantly” By Opiter’s Death

ScreenRant predicts Korris will face significant challenges in episode 7, and wonders just how much worse things can get for him.

Graham McTavish believes that a terrible event unlocked something dangerous within Korris, essentially removing any limits on his behavior. While thankfully he hasn’t personally experienced such a traumatic loss, McTavish imagines it would be devastating. Korris already struggles to control his emotions, and this event pushes him over the edge. Only Ashur possesses the ability to calm him down and channel his anger for the benefit of the Ludus. Ashur’s brilliance lies in his ability to find opportunity in any situation—even tragedy. He’d acknowledge someone’s loss, but immediately consider how to use it to their advantage. It’s a manipulative, but effective, way of thinking. Korris, in contrast, is guided by his feelings and biases, making him far less practical.

ScreenRant jokingly asked Arlo if he’d be open to playing a ghost on Spartacus, noting the show has a history of bringing dead characters back as apparitions.

Arlo Gibson jokes that if he could come back as a ghost, he absolutely would. He considers it a fantastic second choice to, well, not being murdered at all, and would happily take any opportunity to haunt someone.

Graham McTavish: Korris is just haunted constantly. Every time he turns around, there Opiter is.

Arlo Gibson: With some grapes and cheese. “Where were you when I needed you?”

Graham McTavish: But the question is, would you need to be in the full blood prosthetic makeup?

Arlo Gibson: Yeah, would I be willing to sacrifice those hours every morning?

Graham McTavish: That wouldn’t be fine. No, he’ll have to clean himself up. He’ll clean up.

As a big fan, I’m really wondering how this defeat will impact Korris. Will it change his approach in the rest of the season, especially heading into the finale? And more importantly, how will this affect his overall journey going forward? It’s tough to see him lose, and I’m curious to see how he bounces back.

That’s a great question. We discussed this before filming, and I think meeting Opiter opened a door in Korris’s life that had been closed for a long time, and he was happy about that. However, recent events have completely shut that door again. It’s hard to say if it will ever reopen, and grief is such a personal experience. We won’t see Korris fully process his grief in the first season, as the timeline doesn’t allow for it. Anything could happen with Korris in future seasons, but Opiter will always hold a special place in his heart as his first love.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Spartacus: House of Ashur coverage with:

  • Nick E. Tarabay & Steven S. DeKnight on ScreenRant‘s Debunking AI series
  • Tarabay & Claudia Black explaining how the new Spartacus series tweaked Roman history to make its story work
  • Jamie Slater on what to expect from Julius Caesar’s role in House of Ashur
  • Graham McTavish on Korris’ surprising romance in Spartacus: House of Ashur
  • DeKnight, Slater, Tarabay and India Shaw-Smith on the season’s explosive back half
  • Tarabay on how the finale’s ending will leave fans wanting Spartacus: House of Ashur season 2
  • DeKnight revealing the other Spartacus character he wants to bring back after Ashur
  • McTavish on Korris’ initial decision to leave Ashur for Opiter
  • McTavish & Gibson on what Korris and Opiter’s future could have been

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2026-01-05 21:21