Rome's Most Bonkers Emperor: Nero with Rachel Bloom | 46

The Big Flop

Wondery

Society & Culture, Comedy, Business

4.6 • 884 Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How much do you think about the Roman Empire? Emperor Nero’s answer would have been “not that much.” At just 16 years old, Nero starts his reign off with a bang, throwing lavish festivals for the plebs and giving himself headlining gigs as an aspiring singer-songwriter. But thanks to a power-hungry mom, some heated rivalries, and a whole lot of sex with people who are not his wife, Nero goes down in actual flames.

Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) joins Misha to tell the epic tale of how Nero's legacy went up in smoke.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to the Big Flop early and ad-free.
0:05.3	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:19.7	It's the first century AD.
0:23.0	The villainous Lecusta sits in her dingy cell scheming a way out.
0:29.0	She's a notorious poisoner, a mistress of doom, famous throughout the ancient Roman world for her craft.
0:37.7	But she's been languishing in lockdown, a caged animal, perhaps now facing death herself.
0:44.9	Although, it's been like forever since her arrest.
0:49.2	What gives?
0:50.3	Why is she still alive?
0:52.9	But then, she hears clanking and footsteps.
0:56.2	Two sets of footsteps.
0:57.8	Who could it be?
0:59.3	She sees a guard.
1:00.7	And it's the Roman Emperor Nero?
1:05.4	She hasn't seen him in a year, not since she poisoned his father, Emperor Claudius. That was his overbearing
1:12.5	mother, Acropina's idea. Is Emperor Nero here to finally punish La Custa for his father's assassination?
1:20.8	Nah, he wouldn't bother. He'd send somebody else. As it turns out, he needs La Custosta's very particular set of skills. He wants his brother
1:31.2	dead. Finally, La Costa can sleep well tonight. With Nero calling the shots, ordering the murders
1:38.9	of rivals and family members at the drop of a hat, she'll be in the game for a long time.
1:49.0	But, she can't help think.
1:51.8	The emperor's got a weird vibe, like a skeevy musician or something.
1:57.2	What's this guy's deal? He's young and intelligent, but impulsive.
	...

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