Vikings
In the end, nobody is safe from serial death
King Harald (Peter Franzen, left) and Ivar (Alex Hogh Andersen).
© (c) 2020 TM Productions Limited: T5 Vikings VI Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved
With the second part of the sixth season "Vikings" comes to an end. Some surprises await. Here is the spoiler-free review of the finale.
Fans had to wait a long time, now the grand finale of the "Vikings" saga is in the starting blocks. From December 30th, Amazon Prime Video will show the last ten episodes of the sixth season, with which the history series now comes to an end. The first part was shown in 2019.
At the beginning of the new episodes, there are a few questions in the room: Where are the sons of the late Ragna Lothbrok going next? Are Ubbe and his wife Torvi finally discovering new land on which to settle? What clever plans does Ivar the Boneless have? And: Does Bjorn Eisseite die after his brother Ivar wounded him?
Is the golden age of the Vikings over?
"Perhaps the golden age of the Vikings is over," says Gunnhild (Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, 36) the wife of Bjorn Eisseite (Alexander Ludwig, 28), in the trailer. But is it really like that? Some battles are still ahead, especially the one between the Vikings and the Rus, who rely on the support of Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen) and his brother Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø). The first battles raged at the end of the first part of the sixth season – and ended with a shocking finale: The series hero and firstborn of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel, 41, "Warcraft: The Beginning"), Bjorn, was stabbed to death by his brother Ivar. But Bjorn wouldn't be a true Viking hero if he didn't get up again afterwards.
Another topic in the series finale is the entangled character of the egocentric Ivars. His goal: to become the most famous Viking of all time. But it could already be declared a god – and even believed in it itself. But towards the end of the history series, Ivar seems to have started to rethink and he seems unusually reflected. Ivar makes a decision: he wants to pursue an important goal of his father. To do this, however, he needs allies that he no longer has. But – as is well known by now – Ivar is one of the brightest minds of the Vikings.
While the brothers Bjorn, Ivar and Hvitserk are at war with each other, the fourth brother, Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith, 31), is far away. He is looking for the "golden land" and not only clashes with quarrelsome comrades, but is confronted with the Catholic faith anew. Always by his side: his wife Torvi (Georgia Hirst, 26). The couple will not only mourn further losses towards the end of the series, but also find themselves in an eternal struggle for survival. Is it worth it in the end?
Exciting series finale with surprising twists
"Viking" fans already know: Even the greatest hero is not immune from serial death. But one or the other death in the series finale comes as a surprise – and is sometimes not even discussed further. Thanks to the surprising twists and turns, the series creators create an exciting ending that makes it difficult not to watch the last ten episodes in one go. Touching scenes and thought-out dialogues alternate with the bloody and merciless slaughter typical of the series. The series even draws a line to the beginning of the narrative – a successful, rounded end!
Not only the erratic, unpredictable narrative style of the saga is outstanding, but also the performance of the actors. Alex Høgh Andersen in particular is completely absorbed in his role as the vicious Ivars. Towards the end it shows a surprising amount of emotions, which means that the brutal Viking can even gain a few sympathy points. Conclusion: fans will definitely not be disappointed by the end!