Vikings: Valhalla returns to the zeitgeist after six seasons on the History Channel. The season reintroduces Jeb Stuart as showrunner and Michael Hirst as executive producer, and it spans a century of Viking history following the events of the first. Unlike the first series, which concentrated on the Vikings’ first meeting with England, Valhalla depicts the clash of two cultures after one had already had an impact on the other. The series features historical figures such as Freyds Erksdóttir, Harald Sigurdson, King Canute, and North America’s beloved Viking, Leif Erikson. There are now conflicting interests, beliefs, and aims, rather than being united under one banner as Ragnar, Lagertha, Rollo, and Floki were.
Valhalla, like the first series, does not shy away from Viking history’s historical aspects. Of course, it frequently skews history in favor of dramatic effect, but we can’t blame them for that. On a dramatic battlefield with plenty of suspense and bloodshed, events that would inspire nursery rhymes that we still sing today play out. While the series isn’t short on action, it also makes an effort to develop relationships between the characters on screen.
We meet Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) and his sister Freydis (Frida Gustavsson) as they arrive in Norway after leaving their home in Greenland when Valhalla begins. The Greenlanders are outsiders in many ways, despite the fact that they are all Vikings. With a typically negative view of Christianity, the mood of Scandinavians, particularly those who have converted or been born into the new faith, has quickly changed.
Leif, and especially his sister Freydis, continue to worship their pagan gods (e.g., Odin, Thor, Freya), and tensions between pagans and Christians are high. Many of the Vikings who converted in England passed the religion on to their children and have just recently returned to Norway. The sensation of dislocation isn’t explored in the series; people like Harald (Leo Suter) are plainly committed Christians. While the Viking pagan religion encourages raiding and slaughter, Christianity has a different attitude. The gap between civilization and the new faith is thrilling new territory, especially for real believers. The series doesn’t do a good job of pointing out the hypocrisy.
Despite their religious beliefs, Leif and Freydis immediately become friends with Harald, who is seeking vengeance for the St. Brice Day murder, which left him fatherless. After being forced to accept the advent of the Vikings in England, the now-dead monarch ordered the slaughter of all Scandinavians, forcing those who survived to evacuate their lands. Despite the fact that Leif and his sister came to Norway for other reasons, he is quickly drawn into Harald’s mission to return to England with a vengeance after an incident binds him to the cause.
While there are some thrilling moments of Valhalla, this deliberate division of the tale is immediately demoralizing. Freydis, like Lagertha, the original show’s primary female character, is one of the most interesting characters on the show in many respects. She, Leif, and Harald are clearly established as characters with a point of view. Splitting the plot in half, sending most of the characters to England to exact retribution and loot while leaving Freydis behind to completely accept her devotion to the gods, destroys the show’s flow. We already know Freydis can fight, but having her assigned to a slower-paced tale is disconcerting.
Of course, Freydis’ religious zeal contrasts sharply with the guys Leif meets, who will rape, pillage, and plunder in the name of Christ. If the show has an opinion on religion, it appears that few of these Christian Vikings are implementing what they preach, and looking back on history, it’s difficult not to associate religious daring with bloodshed. Because the show frequently dabbles in supernatural elements, such as demonstrating the presence of gods through prophetic and god-like seers, it’s difficult to understand how someone could see concrete proof of their gods and choose to reject it.
All of this is to suggest that the religious debate in Vikings: Valhalla is by far the most fascinating component of the film. Each character has their own unique perspective on religion and how they believe they should worship. It’s the foundation for a lot of what you see on TV. The judicial politics, which are already well-documented in history, are less intriguing. Edmund (Louis Davison) is a boy-king who performs his best version of King Joffrey on the show. The court politics appear to veer towards the Game of Thrones side of intrigue and betrayal, but with less zeal and devotion. Within one episode, conflicts develop and are resolved; there isn’t enough time to let the tension build.
The first season of Valhalla is mostly spent setting up conflict and introducing the characters. As the season progresses, it becomes more meandering, and by the last episode, the season feels like the first arc of a story. The show has succeeded in enticing me to watch it. I’d like to stick with Freydis and Harald. I’m curious to see where Leif will be carried by the wind. However, it appears that we may have arrived at this point sooner. Unlike the first season of Vikings, which had only a few of interesting people, Valhalla’s supporting characters are highly complicated.
Emma of Normandy, played by Laura Berlin, has ties to Rollo, and her tumultuous alliances with Earl Godwin (David Oakes) and King Canute (Bradley Freegard) are the bright spot in an otherwise bleak English court. Harald’s tumultuous relationship with his half-brother Olaf (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) feels untouched but rich with potential. Caroline Henderson’s portrayal of Jarl Haakon is intriguing, but it needs further development. While her role as the first Black woman to govern the culturally varied Kattegat is intriguing, her character must be more than just a guide to Freydis.
The show, like its predecessor, becomes bogged down in details, which may be part of the problem with adapting from history. It throws you back into the Norwegian forests after jolting you out of the momentum of a scene in England, and by the time you’ve acclimated to pagan temples and rites, you’re back in the reeds outside London. Valhalla has a lot of potential, with an interesting new cast of characters. However, it has to work on its rhythm and focus more on its strengths rather than trying to retrace the steps of history. Embracing a new narrative, freed from the constraints of the History Channel, may provide more excitement for future seasons.
