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'Norsemen' Season 3 Preview: What does Norheim owe Jarl Varg and why?

Chieftain Olav (Henrik Mestad) was supposed to give the map to the west to Jarl Varg. But why? The upcoming season promises to answer this question and more

No praise for 'Norsemen' is enough. The brilliantly hilarious Norwegian series (aka 'Vikingane' in Norsk) surpasses American sitcom standards with its refreshing plot, mesmerizing settings, and eccentric characters. The credit for its success goes to Jon Iver Helgaker and Jonas Torgersen, who have written and directed the series. The international comedy from NRK1 (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's main television channel) won the Gullruten award in 2017 for Best Comedy Show for presenting the Viking culture with comedy in a unique way.

In an interview last year, the creators told us that the upcoming Season 3 will be Season 0, a prequel that will document the events leading up to Season 1. Set in the small town of Norheim, Norway, circa AD 790, the period comedy puts the focus on some very dysfunctional Vikings in a dysfunctional setup. The idea of Season 0 is to explore the mystery around the characters and the events that occurred through the first two seasons. "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," the creators told us. 

A Season 0 is a smart concept, we must add. It leaves a lot to speculation and little to spoil. Towards the end of Season 2, there are some very crucial questions, mainly regarding Frøya (Silje Torp), a fan-favorite character who was killed off by Jarl Varg (Jon Øigarden). While it left many fans upset, Season 0 will be bringing her back. But more importantly, it brings back the question: what does Norheim owe Jarl Varg and why?

The murder of Frøya was a snowballed effect of Norheim denying Jarl Varg his rightful entity. Chieftain Olav (Henrik Mestad) was supposed to give the map to the west to Jarl Varg. But why? Why does the village of Norheim owe him at all? The land to the west is richer in resources like food, metal, and other riches alike. Compared to the east, which is raided practically empty by the Vikings, the land to the west has a lot to offer. But while Norheim looted the west, Jarl Varg's tribe was left with a raid akin to a sheer pittance in the east. And so ensued the long con of getting the map, involving treason by Orm (Kåre Conradi) and Jarl Varg losing his hands which resulted in a hilarious fitting of ancient prosthetics. 

Season 0 promises to answer these questions. In the Norsk trailer for the season, we see the flashback of a young Jarl Varg (sans the face tattoo so it is evident something major happened between this and Season 1) being ridiculed by Chieftain Olav. Apart from this, we will also know why exactly Frøya married someone like Orm when she was clearly best-suited for Arvid (Nils Jørgen Kaalstad). All episodes of Season 3 of 'Norsemen' will be available to stream on Netflix on July 22, 2020. Season 1 and 2 are currently streaming on the site.

'Norsemen' Season 3: Why and what does Norheim owe Jarl Varg?