Depending on who you ask, you’ll either get a giddy sense of excitement or a groan of disdain when you ask someone about historical fiction. There’ll be those who love it for what it is, and others who simply ask “why can’t they just pick a lane??” But for those of you who are fans of the genre, you’ve probably heard by now that Vikings: Valhalla (the series) was recently released on Netflix, and are rightfully excited. For those of you who are on the fence, perhaps this preparatory recap could convince you to give the show a shot. Maybe you’ll even find yourself a fan of the genre, or at the very least, of the show itself.
What Was The Previous Series About?
That’s right. Before this series was announced, there was a series that existed before it, simply titled Vikings. This show featured Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok as the main character. The story mainly dealt with how the Vikings went about discovering the West. It took care to show the divisions in Viking society and also didn’t shy away from leaning a bit into supernatural aspects of Viking mythology. Vikings also covered their first encounter with England, which plays a very important role in the series after it, Valhalla. Overall, all these elements with the added spice of drama made for a very compelling 6 seasons. Vikings originally aired on Amazon Prime and the History channel.
What Will Vikings: Valhalla Cover?
This show will tell the story of one of the most well-known members of Vikings history, the legendary Leif Erikson, played by Sam Corlett. Accompanying Leif as the main character is his sister, Freydís Eríksdóttir. According to Collider, Valhalla takes place more than a century after the events of the first series. The show looks like it will place more focus on the tensions between the Vikings and the English, specifically the ramifications of each societies’ religions clashing with one another. Like its predecessor, it will do well to lean into the history behind the story, while also not being shy to include some supernatural elements (as an example, the show includes seers who more often than not, more or less validate the existence of the gods).
Unlike the original Vikings, our main characters do not have interests that necessarily align, making for a much more interesting and complex story. How interesting and engaging? If you want a better idea of how it goes, you can continue reading Collider’s review of the show. But if you want to challenge yourself and try something new, why not decide for yourself first?
Vikings: Valhalla was released on Netflix on February 25, 2022.