'Vikings' gets new blood, same sex and…
'Vikings' gets new blood, same sex and violence, for Season 5
Courtesy of the History Channel
Katheryn Winnick as the Viking Queen Lagertha (on Season 5 of "Vikings," premiering Wednesday on the History Channel.
By Rob Lowman | rlowman@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: November 22, 2017 at 10:01 a.m. | UPDATED: November 22, 2017 at 10:24 a.m.
When History's "Vikings" returns on Nov. 29, it will be something of a reboot.
As Season 5 begins, the sons of Ragnar are splitting up after avenging the death of their father, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), who was brutally slain by the Saxons in England. The Viking king had been the focus of the series from Michael Hirst for the first four seasons.
At the end of last year, Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh) killed his brother, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye (David Lindstrom) in anger, and though the youngest of the clan, he has emerged at the top of the pecking order.
The others – Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Hvitserk (Marco Ilso) – can't stop him from his aggressive plans, but his other half-brother Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) decides to set sail with his men for the Mediterranean to explore and loot.
Meanwhile, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard), Ragnar's longtime ally, has decided to set sail by himself after losing his wife, letting the seas determine his fate.
Bjorn's mother, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) – who is surrounded by a group of female advisers – is in a precarious position, having killed the mother of Ragnar's other sons, and it's been prophesied she will die by one of their hands.
The end of last season also brought a new adversary in Saxon leader Heahmund (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a self-punishing warrior bishop.
As usual, "Vikings" is a bloody good mix of medieval sex and violence, family drama and even a little bit of authentic history. If you have been following the characters, you will want to continue watching. The first two-hour episode sets up interesting new dynamics while delivering the usual crazy twists.
This season there are new adventures, but the same old "Vikings."
What: Two-hour Season 5 premiere of the series about the conquests of the Norsemen.
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 29.
Where: History Channel.
Rob Lowman | reporter
Rob Lowman began at the L.A. Daily News working in editing positions on the news side, including working on Page 1 the day the L.A. Riots began in 1992. In 1993, he made the move to features, and in 1995 became the Entertainment Editor for 15 years. He returned to writing full time in 2010. Throughout his career he has interviewed a wide range of celebrities in the arts. The list includes the likes of Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood to Kristin Stewart and Emma Stone in Hollywood; classical figures like Yo Yo Ma and Gustavo Dudamel to pop stars like Norah Jones, Milly Cyrus and Madonna; and authors such as Joseph Heller, John Irving and Lee Child. Rob has covered theater, dance and the fine arts as well as reviewing film, TV and stage. He has also covered award shows and written news stories related to the entertainment business. A longtime resident of Santa Clarita, Rob is still working on his first more-than-30-year marriage, has three grown children (all with master's degrees) and five guitars.
rlowman@scng.com
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