[pullquote_right]Many viewers might have missed out on this unique and addicting show, but the ones who found it have grown into a very vocal fanbase. [/pullquote_right]History’s Vikings was one of the biggest surprises of the 2013 television year and certainly was not on many critic’s radars. The show had a cast of virtual unknowns (aside from Gabriel Byrne) on a network not quite yet known for its hour long dramas, while also being shackled with an odd March premiere date. As a result, many viewers might have missed out on this unique and addicting show, but the ones who found it have grown into a very vocal fanbase.
Now with the release of Vikings: The Complete First Season on Blu-Ray, there’s no excuse for anyone to miss out before Season Two rolls around in 2014. If you’ve followed The Nerd Repository you know we’ve supported the show since it’s beginnings and you’re not going to find too many complaints on the show itself. The series follows Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel in a star-making performance) and his rise to power, all the while fighting for position with his physically intimidating and treasonous brother Rollo (Clive Standen).
The show has a colorful supporting cast that are fleshed out extremely well while being developed into complicated and interesting characters. Ragnar’s wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) is one of the stronger females on TV and his first real adversary, Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne) has some solid material that is brilliantly acted. Gustaf Skarsgård steals almost every scene as Floki and provides just as much dark insight as he does comic relief. Storylines move fast and furiously through the 9-episode first season and the show isn’t afraid to off its characters to progress the story. This is not an “episode of the week” sort of show, and that works greatly in its favor.
[pullquote_left]Storylines move fast and furiously through the 9-episode first season and the show isn’t afraid to off its characters to progress the story.[/pullquote_left]Vikings: The Complete First Season looks pretty great on Blu-Ray due to the amazing on-location filming the show does in Ireland and Western Norway. The show had a decent budget, but being able to film in these gorgeous and vast locations certainly upped the production values and added to the cinematic feel of the show, and they translate well on the 3-disc set. The daytime locations really pop in this format but some of the night-time scenes are still a bit hard to make out clearly.
Fans who have already viewed the season will definitely want to check out the “extended versions” of all of the episodes that provide more nudity and graphic violence, the likes of which would probably have been included if the show aired on a premium cable channel. The additions don’t change the narrative of the episodes but certainly pack a bit more punch.
[pullquote_right]The special features are pretty expansive, leaving a lot to dig through and explore.[/pullquote_right]The special features are pretty expansive, leaving a lot to dig through and explore. Most of the deleted scenes are pretty forgettable and not nearly as fun as the extended episode versions. Creator/Writer Michael Hirst (my interview with him) and Jessalyn Gilsig, who plays Siggy, provide commentary on the episode Rites of Passage, and Clive Standen, who plays Rollo (Brent’s interview) and Katheryn Winnick, who plays Lagertha, add their commentary to the season finale All Change. Both commentaries come across well and all involved have certain insights that help viewers have a better understanding of their characters, but nothing huge is revealed.
[pullquote_left]The Blu-Ray set is solid representation of the show and has plenty of extra features to supplement the extremely good “extended versions” of the episodes. [/pullquote_left]The remaining content consists of three documentary featurettes covering a behind-the-scenes look at the production and some historical content on the culture of Viking society, the best of which is Forging the Viking Army: Warfare and Tactics, which gives a really neat look into making the battle sequences and fighting look authentic.
Vikings: The Complete First Season is a show that I’ve personally recommended to quite a few people and fans of shows like Game of Thrones or even sillier ones like Spartacus should immediately watch this show. None of the special features have anything groundbreaking, but it’s all fairly informative and interesting. The Blu-Ray set is a solid representation of the show and has plenty of extra features to supplement the extremely good “extended versions” of the episodes.
