# Domina (2021)

> A naive young woman, left exposed after Julius Caesar's assassination, learns the brutal rules of Roman politics and rises to become one of the most powerful women in Rome.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/89159

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Simon Burke
- Network: Sky Atlantic
- Cast: Kasia Smutniak, Matthew McNulty, Liam Cunningham, Darrell D'Silva, Alex Lanipekun, Benjamin Isaac, Joelle, Mia Jenkins
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11694186/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sweeping, sensual, menacing, intense, dramatic

## What critics say

Critics broadly appreciate Domina's lavish Roman setting and ambitious political intrigue, though they note historical liberties.

## Synopsis

Domina is a British historical drama created by Simon Burke for Sky Atlantic, following Livia Drusilla, played by Kasia Smutniak, through the turbulent years after Julius Caesar's assassination. Her world collapses when she is thrust into the imperial household, and she must master the cruel rules of Roman politics to survive. Matthew McNulty and Liam Cunningham appear among the figures entangled in shifting alliances, marriages, and rivalries. Each episode builds through conspiracies and family feuds, with Livia's ambition pressing against a senate and court that would rather see her fail. The series is one continuing story rather than a case-of-the-week format. Its tone is sweeping and sensual, blending courtly menace with raw political bloodshed in a lush ancient Rome. Viewers drawn to I, Claudius or Rome will recognize its portrait of power won through patience and cruelty. The show ended before its story was complete, leaving its central arc open and its final fate of its heroine unresolved.

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