2013-2020
Scandinavia, 8th century AD.
Ragnar Lothbrok, is a Viking farmer and warrior married to the Shieldmaiden Lagertha and father of two children.
Together with his brother Rollo, he dreams to build bigger and stronger longships
and with a new discovered navigation system, to sail to the yet uncharted West and to the coasts of England where he believes
he will find untold riches.
The only obstacle to Ragnar’s ambitions is the local lord, Earl Haraldson, whose
permission and ships Ragnar needs so that he can start his journey.
Eventually Ragnar and his fellow warriors will travel to the new areas, will
reach and raid the kingdom of
Northumbria and will return to their hometown of Kattegat, with treasures.
After this achievement, Ragnar's reputation grows. Not only does he enjoy the respect and admiration of his countrymen but also of the Viking King Horik. To the detest of Earl Haraldson.
The show, created by Michael Hirst, also responsible for 'The Tudors' 2007-2010 and the film 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' -2007, is History Channel’s first scripted series.
Its first season premiered on March 2013, it was renewed for a second and third season, and was immediately loved by a soon to be fanatical - mainly young- audience.
Filmed almost entirely on the natural landscapes of
Ireland (around Lake Wicklow) and western Norway , with almost 80 % outside -
shooting for the first season only, the show was based on the later Norse myths
( 13th century) about legendary warrior Ragnars Lodbrokar and the historically
recorded raid at the Lindisfarne monastery in 793 AD.
Despite the many historical inaccuracies and anachronisms that could
annoy the Viking Era historians, but serve well the plot and
the fascinating storytelling, the series offers a both
realistic and entertaining picture of the Viking Age and captivates the original skeptics who may have originally treated it as the poor relation of ...
Game of Thrones
Here one does not find the labyrinthine
plot, the diversity of cultures and
landscapes, neither the plethora of characters, nor the expensive
sets and visuals of the of HBO’s fantasy series.
The reality of Vikings is as tough
and brutal as
they and although dragons do not appear on screen, they are present in their tales and dreams.
The Vikings raid and invade, fight, loot, plunder and
commit all sort of unscrupulous
acts of violence
against both the guilty and the innocent, all morally reprehensible to the modern man, but in the world of the Vikings are raison d'être, proof
of bravery, fundamental elements of their culture and tributes to their barbarian Gods. A good
death in combat is sought by all warriors.
Only then they are allowed to join Odin at the great
halls of the heroic dead in Valhalla.
The cast consists of mainly British and Canadian actors although in the leading
role - we find the ... Australian Travis
Fimmel. Fimmel (who has a stunning resemblance to … James Dean) plays
the resourceful and ingenious Ragnar with simplicity and playfulness, so that we forget what an ambitious,
cunning and barbaric warrior he is …
until the next battle.
In the role of fierce Shieldmaiden
Lagertha, the Canadian Katheryn Winnick, continues the
tradition of dynamic female characters -a legacy of the feminist Game of Thrones- and manages equally well with the kitchen utensils
and the children upbringing as
with the sword & shield. This comes as no surprise, since in real life,Winnick is a martial arts
experts with black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Karate.
In the first season in the role of Earl Haraldson we also meet veteran actor Gabriel
Byrne, while the Viking in origin-Swedish-Gustaf
Skarsgård as shipwright Floki and the British
George Blagden in the role of slave monk Athelstan
seem to steal the show.
The series strengths are the stunning cinematography –especially
during the 2nd season- the fast paced narrative with many examples
of dramatic economy, focusing on substance and avoiding unnecessary scenes with well -serving jumps in
time and -in season 2- in space per
episode.
In season 2 as the geography of the Vikings expands, the
main characters grow and evolve taking on new roles. Ragnar isn’t a humble
farmer and Lagertha is a lot more than a
spouse and his equal in battle.
The Vikings are not only raiders but also explorers and
settlers.
Season after season as the world gets bigger, production values rise higher.
So if you want to watch a suspenseful
series, designed to
entertain without much thought
... nor moral inhibitions, then
prepare to be invaded and conquered by the bloodthirsty,
pagan, barbaric and flirtatious Vikings.
And to that I swear in the names of Thor, Freyja and Odin!
Ragnar Lothbrok, is a Viking farmer and warrior married to the Shieldmaiden Lagertha and father of two children. Together with his brother Rollo, he dreams to build bigger and stronger longships and with a new discovered navigation system, to sail to the yet uncharted West and to the coasts of England where he believes he will find untold riches.
The only obstacle to Ragnar’s ambitions is the local lord, Earl Haraldson, whose permission and ships Ragnar needs so that he can start his journey.
After this achievement, Ragnar's reputation grows. Not only does he enjoy the respect and admiration of his countrymen but also of the Viking King Horik. To the detest of Earl Haraldson.
The show, created by Michael Hirst, also responsible for 'The Tudors' 2007-2010 and the film 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' -2007, is History Channel’s first scripted series.
Its first season premiered on March 2013, it was renewed for a second and third season, and was immediately loved by a soon to be fanatical - mainly young- audience.
The cast consists of mainly British and Canadian actors although in the leading role - we find the ... Australian Travis Fimmel. Fimmel (who has a stunning resemblance to … James Dean) plays the resourceful and ingenious Ragnar with simplicity and playfulness, so that we forget what an ambitious, cunning and barbaric warrior he is … until the next battle.
Here’s the new trailer
