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Vikings: Valhalla was one of the shows that came to Netflix without the immense burden of expectations. Perhaps that is the reason this particular historical drama managed to outdo every expectation and blend in humor, war, action, and love in a perfect ensemble. A year later, the series is back with a second season, which is just as perfect as the first one.
Following the fun and engaging trio of Leif (Sam Corlett), Freydis (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald (Leo Suter), the second season is dynamically different and yet similar to the first season of the show. What the second season lacks in grandeur, it makes up for with deep emotions, which gives the new season the impression of being more mature and poised.
The series premiered with eight hour-long episodes on January 12, 2023. Read on for a detailed review of Vikings: Valhalla.
Vikings: Valhalla review- Better characters, more drama, less violence
A good first season can be considered lucky, but not when the show keeps replicating its success in one form or another. For the Vikings: Valhalla, creator Jeb Stuart, and his talented team dared to take the series down a different path, a direction that is interwoven with emotions and historical facts. As odd as it sounds, this is a large part of the show's appeal.
In the second season, the story starts just a while after the end of the first one. Kattegat seems to have settled under King Sweyen Forkbeard (Søren Pilmark) after Olaf's (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) failed attempt at seizing power. However, with a nasty bit of politics going on, Leif, Freydis, and Harald are forced to go on a run, hence beginning the adventure that is special about the sophomore season.
Vikings: Valhalla treads very carefully when it comes to character growth and development. The three main characters have lots of room to grow because they are largely kept apart from one another, something that the writers have taken into consideration. Moreover, their journey and discovery almost twist the theme of the show, making it dynamically different from the first season but just as interesting.
The second season may not have the grandeur or grit of the first season, which was almost drenched in violence and intensity. But Vikings: Valhalla has shown that those are interesting ingredients in a show of this scale but not mandatory. The second season does have ample action, especially in one standalone episode that sees the second season touch the extent of its predecessor.
Still, this is not something that makes the second season of the Vikings: Valhalla special, it's the heart. The core story is so gripping and it is narrated with such intensity and charm that most viewers will fall in love with the new season almost instantaneously. Moreover, it is quite amazing how easy it is to follow the show despite not knowing the actual history of the time or the events.
Netflix may have ventured in the wrong direction quite a few times in the previous year, but it certainly began 2023 well. Vikings: Valhalla is almost a must-watch. All the episodes of the show are now streaming on Netflix.
