It's very early morning in Rome. Outside the house of the Junii, the slaves are dousing the torches for the day in the watery dawn light. Inside, Servilia is sitting and holding the snazzy new death mask of the son she finally managed to get killed. Good likeness, and I agree with the decision to depict Brutus with his mouth closed. The dozen or so other death masks on the wall behind her, backlit by burning candles, don't seem too sympathetic. "Whatever. Tell us all about it,'" they silently appear to say. Weeping, Servilia turns the mask around and puts it over her own face. That seems like all manner of bad juju even to me, and the alarmed reaction of Servilia's head slave quickly confirms it for me as she pries the mask out of the bereaved woman's fingers and sets it on a stand. The slave suggests that Servilia lie down and have some willow water to help her sleep. "No...more...sleeeeeep," Servilia groans through gritted teeth, and collapses into further tears. Seems a little early in the episode to be promising something like that.

Also crying? Jocasta, who's looking quite a bit fancier than she was the last time we saw her. Not a great deal happier, though. As servants fuss over Jocasta's jacked-up hair and dress, Octavia tells her friend that she can't cry at her own wedding. Jocasta's getting married? Jocasta is trying very hard to keep her shit together, and seeing her distorted reflection in a primitive mirror doesn't appear to help much. Maybe she just needs some drugs. Julii Cooper doesn't help matters either, as she sweeps in to give Jocasta a hard time about not ruining the marriage that Julii Cooper went to so much trouble to arrange. Yes, I'm sure Julii Cooper really went out of her way. Poor Jocasta has to snuffle that she's grateful, but that she always imagined marrying someone different. Julii Cooper dries Jocasta's tears as she assures her that whoever she's marrying "will make a lovely husband." I wonder if it's anyone we know?

It is. In fact, the lucky guy is none other than Posca. I know Julii Cooper must have been in a hurry to get the poor girl out of her house, but I had no idea she disliked Posca so much. Or else she just snagged the next single man she laid eyes on the minute Jocasta crashed on her floor. Furthermore, Julii Cooper's hosting the wedding in her stableyard, among the horseshit and chickens. Posca's vow goes, "When and where you are Gaia, then and there, I am Gaius." Jocasta returns the sentiment, but with opposite genders, and then the officiating augur begins reciting Latin. While this is going on, Julii Cooper turns to Mark Antony -- who's stealing a salacious wink at a cute slave girl across the yard -- and quietly makes some unsubtle remark about how this makes her think about marriage. Pretty far out on a limb there, but of course she's referring yet again to how tired she is of not being married to Antony yet. She suggests that they could even do it right now, with the priest here, but Antony puts it off, promising her a grand wedding some other time. Smooth like a beer commercial, that guy. And then, as soon as Julii Cooper's not looking, he rolls his eyes and sighs heavily. The moment is interrupted when a loud voice from without begins chanting, "Atia of the Julii, I call for justice...Atia of the Julii, I call for justice..." ad infinitum. Well, If someone is asking her for justice, how can Julii Cooper possibly refuse? With the wedding still going on, Julii Cooper takes her leave as discreetly as possible.