[yasr_overall_rating]
Ragnar’s return to Kattegat following his shameful defeat in Paris escalates tension among his sons. Determined to save what remains of his legacy, Ragnar recruits Ivar for a perilous voyage to England, where he plans to attack the Saxons. Meanwhile, a prophecy that a woman will one day rule Kattegat deepens Aslaug and Lagertha’s feud.
A confession before I begin my review of “Vikings: Season 4,” I’ve seen many but not all seasons of “Vikings.” So there might be nuances that I will miss in this review that a more diehard fan of the show would have noticed. There’s nothing that makes me particularly dislike the show, it’s just something that lies outside my scope to its blend of history with action. That said, “Vikings” is the best show that I think could possibly be made today that explores a backstory related to vikings. This show reminds me a bit of a grittier version of “Game of Thrones.” With dragons and fantasy removed too.
Season 4 begins after the siege of Paris. The show’s main character, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) was badly injured in these events and the first few episodes of the season spend time trying to figure out how his absence in the power struggle will be filled. There are many people who attempt to take over, including Ragnar’s wife, Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) and Ragnar’s son, Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig). There’s also a subplot about Ragnar’s brother Rollo (Clive Standen), who is part of a failed marriage. The Rollo bits were probably my favorite.
“Vikings” is a great idea for a TV show because there are many action sequences and violent scenes that accompany the profession. What Season 4 does so successfully is blend this violence and chaos with good storytelling and structure. There are lots of twists and turns that make the viewer wonder exactly how things will resolve. Of course, letting on what these developments are is a bit outside the scope of this review because I want to avoid spoilers as much as possible. Suffice it to say, everything in Season 4 builds to a very strong boiling point and a brilliant peak. As a result, season 4 might be the best season of “Vikings” yet.
“Vikings” succeeds at being a remarkably engaging historical TV show. Because the show makes no effort to show the characters in a sympathetic light, you might experience difficulty in sympathizing with the characters. If you’re a lover of history or action in TV shows, you could do much, much worse than “Vikings.”
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