HBO’s Greatest 2-Part Epic Series Is Better Than 'Game of Thrones'

Nairavoice | Oct 31, 2026 1h ago 42 0 9 min read

HBO’s Greatest 2-Part Epic Series Is Better Than 'Game of Thrones'

Julio is a Senior Author for Collider. He studied History and International Relations at university, but found his calling in cultural journalism. When he isn’t writing, Julio also teaches English at a nearby school. He has lived in São Paulo most of his life, where he covers CCXP and other big events. Having loved movies, music, and TV from an early age, he prides himself in knowing every minute detail about the things he loves. When he is older, he dreams of owning a movie theater in a small countryside town.

It’s been nearly a decade since Game of Thrones ended, and there hasn’t really been another show like it since. House of the Dragon has helped a little, but considering it will be a long time before the final season of the prequel premieres, finding a binge-worthy show at that high a level of quality feels impossible — unless, instead of Westeros, it’s the Roman Empire you think about every day. Before Game of Thrones, HBO had another big-budget series of epic proportions: Rome. With only two seasons and rooted in the actual history of the last days of the Roman Republic, it’s the perfect answer for anyone looking for a new show to binge, as both series share most of what viewers like to see nowadays, including great acting, intrigue, and power struggles. No dragons, though.

‘Rome’ Tells the Story of the Rise of the Roman Empire After the Fall of the Republic

While history buffs certainly love it, Rome is the kind of series that appeals to a much wider audience, just like Game of Thrones did with fantasy. That’s because, although it is based on historical events, the political intrigue and personal confrontations are equally important to the series, making it an enticing watch even for those who already know what happens. Characters like Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), Pompey (Kenneth Cranham), and Brutus (Tobias Menzies) are key players, but the best happens away from them.

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
You’d find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world’s beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
Tolkien’s universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what’s right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
Harry Potter’s universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don’t confuse the world as it is with the world as you’d like it to be.
Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
The Federation is the universe’s most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
You don’t just hope that’s possible. You think it’s the only thing worth working toward.

The actual protagonists are Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), two grunts from Caesar’s legions who feel a lot like the two peasants in The Hidden Fortress at first. Always bickering, they stumble upon important roles in the fateful civil war between Caesar and Pompey and rise to a prominence neither really wanted. One of Rome‘s strong suits is its portrayal of the plebs and populace in those days, and Vorenus and Pullo are the best examples.

As interesting as they are, though, scheming isn’t what they’re about. In that sense, Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker) and Servilia of the Junii (Lindsay Duncan) owe nothing to characters like Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). Both connected to Caesar as his niece and former lover, respectively, they each move mountains to protect their families and political positions. Their respective sons, Octavian (Max Pikris/Simon Woods) and Brutus, benefit greatly and also end up playing important parts in the fate of Rome.