Vikings

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Season 1
Season #: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 777 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 664 out of 777
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 777
  3. Negative: 83 out of 777
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  1. stratta63
    Apr 1, 2013
    10
    Simply an awesome series with a great story line and plot. The one hour time slot flies by. Cant wait for Sunday night now. This would have made a great movie along the lines of Braveheart for the big screen. Also 1 more thing great acting
  2. REDZONEKILLAXX
    Mar 31, 2013
    9
    This is a BRUTAL, EXCITING, and ENTERTAINING storyline. Unlike so many shows that get boring after the premiere and dont pick back up until the finale (the walking dead with a ton of filler) Vikings actually keeps its momentum! It is not my favorite show when compared to game of thrones, dexter, etc. but I really do enjoy this show quite a bit! MAJOR props to the history channel! IThis is a BRUTAL, EXCITING, and ENTERTAINING storyline. Unlike so many shows that get boring after the premiere and dont pick back up until the finale (the walking dead with a ton of filler) Vikings actually keeps its momentum! It is not my favorite show when compared to game of thrones, dexter, etc. but I really do enjoy this show quite a bit! MAJOR props to the history channel! I strongly suggest Vikings!… Expand
  3. Parera_Starr11
    Mar 29, 2013
    9
    With every episode the show gets better and better. The attention to detail and historical accuracy is rather incredible. Vikings is easily one of the best shows on television right now. Cast and crew are doing an amazing job. Especially Travis Fimmel whose shoulders the show rests on. Four episodes in and I'd call myself a big fan. And lastly there is no need to compare it to Rome orWith every episode the show gets better and better. The attention to detail and historical accuracy is rather incredible. Vikings is easily one of the best shows on television right now. Cast and crew are doing an amazing job. Especially Travis Fimmel whose shoulders the show rests on. Four episodes in and I'd call myself a big fan. And lastly there is no need to compare it to Rome or Game of Thrones because Vikings stands tall on its own two legs. Can't wait to see where the shows writers take the show.… Expand
  4. SomeAvgJoe
    Mar 23, 2013
    5
    This show suffers from a lot of modern cinema issues that bother me which I'll not dock it for in score however other aspects I most certainly will such as poor writing, historical inaccuracies, and character development.

    Vikings in general is fairly well filmed and the acting is quite good with a decent premise laid out in front of us after the pilot. That said I cannot stand some    This show suffers from a lot of modern cinema issues that bother me which I'll not dock it for in score however other aspects I most certainly will such as poor writing, historical inaccuracies, and character development.

    Vikings in general is fairly well filmed and the acting is quite good with a decent premise laid out in front of us after the pilot. That said I cannot stand some aspects that made me start fast-forwarding through the second episode and eventually give up on this series. I have never seen Game of Thrones, Spartacus, or Rome so no worries, no comparisons there.

    In general you want to like Vikings, you really do. You can see the sheer amount of effort put into acting, writing, filming, creating the sets, etc. They really did try. The two main things that bother me are its inability to decide if its historically inaccurate, and if its going to be drama or action. They truly skimped on having experts to consult (or refusing to consult them). When watching Vikings you feel like you're watching one of those old Vietnam anti-war movies that want you to take them seriously but in the back of your head your brain is screaming at how ridiculously inaccurate it all is. Its hard to take a movie about Vikings seriously when 90% of the characters just ooze sex-icon from every pore. The main character is some hot, punk looking young man, who DOESN'T want to see this guy succeed? This brings me to my other gripe which is how poor the character development is.

    In a good action series you want action AT LEAST in the majority of the show. Since in even the pilot it already lacks that I'm going to go with 'drama'. Ok, so in a drama you want to see very fleshed out characters put into tough situations. Not so in Vikings! Aside from having a slightly inflated ego (who can blame him?) the main character is much too secure. I don't blame the actor as he does fine with portraying the role given to him its just how ridiculously bland and vanilla he is. To top it off we have an equally egotistical 'villain' (the chieftain) who thrives off power and will violently hold a grudge against someone (although he decides to 'wait and see' what the main character does which made NO sense to me). Also the 'drama' already being stirred up is just simply childish. The characters seem to hate each other for even the tinniest little things and sometimes quite random ones (what the heck was with the brother/wife scene??? Seriously?).

    Overall kudos to you if you can sit through such a bland 'soap opera' of drama, historical inaccuracy, and lack of any action to break the monotony. To top it off they use that GOD AWFUL 'free hand' camera with a zoom lens in most scenes with dialogue. Thankfully its not the Bourne Identity 'shake the camera to show action' or Battlestar Galactica 'zoom so far you can see the outlines of their face pores' camera work. Still annoying and noticeable at points. Is there some sad lack of camera supports in the world because I'm running low on anti-nausea pills.

    To conclude though, I'd recommend skipping this series unless people start raving like mad monkeys about it because let's face it, you can always re-watch it if by some miracle this show's poor writing and such turns around completely.    … Expand
  5. maysoon
    Mar 21, 2013
    10
    vikings is yet one of the amazing series of this year the scenario is different then our typical series thing that made me love it more is how women are treated the same in battle field where they can fight and protect themselves death blood glory
  6. Panzerfaust666
    Mar 19, 2013
    10
    An interesting mix of drama and history, that seems to well illustrate the differences between these ancient pagan warriors beliefs and modern day morals. The plot is nothing radical, but its solid, well written and well acted add in some beautiful scenery and a little action and your onto a winner.
  7. OBAS
    Mar 18, 2013
    9
    To complain the characters have no morals, rational thinking nor guilt is kind of silly, is it not?

    I think that might possibly describe your typical Viking…
  8. tjanko18
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    This is a great first show from History channel. The acting is great, the scenes are awesome, the plot fantastic, and knowing it is made by he History channel one can trust its content. I could only image what it would be like on a prem cable channel. Still a fantastic show!
  9. nattsudden
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    This is not Game of thrones this is something else a real attempt to make at TV-show of early Vikings. I think after two episodes they succeeded its a great show trying to be true to its time. Good story great casting, dirty and pagan as it should be with Asatro. The Vikings were the true explorers of America and great tradesmen as explorers. Go see it, we do in Scandinavia
  10. Dagoba
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    History presented this way is awesome! I really like how they managed to bring the Vikings, their families and their beliefs back to life. It let people get more familiar with our human roots, how people who had to "set sails" for new shores influenced at least the whole Europe and the middle east. Even for those who are not interested in history, it is a must watch. No fantasy. Just saga.
  11. Doconicus
    Mar 11, 2013
    5
    The Viking Religion

    Vikings are awesome, as are the myths of pre-Christian Scandinavia that come with them. There are giant hammers, eight-legged horses and Ragnarok, in which the universe is kicked to death by fire and the bad guys pilot a ship made of corpse fingernails. It's like one giant, eternal '80s metal album cover. But for many people those who feel a deep connection to Norse    The Viking Religion

    Vikings are awesome, as are the myths of pre-Christian Scandinavia that come with them. There are giant hammers, eight-legged horses and Ragnarok, in which the universe is kicked to death by fire and the bad guys pilot a ship made of corpse fingernails. It's like one giant, eternal '80s metal album cover. But for many people those who feel a deep connection to Norse culture, want to join a prison gang or are just angry at their parents for making them get up early for church when they were young Scandinavian paganism is alive and well, known as Odinism or Asatru by modern followers.

    The Reality:

    You're begging us now, "Please, don't tell us that all of that stuff about Thor and his hammer, Odin, Loki and other Marvel properties are made up to sell some books!" Unfortunately, our dedication to the truth is only seconded by our dedication to killing your dreams. Pretty much everything we know about Scandinavian paganism comes from the Eddas, two books compiled in the 13th century by a guy with the hilarious, Muppet-like name of Snorri Sturluson.

    But wait, the 13th century's still pretty old, right? Yes, but there's a problem here: Snorri wrote the books several hundred years after Scandinavia had been Christianized. Oh, and Snorri himself wasn't exactly a true believer: he declared that the "gods" he was writing about were just dead heroes who got talked up later.

    That would be bad enough, but Snorri's collections also contained elements that seem to be cribbed from the hot new religion, like Odin sacrificing himself by hanging on a tree and getting pierced by a spear. In fact, some buzzkill scholars have even suggested that Ragnarok itself is no more than a retelling of the end of paganism under Christianity, or even a co-opted version of the Biblical book of Revelation. Basically, Snorri was working at the end of a 200-year-old religious telephone game, and we've just got no way of knowing what was in the original version and what was the result of one guy saying, "You know what religion needs? More giant hammers."

    Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_19283_7-ancient-forms-mysticism-that-are-recent-inventions_p2.html#ixzz2NFlWZGJI    … Expand
  12. WayneThomas412
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    Brutal and Beautiful. Gorgeous landscapes and awesome action. They capture the brutality that these men lived. Love Katheryn Winnick's role as Lagertha! What a gorgeous strong woman. She kicks butt!
  13. Crazye2000
    Mar 10, 2013
    5
    The characters have no morals, rational thinking nor guilt, there isn't a character which you can cheer for. Even With a Game Of Thrones vibe and beautiful landscapes, it isn't enough too fully enjoy.
  14. dunker
    Mar 6, 2013
    8
    Rather than comparing it to Game of Thrones, I'd say it's closer to a basic cable cousin of HBO's Rome. It quite watchable. What I especially like is that it covers a race of people (the Norsemen) that we in America know little about
  15. mrmonster
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    Awesome, pure awesome. This is why we watch History Channel. This is no doubt their best docudrama since Hatfields and Mccoys. Trust me, you should watch it immediately.
  16. Bo33y
    Mar 6, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I started to watch this pilot because I was reminded of Pillars of the Earth. This show does not compare at all. The Vikings is a clumsy, dull, tedious and inaccurate show. This series is shown on the History channel. I would have thought, that they might have gotten a few facts correct. In regarding the basic origins and history of these great Viking raiders. Who had made it as far as North America in there conquest. I was massively disappionted in this opening plot. The Vikings shown acquired their sea faring abilities were explained as a traveller from the south. Who gave them a sundial/compass which through the sun casting a shadow would mark navigational bearings, if no sun was present a sun stone was used to acquire the sun's light. Vikings were such an accomplished race of raiders travellling oceans. This might have been explained in more depth. Then look at these shinies now we can go west to pillage lads. I shortly turned off after watching the supposed Viking court. This scene was total The Viking cheiftan ask for a vote on a convicted murder and then ask that murder which execution to choose. The Vikings were tribal raiders they inflicted all kinds of barbarous tortures like impaling, and flaying. Although from what I read the main way they would ascertain wether or not there was any truth to a statement was to have the accused pick many stones out of boiling water and then determine if the burns would heal if they did then there was truth. This method is but one of the many tortures they would have inflicted. There was never any voting and judgement would be determined through the cheftian. I was bothered by the Viking villages exterior showing many small huts and structures. In Scandinavia temperatures plumet to -25-40c. The villagers mostly all resided in a single longhouse for warmth. The outside of the village there was no dominating structure but many small hutsetc. The acting alot of the accents used are english but were so thick they caused little effect. For full effect maybe should have spoken using english subtitles in a Norse or Scandinavian accent. There were scenes regarding the main character and his child explaining his love life and how to be man, while going out and drinking in the tavern, these absolutely bored me to death. The botched rape showing the main character to be a metal smith with an anivil and a hot sword still smelting which his wife uses as a weapon to defend herself. Yet he was out training with his boy in warfare and was a raider who manned his own longboat, seemed totally incoherent. I had lost all interest so I began fastforwarded. To find the sex scene where his wife tells him I vill wide you tonight, yea right history. There was some natural beauty in the locations of fjord's, longboat, Viking sheids, axes, some good costumes with the animal skins, and their tatoo's. Overly though I am done with this series. I am really not at all impressed by the very clumsy attempt at history… Expand
  17. hansel4150
    Mar 4, 2013
    8
    Very interesting new show from The History Channel. It feels very Game of Thrones-esque. While it is a bit early to make a complete judgment on the show, I will say that it has captured my interest. The characters seem to be well developed and well acted. The setting is interesting and the cinematography awe-inspiring. Can't wait to see more!
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Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best TV Season of 2013
10
#10 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
8
#8 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    Mar 7, 2013
    75
    History's first scripted series is a headlong tumble into an irresistible and surprisingly neglected genre. [18 Mar 2013, p.41]
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Mar 4, 2013
    50
    Vikings is at least fun to watch, in a sword-swinging, head-chopping, maiden-despoiling sort of way.
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  3. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Tirdad Derakhshani
    Mar 4, 2013
    70
    Hirst cleverly weaves a mystical element into the plot, which pays off with each episode. And he throws in plenty of battle scenes to please bloodthirsty fans.
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