Filmed on location in Ireland, one of the show's greatest strengths is its landscape. It is just beautifully shot. With 70 percent of its scenes filmed outdoors, the show thrives on seeming authentic. It's probably an underrated aspect: if the setting is inadequate, Vikings probably doesn't succeed.
Vikings is also very clearly singular in its mission. The entire first season was written by the creator, Michael Hirst. While that can certainly be a burden (See: Downton Abbey), it can also be a strength if that man is a really good writer (See: True Detective). I'm going to say that Vikings is in the middle of those two shows, but much closer to True Detective than the former.
Hirst is the right man for the job and not just because the end product tells me so. He has considerable experience writing historical fiction. He has created two other shows, The Tudors and Camelot, and wrote another movie, Elizabeth (which was well reviewed and stars Cate Blanchett if you're interested). And to a person with no knowledge of viking history, but who has done a little research, it appears as if he is combining different aspects of differing viking cultures, however it's mostly accurate to the period. Of course, I'm assuming most of you won't be complaining about anachronistic details on this show if you're like me with little knowledge.
Vikings benefits heavily in my opinion from casting mostly unknowns. More importantly, these unknowns can act. Vikings is in such a different setting and such a different time period, highly recognizable actors could somewhat ruin the experience. There's only two actors who are somewhat famous, Gabriel Byrne and Donal Logue. Byrne is virtually unrecognizable and probably the weakest part of the show. He plays the main antagonist and is never really that compelling as his lone defining character trait is that he's really fucking evil. Logue fits in much better, although doesn't appear until later in the season. (I also may be letting Terriers influence my opinion of Logue)
The star of the show, Travis Fimmel, is a revelation. With piercing, blue eyes and a sly grin, Fimmel plays Ragnar Lothbrook as a cunning, enigmatic man. You never get the sense that you know what he will do, but you are interested to find out. He is patient, smart, and clearly a cut above the rest of the vikings.
While Fimmel carries the show, Gustaf Skarsgård steals scenes. It's hard to explain how fun it is to watch him play Floki. He is a squirrely, thrill-seeking shit starter. Also awesome is Ragnar's wife Lagertha, played by Kathryn Winnick. She's a shield maiden and as big of a badass as any man on this show. Yes, women also kick ass on this show, not just men. Also notable is the portrayal of Athelstan, as played by George Blagden. Athelstan is our audience surrogate, a Christian priest who is taken as a slave of Ragnar's. The interactions between Blagden and Fimmel are some of the most compelling and is what I'm talking about when I say the show goes beyond what it needs.
The interactions between Blagden and Fimmel mostly center on religion, namely the pagan and Christian religions. This is a pretty important part of the show in fact as it is responsible for a lot of the disdain between England and the vikings. Both are afraid and insulted by each other's. That is except Ragnar, who seeks out knowledge about the Christian religion. Don't worry, Ragnar is not "enlightened" to follow Christianity. That would be troublesome. No, the show deftly handles religion without seeming to posit an opinion one way or the other.
I can't believe I wrote eight paragraphs before talking about the greatness that is the battle scenes. The battle scenes are in all but one episode and all of them are fantastically done. They aren't just action for action's sake as the battles reveals a part of the fabric of viking culture. They are efficient, almost workmanlike in their battle strategies. They are necessarily brutal and cold, worthy of any stories you may have heard of vikings.
I mentioned before that the show is beautiful, but it's not only because of the location. The three directors called upon for these nine episodes, all do a marvelous job. The first three episodes are directed by Johan Renck, who directed three Breaking Bad episodes including the great "Hermanos." The next three are by Ciaran Donnelly, previously affiliated with Hirst on The Tudors. And the last three are by Ken Girotti, who has directed 89 television shows including Orphan Black, 24, and Rescue Me. The talent of the directors certainly shows in these episodes.
Unfortunately, the show has some weak spots. Whether due to the acting or the writing, Rollo as played by Clive Standen is never really that great of a character. Rollo, Ragnar's brother who vies for Ragnar's position and respect, is a bit one-note. He mostly exists to provide opposition to Ragnar and not much else. (In my opinion, he's poorly written as Standen does what he can) In the battle scenes, he almost always recommends attacking immediately without thinking. The show seems to have a bit of a problem with writing compelling or interesting villains as Byrnes' Earl Haraldson is similarly uninteresting. (In my opinion, Byrnes didn't bring his A game to this role and is part of the reason the character falls flat)
But overall, Vikings has managed to create a semi-realistic world that is completely foreign to our own. They strike a tough balance between making the vikings clearly different, yet relatable enough not to alienate the audience. It's a tricky balance that the show has thus far pulled off. With great acting, gorgeous scenery, and well-done battle scenes, Vikings is a show you should probably be watching.
Grade - B+
Playlist
1. "Baby Blue" - Badfinger
2. "The Vampyre of Time and Memory" - Queens of the Stone Age
3. "Woman with the Tattooed Hands" - Atmosphere
4. "I'm Not a Part of Me" - Cloud Nothings
5. "Cross My Mind" - Twin Forks
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