Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

For far too long, history has condensed the story of the Viking people into a comic book saga filled with primitive characters raping, plundering, and wearing funny horns, breastplates, and flaxen braids. Thanks to the History Channel, we have the opportunity to appreciate an engaging, well-acted, fairly accurate picture of these intelligent, spiritual, self-disciplined, and hardy craftsmen, clansmen, and seafarers whose skills and civilization in the 8th and 9th centuries was more advanced than that of much of the European continent. Consummate shipbuilders and navigators, Vikings managed to traverse the deadly seas of the North Atlantic (in open longboats!) to discover North America centuries before Christopher Columbus was even born. They settled much of Ireland, England, Greenland, Russia, and Iceland. The Norsemen didn't manage to accomplish all that they did by being rage-filled, crude, undisciplined savages. This show capably demonstrates the high degree of cooperation among their clan, the rules that governed their communities, their work ethic and egalitarian spirit, strong sense of loyalty, and the abiding sense of justice that is still deep, deep in the Scandanavian DNA right up to today. During the first millenium, there was lively trade between Scandanavia and Germany, Spain, what is now Russia, and even North Africa. Norsemen were justifiably famous for their craftsmanship in building homes, barns, and other dwellings, for painting and needlework, and in fashioning arts from silver and pewter. They were a spiritual people, as this show depicts, and although their pantheon of gods may seem childish and naive to those of us reared in Judeo-Christian traditions, the Norsemen lived by a spiritual code, believed in an afterlife, and called upon God as they understood Him/Her to protect them and guide them in this life. Not only does the plot of The Vikings keep us engaged from week to week, the casting is just superb. Travis Fimell dominates the screen as Ragnar, one of the most revered Norse heroes of history. He is perfectly cast and his is a breakout performance. His wife, a Shield Maiden, Lagertha, is played by Kathryn Winnick, again a stroke of casting genius. She manages to combine the nurturing Earth Mother presence with a fierce warrior spirit [much admired in Norse legends] and genuine sexual heat with her husband. Other characters, including Gabriel Byrne, Gustaf Skarsgard etc are equally adept. I have become a huge fan of this well-plotted and well-acted series and hope that the History Channel powers that be will continue the saga into future seasons.