One of my favourite historical dramas returned
recently - Vikings. As recently as a year ago a lot of people had not heard of
this show, despite having some big names attached to it and already being into
its second series.
Skipping forward to when the third season began two months
ago, a lot of people I know were finally talking about it.
Vikings follows the life of King Raynar Lodbrok and his
people as they raid foreign lands. At least, that was the original premise.
Series three starts with the Vikings returning to the kingdom of Merica
(somewhere in England) to set up a colony following a truce with King Ecbert.
While we knew this was coming, the show seems to
spend way too much time on the Vikings settling in and doing farming, farming
and more farming. It’s only really around episode three that the action starts
to really pick up again. But, sadly, the best action doesn’t arrive until the
last three episodes when the Vikings attack Paris.
There are a few surprise twists along the way but
nothing this series which really leaves you stunned. The only twist that really
got me was the death of one of the main characters but even this you see coming
from a mile off.
Set and atmosphere wise Vikings still delivers. The
fighting scenes are fast, bloody and graphic as always and the sets - including
Paris - are really well done. The acting is still top notch and there is that familiar
injection of humour that only works with Ragnar’s character.
I wasn’t as impressed with this series as I was the
first two because of the lack of action and a lack of major developments in the
story. But the siege of Paris in the final episodes was a return to form - they
definitely saved the best until last.
