For a show that features as much violence as "Vikings" does, the History Channel's first scripted series, now in its second season, proves surprisingly poignant and emotionally vivid. The show - which charts the history of a group of Scandinavian warriors in the eighth century - centers around Ragnar Lothbrook (Travis Fimmel), a warrior and farmer who yearns to travel west into uncharted territory. In the first season, Gabriel Byrne played Earl Haraldson, the alpha male and leader of the Viking clan, who opposes Ragnar's visions of heading west in favor of pushing further east. Ragnar relies on help from his erratic yet brilliant, ship builder friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) to plan for his expedition across the ocean and make his pillaging-and-conquering dreams a reality. The series captures the intricacies of Viking life in a new and honest way, spending as much time on ax-swinging battle scenes as it does on the interpersonal narrative between Ragnar and his family.
The spirit of the show's first season is best encapsulated in this assessment from Floki: "Who needs a reason for betrayal? One must always think the worst, Ragnar, even of your own kin. That way you avoid too much disappointment in life." Now, with the sixth episode of season two premiering on Thursday, writers are upping the intensity, the battle scenes and the maturity of the series, which deals with an often unexplored time in human history: the era of the Viking. What began as another quasi-"Game of Thrones" (2011-present) filled with epic fights, medieval weapons and broiling personal conflict has become an intimate examination of these Scandinavian clans - a journey into the private lives of some of the grizzliest men in history.
Season two begins by answering the questions from season one's cliffhanger finale. Would Ragnar's jealous brother Rollo (Clive Standen) betray him and engage in a battle over alliances with local rulers? (Yes.) Would there be ramifications for Ragnar's cheating on his wife with a Nordic princess? (Definitely.) But, as the lead characters begin to show significant development, season two does more than just answer questions. Ragnar is more often at odds with his brothers and peers, and Ragnar's wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) becomes an even more fearless warrior, demonstrating just how sharply she can wield both her words and her weapons.
"Vikings" has been frequently compared to "Game of Thrones," and it certainly parallels the HBO show, especially with its focus on character development, shifting military allegiances and gory battle scenes. Lagertha mirrors Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) of "Game of Thrones" in her intractable strength. However, "Vikings" has a long way to go before it achieves the elevated storytelling, brilliant visuals and, of course, steadfast fan base of the popular fantasy series.
As of now, "Vikings" still struggles with the confusing mixture of accents, all of which are decidedly more English and less Scandinavian, as well as with minor forced elements in the plot and a confusing four-year jump between the first and second episodes of the second season. But the pitfalls of the first season have diminished and show signs of disappearing altogether. The cinematography is so exquisitely breathtaking that hearing an occasional muddied Manchester accent alongside a Welsh one is a forgivable offense, so long as writer and executive producer Michael Hirst continues to include panoramic shots of the spectacular northern European countryside.
With an improved second season and a third green-lit and set to premiere in 2015, the future is surely bright for the historical drama. In fact, "Vikings" might be one of the best shows of 2014 - all Hirst's series needs to do is conquer ratings and gain loyal new viewers, which, with its progression thus far, shouldn't be hard to do.
