Vikings

19 January 2018

I'm not a fan of historical and quasi-historical films and series, so I had no high expectations for "Vikings". But the first season bought me right away. It's completely different from anything I've seen so far, and there are more dead than in "Game of Thrones". Now I finished the second season and the series just keeps getting better. It seems to me that there are more scheming and twists than in GoT. The acting and characterization are excellent, and the action scenes are incredibly believable and realistic. It gets more and more complicated and tense and will not only hold your attention but also your breath.

7 April 2024

I finally made it to the end. In the later seasons, the story branches out in too many directions and gets overly complicated. The series in most respects maintains the level until the very end, but the story begins to repeat itself, the same plots revolve around different generations of characters and, although it cannot be said that the quality decreases, it all becomes a bit monotonous. Some of the denouements delighted me, some disappointed me, and some felt unfinished, but I guess that's a matter of taste. All in all, an above-average series, but I think they should have ended it earlier. Definitely a recommendation, if for no other reason than because of the original and striking performances of the entire cast, among which Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alex Hogh Andersen, and Travis Fimmel stand out the most.

8/10.

They should have just stopped after season 3. Season 5 was so bad that I couldn't finish the last 2 episodes without forcing myself to watch just to confirm how bad this was.

Seasons 1-3 and the 2nd half of season 4 are the best this show has to offer. But the rest is easily forgetful I do not remember a single scene that moved me or stuck with me. Ragnar was what made this show great. Vikings is brutal and has some very dark and complex moments. First 3 seasons 10/10 season 4 7/10. Spinoff would have been better for the sons. Ragnar deserved better and Michael Hirst didn't execute.

Maybe it isn't real 100 percent history. Some liberties were taken, but for the most part is seems to ring true.At times it almost seems like a contemporary crime drama, but the facts are there-the raids on British monastaries that did occur in the late 8th century, a fairly realistic depiction on what Norse life was probably like at this timeline, the spectacular countryside with its majestic forests and rivers, and the depictions of the Vikings themselves. Savage, eager to loot and plunder, but nevertheless bound by a sort of code of honor. Their acts are savage and the chieftan seems more like a medieval Godfather who uses his power for his own personal gain and who is not above killing somebody on the spot if he is displeased with his actions. The storyline is fairly literate and not the usual mindless adventure that too many of these movies present to us, and the characters are convincingly drawn and likely motivated. The music is good and the full size replicas of the ships are very accurate. Even the deliberate pace works to its advantage, we are never rushed and the story develops as it moves along. It is never dull and there is plenty of interest to engage the viewer. However, if you are put off by graphic violence , don't watch it. Those times were fairly brutal. Fine entertainment . Enjoy it.

Vikings is one of the rare shows where it is never dull and full of entertainment. It's a show with plenty of violence, drama, mystery, etc. The character development is what keeps the show fresh and interesting. It takes you into this world of Vikings and keeps you intrigued throughout the series. I just loved this show so much and even though it hasn't been gone that long I already miss it! I know everyone keeps talking about how the show dropped in quality when Travis Fimmel (Ragnar) left the show, and it did, but it was still a pretty good show after he left as long as you don't compare it to when he was there. Just take it for what it is and that's still a very entertaining show. For some reason it left the History Channel for Amazon Prime Video for the final ten episodes and thought they did a really good job finishing off the story. It's one of the rare great shows where they didn't botch the ending.