"The amphitheatre's no place for a woman" - so smarms the subject of this week's Atlantis, smug Prince Telemon (Clive Standen), but if its latest episode is anything to go by, there's little room for women anywhere in this series.
It was disappointing to see how frequently the BBC One fantasy drama sidelined its female characters last year - they were rarely at the centre of the action and frequently absent altogether.
Heading into this 'new and improved' second run, we were promised that the women of Atlantis would be "very much at the forefront" of the new episodes and the opening two-parter showed promise in elevating Ariadne (Aiysha Hart) to the throne and recasting Pasiphae (Sarah Parish) as a ruthless warlord.
But this week, Pasiphae is entirely absent, as for that matter is her niece Medea - and an intriguing new character, the formidable Aretro (Lashana Lynch), is killed off after a few meagre scenes.
In her brief time on screen, I'd found myself hoping Aretro might recur on Atlantis - the show could do with a girl who's every bit as physically capable as the boys - but it was not to be.
Queen Ariadne is at least afforded ample screentime, but in the final analysis, the character is positioned as a prize for two men to fight over.
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Newly-crowned, the monarch must select a champion for her Coronation Games and Vincent Regan's Dion (an unflinchingly noble and trustworthy aide to the Queen who has to be hiding something, right?) nominates "the finest swordsman in Atlantis" - our Jason.
Now there's more than honour at stake, with Jason (Jack Donnelly) battling for Ariadne's heart against Telemon - a prince from a foreign land whom Pythagoras (Robert Emms) suspects may not be all he appears.
His humble beginnings are no longer the only obstacle to Jason's happiness as the handsome Telemon fancies himself a suitor for the Queen, who - presiding over a weakened city - is desperate for allies.
Telemon's also quite dishy, so that doesn't hurt.
Though it wasn't exactly Spartacus, this series' opening two-parter took advantage of a later timeslot to incorporate more visceral action sequences.
'Telemon' is decidedly bloodless by comparison, but there's a little grit in the inventive fight choreography and some rapid-fire editing makes these scenes a compelling watch.
Rather predictably, Jason's final bout is against his love rival, who's now aware of his opponent's relationship with the Queen and so attempts a stealth execution under the guise of a fair fight.
But credit where it's due - 'Telemon' does end in a place I didn't predict, as Jason wins the tournament, but his foe - instead of meeting a sticky end - is the one who wins Ariadne's hand.
This latest trip to Atlantis is undemanding and diverting Saturday night fare - and crucially for an episode revolving around a tournament of war, the battle scenes for the most part look terrific.
But in its questionable treatment of its female characters, and its lack of the darker tone that made the series premiere in particular such a success, it feels rather more like a series one throwback than the bold reinvention we were promised.
