‘Vikings’ Season 6 Episode 1 review: The premiere keeps its promise, proves to be a great beginning to the final season
Watch out for spoilers for Season 6 Episode 1 in this review
The time is finally here when the legacy of the Vikings will slowly come to an end and a new order will take its place. But we still have a long way to the end of that era. Before that, there are stories to be told, of Bjorn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, King Harald, and King Oleg. The first episode lays down these character cards, telling us that the final season of the historic saga will indeed be epic.
As the premiere opens, we are taken into an entirely new setting, away from the decadent, grayed landscape of Kattegat to the wintery wonderlands of Russia. Visually, the journey from the Fjords to the snow-clad Urals and the Caucasus Mountains is indeed delightful, nailing the cinematography, which is the strong point of the show. Story-wise, it takes a leap into another new character, while dealing with our favorite and older ones. As we are introduced to another ancient European legend, King Oleg of Kieven Rus (or Kiev owned Russia of 8th century), we are assured that he is here to stay and will have quite a significant role to play in the future history of the Vikings. Here, the story takes an interesting angle.
Oleg’s men find Ivar and his aide encroaching on the princely territory and capture them. Much to our surprise, Ivar is present in a foreign land, without any agenda, perhaps for the first time ever. Oleg refuses to believe that the crippled man lying on the ground, at his mercy could have once been the ruler of Vikings and had many conquests to his name. He also refuses to believe that he could be godly, or even the direct descendant of Odin, as Ivar’s followers claim him to be. He befriends his captive and proposes to ally with him and attack Kattegat. As historical facts would also claim, King Oleg has Viking ancestry, although his clan had been converted to Christianity later so he would not mind taking back his ancestral lands back in Norway. As Ivar and Oleg’s interaction progresses, we realize that the two characters have a lot in common. Both are ruthless, lonely, hungry for power, and lovelorn in the strangest way.
Elsewhere, Bjorn has embarked on his kingship, while his brothers stand by his side, but his mother, Lagertha is all set to retire into the countryside and build her own farmstead. So far, the first days of new leadership look promising and Kattegat looks to be in peace and order in the hands of Ragnar’s sons. But will this air of calm sustain for long? Or will it soon go back to the days of darkness as the prophecies were once made.
Stay tuned to discover more about the legendary warriors on ‘Vikings’ Season 6 airs every Wednesday, 9pm/ET only on History Channel.