Netflix Gets The Best Historical Epic War Drama Series In Years

The particular acquisition wasn’t an easy one. Originally produced by MGM Television and aired on the History Channel for its first 6 and a half seasons, when Amazon acquired the rights for the final part, Season 6B. 

MGM Television also produced the Netflix-exclusive series Vikings: Valhalla. This was announced in late 2019 and it played a key role in Netflix’s overall Viking strategy. 

When Amazon got the hold of MGM, it raised concerns about whether the Vikings would eventually arrive on Netflix US. Luckily, a pre-existing deal with MGM and the creation of the spinoff Vikings: Valhalla helped the acquisition, which was made available on Netflix from day one. 

Created by Michael Hirst, Vikings premiered on the History Channel in Canada in 2013, while the wait for Netflix users is now officially over. Inspired by Norse sagas, the series follows Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking farmer who rises from humble beginnings to become a renowned warrior and king. 

The series aired across six seasons and 89 episodes, though the latter three seasons followed Ragnar’s sons and their adventures as they explored new lands and fought for power. 

Vikings boasts a stellar cast, including Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok, Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, a shieldmaiden and Ragnar’s wife, alongside them were such actors as Alexander Ludwig, Gustaf Skarsgård, and Marco Ilsø, among many other stars. 

The series delves into matters of religion, politics, power, and love. Ragnar’s world is forever changed when he saves Athelstan, a captured English monk, and begins a friendship. With Athelstan by his side, Ragnar embraces the Christian God. 

In the latter seasons of Vikings, Ragnar’s son, Ivar the Boneless, played by Alex Høgh Andersen, becomes a central character, as you can see on Netflix. Depicted as a capable manipulator, evil, and egocentric, after years of struggling with disability (due to brittle bones, he couldn’t stand or walk and learned to crawl at speed), he becomes a force to be reckoned with thanks to an intelligent mind. He becomes the mastermind behind the Viking Storm that sees them conquer parts of Europe, including the British Isles and Ireland

Vikings is one of the best war dramas out there and deserves a binge-watch now that it is available on Netflix. When you are finished with the original show, the Valhalla sequel is set 100 years after the events of Vikings and dives into a bloody battle between Norsemen and native English. 

While no one from the original show appears in the sequel, the names of Vikings‘ heroes can be heard throughout 16 episodes of the series’ two seasons. The third season is set to premiere this year, but the exact date is yet to be revealed.