Vikings: Valhalla – The Complete First Season is a spin-off of the original series Vikings and is set 100-years after the events of that series. The story follows the adventures of some of the most famous Vikings in history, particularly Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), son of Erik the Red, Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), who would eventually become the king of Norway, and Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), daughter of Erik the Red, who would go on to help explore North America.
The season’s eight episodes begins as King Æthelred (Bosco Hogan) carries out a massacre against Danes who have been allowed to settle in Britain after years of raids, under a law and treaty that has become known as the Danelaw. I am no expert on Viking history, but through my admittedly limited research, the writers have consolidated two different events, the St. Brice Day Massacre of 1002 and the Oxford Massacre of 1004. Likewise, the resulting response by the combined forces of the Vikings led by King Canute (Bradley Freegard), also seems to be a combination of different attacks, but the main thrust of history is here. Cnute brings together Viking forces, which includes two of our main characters, Leif, and Harald, and they eventually launch an unlikely assault on the heavily fortified city of London toward Canute’s goal of acquiring the crown of England for himself.
The series, which seems to be a little less budgeted than its FX cousin, is effective, nonetheless. It not only captures the historic events that lead to the eventual turmoil in England heading toward the Norman conquest, but also delves into the internal conflicts going on in Viking society as those who converted to Christianity violently try to force the remaining pagans to do the same.
The imagery, set designs, and brutal battles are accented by a little more skin in sex scenes on this Netflix series versus the commercial cable counterpart, but the storytelling is no less compelling. Like the original series, some fantasy elements are woven into the plot, but this is more an historical epic that it is Game of Thrones.
Vikings: Valhalla — The Complete First Season (Warner Bros.)
Vikings: Valhalla — The Complete First Season (Warner Bros.)
The Video
Vikings: Valhalla was shot digitally on the Sony Venice. On Netflix it streams in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision HDR. Unfortunately, it is not getting a 4K home video release from Warner, but this Blu-ray, in its 2.00:1 AVC 1080p encodement looks pristine. It is not necessarily filmic, but it does look cinematic and full of detail, with deep focus on the lush greenery of the Scandinavian forests and seas, and strong contrast, even without HDR. The black levels could have been a little inkier, but this does lead to some extended, nuanced shadows.
The Audio
The series gets an excellent lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that is in keeping with these sorts of series. I would compare this to the original 5.1 mixes of Game of Thrones, well balanced, filled with atmospherics and discrete sound effects through the surrounds. We hear the din of the villages, the clash of metal on metal during the battle sequences, and on the seas, the deep crash of waves and the powerful clap of thunder.
The Supplements
Vikings Valhalla: The Complete First Season comes with zero bonus features. For a series like this a couple of audio commentaries or at least a documentary tying in the history behind the story would have been great.
The Final Assessment
Vikings: Valhalla, which has already reached its conclusion on Netflix, got off to an excellent start with this first season and looks and sounds fantastic on this Blu-ray release. It is disappointing that there is no 4K release with Atmos nor any bonus features on this barebones release, but if you want the best-looking version minus HDR you never have to worry about disappearing from any streaming platforms, this is it.
Vikings: Valhalla — The Complete First Season is out on Blu-ray August 27, 2024, from Warner Bros.
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Vikings: Valhalla – The Complete First Season is a spin-off of the original series Vikings and is set 100-years after the events of that series. The story follows the adventures of some of the most famous Vikings in history, particularly Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett),...Vikings Valhalla: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review
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