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Review: History's 'Vikings' a bloody good time

Travis Fimmel and Gabriel Byrne come from the land of the ice and snow

By Alan Sepinwall Friday, Mar 1, 2013 9:05 AM

  • Critic's Rating B+
  • Readers' Rating A-
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<p>Travis Fimmel is the leader of the "Vikings."</p>

Travis Fimmel is the leader of the "Vikings."

Credit: History
There are more ambitious dramas on television right now, but few that deliver as consistently on what is promised than “Vikings” (Sunday at 10 p.m.), History’s first scripted drama series. The show is exactly what you might expect from the title — unless, that is, you’re from Minnesota and expecting a fictionalized account of the career of the Purple People Eaters, or perhaps a dramatization of the sex boat scandal — presented with plenty of style.
 
So there are many tall men with axes and shields and interesting beards. There are longboats and debates over whether any lands exist to the west of Scandinavia — making our westward-looking hero, Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), a bold thinker for his era — and battles on green hills and sandy beaches. There’s abundant pillaging, talk of Valhalla and how to get there.
 
It’s called “Vikings.” It’s about Vikings. And it’s quite good in the early going.
 
The series was created by Michael Hirst, who has plenty of experience with period intrigue (the “Elizabeth” films, Showtime’s “The Tudors”), and the pilot directed by “Breaking Bad” veteran Johan Renck. With a little help from computer effects and a lot from their production people and the green hills of Ireland, they create a vision of the culture that may not be 100 percent to historical accuracy, but which also doesn’t feel completely ludicrous for the sake of drama.
 
Though we open with Ragnar as one of the few survivors of a fearsome battle involving swords, spears and axes — one that’s not quite as graphic as, say, Starz’s “Spartacus,” but also one that doesn’t hide from the blood — the series is willing to take its time to introduce us to Ragnar’s family, his community, and the conflicts before the action really gets heated. We meet his wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), a fierce shield-maiden in her own right, and their son Bjorn (Nathan O’Toole), who’s on the verge of becoming a man — with all the power and responsibilities that involves. And we see the subtle battle between Ragnar and the local Earl (Gabriel Byrne), who believes there are no lands to the west and no way to get there — even though Ragnar has discovered the Viking equivalent of GPS, and can properly chart a voyage through unfamiliar waters.
 
Fimmel’s a former model who had a rough introduction to the TV business a decade ago as the star of the WB’s “Tarzan,” but he’s evolved into an interesting performer. The role of Ragnar plays to all of his strengths: impressive physical presence, a command of the screen, crazy eyes that also reveal a wicked intelligence behind them. Some of his most interesting moments involve Ragnar in repose, contemplating his next move, and Fimmel absolutely holds the frame as he does it. The part (and the beard) may create more confusion between Fimmel and Charlie Hunnam on “Sons of Anarchy,” but that’s not a bad thing when the performance suggests it might have that kind of power behind it.
 
Fimmel is well-matched by Winnick, who’s convincing as a woman who can go to battle with these giant men, and also by Gustaf Skarsgard (brother of Alexander from “True Blood”) as Ragnar’s eccentric ship-building friend Floki. Byrne is playing more of a stock villain, but he also lends credibility to this maiden voyage for History, and Jessalyn Gilsig from “Glee” plays well to type as the Earl’s cunning wife.
 
In an odd way, the four episodes I’ve seen play almost like science fiction. Ragnar is the explorer determined to go somewhere that everyone says is impossible to get to (if it exists at all). And when the Vikings do eventually land on the shores of England, they’re greeted as something akin to aliens, baffling the local Christians — including George Blagden as a monk who becomes Ragnar’s reluctant guide to the Saxon world — almost as much as they in turn are baffled by those who would leave so much gold and so many jewels lying around an unprotected house of worship.
 
“Vikings” isn’t complicated. It doesn’t get too cute in its dialogue, and instead relies on the inherent appeal of the era and these characters to drive the story. It knows what it wants to do, and it does it. As original series debuts go, it’s no “Oz” or “The Shield,” but it does the job it sets out to do in entertaining fashion.
 
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
Alan-sepinwall-sm
Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
Related Searches: Vikings, Travis Fimmel, Gabriel Byrne

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  • Default-avatar

    stevehbk

    My wife and I are really looking forward to this. The fact that Alan didn't absolutely hate it speaks volumes. The History Channel did a fabulous job with The Hatfields and McCoys, so I'm sure expectations are up for this.

    March 1, 2013 at 11:13AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Greg

    Are these hour-long episodes or just 42-47 minutes like AMC and FX?

    March 1, 2013 at 12:03PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall It's basic cable. There are commercials.

      March 1, 2013 at 12:13PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    BoiSEAn

    Might want to fix "he’s involved into an interesting performer" into the sixth paragraph.

    March 1, 2013 at 1:33PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Midnight_run_mca255950_talkback_profile

      sepinwall I might indeed!

      March 1, 2013 at 3:41PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Maureen

    I was already excited to see this, but now I can't wait!! Ever since I saw the Thirteenth Warrior, I have been interested in the Vikings, so this is right up my alley.

    March 1, 2013 at 4:15PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Sareeta

    Way back when History announced that they were doing a viking series I got excited. Glad you think they got this right.

    March 1, 2013 at 6:20PM EST Reply to Comment
  • How_to_make_it_in_america_talkback_profile

    theexxs

    I'm looking forward to this a lot, since I was a big fan of The Tudors, and Travis Fimmel was Great alongside Patrick Swayze on The Beast!

    March 1, 2013 at 9:04PM EST Reply to Comment
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    chas

    as a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series i'm really psyched for this. be great if History channel would do something w/ his books.

    March 1, 2013 at 10:15PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      Barbara Me too. Wish they would take on Cornwell. As a descendant of Vikings (I think), I'm looking forward to this one. When I say (I think), I do have to admit that my 100% Norwegian grandfather was short and round and raised pigs in Iowa. But I'm not any of those things.

      March 3, 2013 at 12:10PM EST
  • Mr_burns_89_01_talkback_profile

    Jonas.Left

    I hope this series can live up to the realism of The Vikings starring Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis.

    March 1, 2013 at 11:19PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Nancy

    Alan, would this be appropriate for a 12-year old to watch?

    March 2, 2013 at 2:26AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      DREW Would this be appropriate for a historian to watch?

      March 3, 2013 at 6:17PM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Mike Oakenshield

    Well, considering Spartacus is one of my favorite shows on TV, I will definetly watch this one. With Spartacus ending this year, I will need something to fill in the fun violent historic part of my TV roster and this seem like it wil do it. I just don't get why you seem to think little of Spartacus, but like this one so much.

    March 2, 2013 at 8:38PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Warwick

    My expectations are low.

    It's got that "hey, y'all like shows about swamp people and redneck millionaires and truckers and [expletive]? THEN WATCH THIS" vibe to it. I'm sure it will appeal to "rural" whites who want to learn more about their ancestors' superior "Aryan" lineage.

    It looks like they have another show in the works called "The Bible", starring Jesus of course. The History Channel sure knows their audience.

    March 3, 2013 at 5:15PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      KT Wow really? So Vikings was made for a bunch of racist rednecks!?!? You honestly don't sound any less ignorant than the people that you claim this show was made for.

      March 8, 2013 at 7:05PM EST
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    sonny chabert

    i like the first episode, but as a history freak scandinavian, i would like it even better if they didn't use regnar lodbrog because we allready have rich sagas with this character (his is a danish saga king, and again in sagas father of ivar the boneless who won norththumberland as danelag) rollo (ragnars brother in the show is the name of the viking, the french king gave normandie, so he could protect paris from other vikings) . for a person like me the use of name and characters from the sagas only blurs the exspirience. so all in all an ok series but they should have used other names ;)

    March 4, 2013 at 6:49PM EST Reply to Comment

    • The name Rollo is a coincidence - GangeRolf, who founded Normandie (and whose greatgreat-grandson William conquered England from another bunch of Vikings) was from Alesund, in northern Norway, while Ragnar Lodbrok was Danish/Swedish (the legendary character is made up of at least two real men).

      March 23, 2013 at 4:22PM EST
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    Laura

    I love Grabriel and Travis so I was already in for the the shows entirety. The cast is top notch, and the writing entertaining. The director doing a great job steering the show in the right direction, and there's just enough action and emotional storyline to pull me in. I love the show 100% and give it an A.
    The Bible is also great I must admit I never expeted to be so intrigued by a retelling of the bible but I am. The history channel is doing a stand up job with its programing. I love the men who built America another favorite that honestly I thought would garner more attention from the viewers.

    March 20, 2013 at 9:11AM EST Reply to Comment

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