As a big fan of Vikings, I was hesitant to check this out because I just didn't think it could ever live up to how great the original show was. However, I'm happy to say that while I still prefer Vikings, the first season of Vikings: Valhalla did not disappoint. As soon as I realized that Michael Hirst was back for this show, I was on board. And he brings a lot of what made Vikings great and applies it to Valhalla. Great action and cinematography, very strong writing and dialogue, and a very interesting story/dynamic fueled by the time period and the great characters. I love how we are going to familiar places but we now get to explore a very different time in viking history. Focusing on internal conflict between pagan and Christian vikings was such a smart idea, and it allows for really interesting dynamics. And the three main characters of Leif Erikson, Freydis, and Harald are all very compelling in their own unique ways. I also really enjoyed a lot of the side characters. The biggest thing holding this first season back for me was the pace. It was so incredibly fast and there were so many things going on. We get at least two entire seasons worth of plot crammed into one season here, so we don't ever get a ton of time to dive deep into what is going on before something else happens and the show has moved on. I think they could have slowed things down a bit, but overall this was really entertaining and engaging, and a really strong first season.
Review by Justin NumerickBlockedParent2023-01-12T02:01:57Z
2022 Ranked --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2022-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc
As a big fan of Vikings, I was hesitant to check this out because I just didn't think it could ever live up to how great the original show was. However, I'm happy to say that while I still prefer Vikings, the first season of Vikings: Valhalla did not disappoint. As soon as I realized that Michael Hirst was back for this show, I was on board. And he brings a lot of what made Vikings great and applies it to Valhalla. Great action and cinematography, very strong writing and dialogue, and a very interesting story/dynamic fueled by the time period and the great characters. I love how we are going to familiar places but we now get to explore a very different time in viking history. Focusing on internal conflict between pagan and Christian vikings was such a smart idea, and it allows for really interesting dynamics. And the three main characters of Leif Erikson, Freydis, and Harald are all very compelling in their own unique ways. I also really enjoyed a lot of the side characters. The biggest thing holding this first season back for me was the pace. It was so incredibly fast and there were so many things going on. We get at least two entire seasons worth of plot crammed into one season here, so we don't ever get a ton of time to dive deep into what is going on before something else happens and the show has moved on. I think they could have slowed things down a bit, but overall this was really entertaining and engaging, and a really strong first season.
8.0 // Great