Vikings

The episode wasn’t packed with frantic pace or amazing action. There was a lot of talking, but it was meaningful. Bjorn found a new bride, which was entertaining, and I learned how to properly castrate a reindeer. Plus, watching Floki try to establish a communist society was quite a sight. (21.05.2018)

I decided to ignore minor flaws because the creators clearly tried to bring back what made the series great. The pre-battle negotiations and the battle itself were well-executed, and for the first time in a while, I was genuinely satisfied. (21.05.2018)

At times, I felt like I was watching Game of Thrones with its absurdly fast travel. Hvitserk’s journey from Norway to Francia and back to Norway must have been divine intervention; there's no other explanation. And he still had time to negotiate with Rollo and prepare an expeditionary force. As for Alfred's bizarre coronation? That was a bad joke. (21.05.2018)

I appreciated that the creators finally decided to kill off some major characters, but the execution left much to be desired. Interrupting the battle with the preceding events was fine, but the silly visions and strange states of some characters got on my nerves. And Halfdan’s stupid death — really, they couldn't have come up with anything better? He could have at least accidentally stabbed himself in the gut while shaving. Oh, and Ivar surviving it all? I need to try that myself. (21.05.2018)

A lot seemed to be happening, but then I realized that all the important stuff could fit into ten minutes. The cold Nordic air must have something to it — France has taken its toll on Rollo. At times, I feared he'd just drop dead. Meanwhile, Lagertha is still as vital as ever, with only her hair color changing. (30.03.2019)

A pretty unimpressive episode, although it could have been worse. The main issue with the fifth season is that it lacks everything that originally made me love the series. The high-quality action is practically gone, clever intrigue has been replaced with pointless dialogue, and now it’s just a mess of who’s involved with whom and when. (30.03.2019)

I didn't think an episode could get any worse than the last one but here we are. One thing the creators can’t be faulted for is that Ivar’s character keeps evolving. How exactly, well, that’s another matter. To top it off, the plot has circled back to Floki’s settlers, who I didn't care about before, still don't care about, and probably never will. And let's not even get started on what's happening in England. Two stars feel about right for this one. (30.03.2019)

I have no clue what the creators were thinking with this episode. It felt like a total waste of time — my time. I could have been watching something with a proper pace; even a sixty-meter snail race would have been more entertaining. Nothing significant happened, I was bored to death, and that guy with the bucket of gasoline really set the bonfire ablaze. (30.03.2019)

A huge improvement over the last episode — I actually enjoyed the show again! It's a shame the creators couldn't resist throwing in another one of Ivar's speeches, though. The battle could have been more epic, but I'm just glad we got one at all instead of just a scene of sword cleaning after the fight. However, the chief of the Wessex secret service really impressed me; they did a great job with that character. (31.03.2019)

Maybe it doesn't seem like, but I'm generally a tolerant person. I don't mind what anyone believes in as long as they don't force their truth on me. And I don't care who sleeps with whom, as long as I don't have to watch. But the plot development in this episode really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm used to the occasional northerner getting baptized, but now we've got Buddhism in the mix? What's next, Islam? I can hardly wait. (31.03.2019)

Why just one star? Because I was terribly bored. Floki's Icelandic adventure has been dull from the start, and dedicating half an episode to it only made things worse. I couldn't muster any sympathy for a bunch of lunatics whose only contribution to the story was their mutual destruction. Even Ivar's change of constitution didn't do much for me. Overall, it was a disappointment. (31.03.2019)

This episode had less trekking in Iceland (thankfully), but Lagertha was found which I wasn't exactly thrilled about. It felt like they recycled some older scenes. Well, at least the screenwriter didn’t have to put in so much effort. On a different note, I’m still puzzled about when they set up an oil refinery in Kattegat because they're definitely not sparing the gasoline. Honestly, I can’t wait for this to be over. (31.03.2019)

I wasn’t as bored with this episode as I was with the previous ones, which is a pretty sad reason to bump up the rating for a series that initially had me completely hooked. There were only two moments that genuinely amused me: Floki almost destroying the island and Ivar getting all bothered about the immaculate conception. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this episode to Joseph; he might become a little suspicious of Mary. (01.04.2019)

I must admit, something finally happened going after a long stretch of nothing. However, the creators really botched the siege of Kattegat. Take Bjorn, for instance – he was involved in the conquest of Paris, so you'd expect him to have learned a thing or two. But this was just a clear case of bad writing. And judging by Ivar's choice of headgear, it looks like the plot might be heading to China next season. (01.04.2019)