With 'Norsemen' season 3 set to be a blast from the past, here's what we can expect from the Norwegian comedy series
Spoiler Alert
Some days ago, creators of the Norwegian period comedy 'Norsemen' told us that the upcoming third season will narrate the story that led up to the first season, at the same time promising that the story won't stray too far.
In an exclusive chat with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), creators Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgersen opened up about the third season of the acclaimed comedy TV series set in 790. The duo, who wrote and directed the show in both Norwegian and English, believe there was a lot of mystery around the characters and the events that occurred through the two seasons that needed clarity.
"We thought there were too many untold stories from before season one, so we decided to tell them... We had plotted out most of the story beyond season two, but we could not let go of the urge to tell the story that led up to season one," they told us. "It is safe to say that we don’t stray too far off the path of seasons one and two."
The last episode of the second season ended on highly anticipatory notes. After a mighty struggle, Jarl Varg gets revenge by confiscating the map to the west with Orm's help — one that the tribe has been hiding all season. At "The Thing" — a peaceful gathering of the different tribes of Norway that is held to discuss issues, including those with rival tribes — Arvid is manipulated into breaking the peaceful rule and is slated to be killed for violating "The Thing". However, he successfully escapes and the season ends with him plotting against Jarl Varg and making plans to get rid of Orm, Liv and Rufus.
So, for the third season, fans of the show were prepared, and more than excited, to see how Norheim gets rids of the pests Orm, Liv and Rufus, and defeats the villainous Jarl Varg. But considering how the creators have decided to go back in time, fans will have to wait for a while before the story picks up from there.
While there are a lot of possibilities to how the creators will show the development to season one, here is perhaps what we can look forward to.
Why does Norheim owe Jarl Varg?
One of the most intriguing things about the first two seasons is that they tell us nothing about why Chieftain Olav owes Jarl Varg the map to the West — he also says that Jarl Varg shouldn't get his hands on the map. And so, the map is stashed away protected — first by Chieftain Olav and then rather shabbily by Orm — from Varg. But why? What does the Earl have on Chieftain Olav and his tribe that he demands the map from them? The West is where the land is richer and, in Viking terms, raid-able. But that can't be the only reason why. Season three will provide some answers.
Why is Frøya married to Orm?
This was quite a mystery, we must admit. Barely minutes into the first episode of the first season, we know that Frøya (played by Silje Torp) and Orm are a misfit: Orm is docile in his own ways, stupid, dumb yet cunning and manipulative while Frøya is as simple as it comes — she is straightforward and not one to believe in layers. Frøya is also the least complicated of the women of Norheim — including Liv, Arvid's wife-turned-outlaw, and Hildur, Olav's wife. She is also a shield-maiden and unlike Orm, loves going on raids raping men and pillaging villages. After she was killed off towards the end, it felt like the makers had cut off her character. "I was surprisingly agitated when her character was killed off!" says Reddit user 'WhitePineBurning'.
If season three tells us the story of how they got married, this means we will get to see more of Frøya!
Who and what exactly is Orm?
Played by Kåre Conradi, Orm is a prominent driving force in 'Norsemen'. As important to the plotline as he is, Orm can only be two things — loved or hated: there is no middle ground. He is dumb, yes, but under the garb of stupidity, he is very manipulative, cunning, ruthless and unforgiving. For a comedy series, Orm is the single-most conniving character.
But what made him that way? Could be years of rejection from his elder brother Chieftain Olav. Possibly because of this, he also suffers from what could be an inferiority complex. Orm also struggles with his sexuality. Perhaps the third season will delve deeper into his character arc.
Orm was also the creators' "favorite character" to write. "Orm is probably a tad more heinous and vindictive, as he kills people in the most brutal ways — for example, burying people alive for excluding him from Friday mead. But his pettiness, insecurity, and vulnerability are something people can relate to in some way, probably. But luckily for mankind, few act upon them in the same degree."
Predictions aside, we cannot wait to see what creators Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgersen have in the pipeline for the third season. And what does this mean for season four? Time will tell.
Season three, the duo tells us, is closer than we thought. "The Norwegian version is set to air sometime after Christmas, and the Netflix version a bit later. No dates are set yet," they add.
The first two seasons of the show are available to stream on Netflix.
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