Ep 3. The Vestal

In Plebs season 3 episode 3 titled "The Vestal," we see the trio of Marcus, Stylax, and Grumio encountering a Vestal Virgin, a priestess of the goddess Vesta, in Rome. The episode starts with Marcus visiting a temple for a morning prayer but instead getting smitten by a Vestal Virgin named Claudia, and he tries to make a move on her.

Later, the trio is invited to take part in a ritual to celebrate the upcoming festival of Vulcanalia by Claudia. At the ritual, Marcus learns that if a Vestal Virgin breaks her chastity, she will be buried alive, and her lover will suffer the same fate. He panics and tries to flee, thinking Claudia's life is in danger because of him.

Meanwhile, Stylax and Grumio are excited about the prospect of getting a wish granted at the festival and start convincing Marcus to take the risk. They all visit a fortune teller and make a wish, but their wish goes wrong when they mistakenly take a cherished item from a rich citizen, who puts a bounty on their heads.

The rest of the episode sees the trio on the run from the rich citizen and his henchmen, and they must come up with a plan to get the stolen item back and save their lives.

On the other side, we also see the Vestal Virgins struggling with a rebellious member of their society named Gaia, who has broken her chastity, putting herself and the other virgins on the brink of death. Claudia urges Marcus to help Gaia escape because she has been wrongly accused, but Marcus is too afraid to get involved. However, fate intervenes, and Marcus ends up being the only one who can save Gaia from a terrible fate.

Throughout the episode, we see the usual comic elements of Plebs, with Marcus trying to impress Claudia, Stylax and Grumio getting into trouble, and some hilarious scenes involving the fortune teller and the rich citizen's men. There is some drama towards the end when the trio tries to save Gaia, leading to a thrilling chase sequence.

Overall, "The Vestal" is an entertaining episode that showcases the show's signature humor and provides some intense moments towards the end. The characters' development adds depth to the plot, making the episode more poignant. Fans of the show will love this installment, and newcomers won't have trouble following the story.