The History Channel ’s 9 - part Vikings miniseries , from The Tudors Godhead Michael Hirst , is real - life medieval history leavened with enough flights of fantasy to keep it afloat . Here ’s why you involve to give this show a chance .
chronicle - lite , maybe — but history .
The show takes pains in its attending to bona fide detail . Many of the characters and plot line have their root in recorded events and Norse legends , and the gorgeous landscapes , evocative sets and exact - to - a - faulting costume produce a visually stunning impression . shuffle in the show ’s willingness to be provocative — trippy interactions with Gods and men , undiluted gender , grapheme you ’ll make love to detest , the age - old clank between conception and conservatism — and Vikings becomes the staring Sunday night amusement while you ’re wait for Game of Thrones ’ return .
The characters are badass and multi - faceted . The key duo , warrior Ragnar Lothbrok ( the compelling Travis Fimmel ) and his shieldmaiden wife Lagertha ( Katheryn Winnick , pitch - perfect ) are a paragon of lustful marital bliss in a time when the other alliances depicted are brutal or political . Lagertha has already won a devoted fan follow , as an uncompromising lady - warrior who is also a female parent and lover , going toe - to - toe with Ragnar .
Ragnar ’s effective friend Floki ( Gustaf Skarsgård ) is another refreshful character , a crazy - eyed seer shipbuilder who might be descended from Gods and talks to tree diagram . Even the show ’s antagonist , Earl Haraldson ( played with constraint by Gabriel Byrne in scarlet and Mustela erminea ) hints at complexities beneath his I - shall - thwart - you moustache whirl : a flashback shows the Earl ’s tragic past tense , which has shaped the tenure of his reign . Afraid of Ragnar ’s suggestion that the Vikings must raid to the West or else of the well - live East , Haraldson represents stodgy authorities who have attempt to block progress , a story as old as clip .
George Blagden sings .
Blagden , a newcomer late visit harmonize as Grantaire in Tom Hooper ’s Les Miserables , makes role of his vocal chops when he appears as Athelstan , a Christian monastic capture by Ragnar on their first speculation to the West . We ’re not sure if there ’s more overtures to be had , but we ’ve seen the puzzler trailers where Ragnar and Lagertha postulate Athelstan to join them in bed . We ’re on board .
Viking science !
The serial takes pains to show the methods by which Vikings undertook such long and perilous ocean voyages . other forms of navigation are shown and excuse , like the jumpy version of a ambit Ragnar is sure will leave him to untold riches , and the legendary ‘ sunstone ’ that were purported to serve conduct on overcast days . Therecent discoveryof such a crystal in an ancient British wreck intimate Vikings could be teaching geology alongside history .
Viking is a new venture for the History Channel , powerfully rendered fiction rooted in fact , in the vena of their blockbuster Hatfield & McCoys . While there has been lamentation about the web ’s slide into empiricist philosophy from its documentary past , Vikings is a very far yell from Ancient Aliens . From its first two sequence , Vikings has shown itself to be fresh , ego - aware , full of info and play . Just like my pet chronicle professors .
Vikings ’ second episode airs this Sunday , March 10 , on the History Channel .
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