Vikings

First and foremost, fantastic casting. The creators were right to bet on unfamiliar faces (I don't count Gabriel Byrne, he's not in the lead) and you simply believe all those scruffy, dirty, bearded, Nordic-looking types wielding massive axes. This series won't win you over right from the start, but as the episodes go on, you'll be hooked and by about halfway through you'll be happy to ride the wave of paganism and blood. I like the fact that you form an ambivalent relationship with the protagonists – you see that they are no saints and that they slit the throats of Christians as if they were little children, but you still root for them and their devout faith in pagan idols and stolen gold. The production design is generous by TV standards, the Nordic atmosphere is captivating and I'm already looking forward to the 2nd season. Edit after the 2nd season: probably the best series today. The fate of Ragnar Lothbrok, a true historical figure who accomplished more in his lifetime than comparable figures of his time, is so meaty and dense that the creators really have a lot to draw from and so all episodes are watched in one breath. All of this, of course, supported by a big-film "look" that towers above most of productions of other TV stations. The climax of season 2 is breathtaking and I definitely have a new favourite in the field of TV entertainment. I can’t wait for the next season!! (27/07/2014)

Epic. A bit of a reflection on the trend set by seasons one, two and three and how the series finally ended its journey (not entirely positively), but still very high in quality. The comparisons to GoT are warranted, although Vikings is a bit different in some details: it’s more religious and, in particular, longer in terms of time span. Whereas in GoT it's years (more or less the same as the years of the actors playing the main characters), here it's decades, which translates into even broader possibilities for the writers to create bigger twists and turns. But they exploit it only partially. After a key turning point (the protagonist), the quality of the individual episodes goes down a bit despite all the efforts. Even so, it is quite certain that Vikings will be remembered for a long time and very likely, as in GoT, everyone found their favourite character they couldn't get enough of. Although the fan base here will be a bit thinner compared to the competing spectacle. (18/01/2021)

The theme of Viking raids is interesting to me. I don't know much about them beyond the basics and the series made me do some digging to get some context. The writers created the right mixture of intrigue, fighting, and insights into the off-season activities of the Norsemen to keep me hooked. Interestingly, the Viking who stands out the most for me in the series is the 168cm tall Lagertha. Until the end of the third season, I was fully satisfied, but the fourth season was a bit disappointing due to the constant visions and hallucinations that needlessly fragmented the plot. I can only hope that the fifth season will bring it up to 5 stars again. (03/08/2016)

After Camelot, few people trusted Hirst anymore. Besides, who would watch something that at first looked like a fiction documentary? Well, that was a mistake. Out of nothing on an unfamiliar television came a spectacle unlike anything I've ever experienced. Even if the whole thing existed just for the possibility of raiding Paris, it would be worth it. In addition, of course, a trip to the 9th century and the legends of the time also has its value. (08/03/2013)

Over the years, the initially innocuous Vikings gradually clawed their way to the point where they deserved a feature-length film rather than being dispensed in episodes. However, it still feels extremely epic and from one fishing village at the start of it all you look to England, France, the Mediterranean and beyond...perhaps too far. Michael Hirst capitalised on the initial success of the series, and the story from his hand has therefore swelled across decades and countries in a tremendous way, and it gets to just about anyone who ever had anything to do with Norsemen. Unfortunately, however, this means that there are also characters whose motives often fizzle out into nothingness or serve only as filler between individual conflicts, and that’s Vikings' sole but repetitive weakness. Thanks to Odin, at least this rabble in the series also regularly goes to Valhalla while the real warriors remain on the scene. Skål. (20/01/2018)