I dunno - I kind of like this as a one-day interlude in the regular lineup. After all, there are a good many characters (and random nameless everyday Romans) going about their own lives while the main actors get deeper and deeper into trouble, and you show us some of them in the street scenes or long shots within the imperial palace...it makes sense (to me at least) to have occasional closeup glimpses of what the "fringe characters" are up to.