Vikings: Valhalla (Season 1) (Blu-ray Review)
Vikings was immediately a Netflix juggernaut, that saw huge viewership and plenty of love from viewers and critics alike! Set 100 years after the final Vikings episode, we now have Vikings: Valhalla. The first season has debuted on Blu-ray just as the fourth and final season of the show is now available to enjoy! Does this sequel show have the stuff of the original? Read on below to find out!
Season: 
Vikings: Valhalla chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived — the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson, his fiery and headstrong sister Freydis Eiríksdóttir, and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson. As tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach a bloody breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs, these three Vikings begin an epic journey that will take them across oceans and through battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond, as they fight for survival and glory.
As we begin Vikings: Valhalla, 100 years have passed since the events of the original series. There is religious unrest in England, and all the Vikings are at odds with one another as they walk the line between Christianity and Paganism. King Æthelred II, of England, has ordered all Danish settlers to be killed, and all Vikings are called to Kattegat to come together as an army seeking revenge. Leif Erikson and Freydis Eiríksdóttir are two such Vikings seeking revenge. Freydis is specifically looking for the man who raped and scarred her body years before. When she finds him and kills him, the whole revenge operation becomes jeopardized. The war is on the horizon as Leif and Freydis and the Viking army make their way back to England to establish their dominance following the devastating killings and attacks on their people for their Pagan beliefs.
Leif and Freydis are the glue that holds Vikings: Valhalla together. They are fascinating and multi-layered. To have them with us the whole time provides us with characters we are invested in. We want to see them through their journey, hope they find ways to stay together and wish for them to survive and fight from one episode to the next. With Leif and Freydis, we have a security that we will want to continue the journey long after the last episode is over. The pair are steadfast, determined and undeniably capable – True heroes for Viking equality and survival.
Harold Sigurdsson is another big part of the show’s appeal. He is capable and charismatic. Sigurdsson wants to act as a bridge between Pagan and Christian warriors and wants the fair and equal treatment to bring all Vikings together. Harold is a Christian, but identifies with the Pagans also, making his point of view appealing to either side. His ambitions as a warrior and a leader make his character one that’s easy to admire.
Vikings: Valhalla provides equal parts historical accuracy and action-adventure excitement. The first episode begins things at a slow pace, focusing on character development before the faster paced battles begin. The first episode could prove challenging for those without patience; however, the hour-long episode does pick up once the Viking army begins to form. Also, the episodes pick up steam immediately as episode 2 steams things ahead through to the remainder of the season. Tension is forthcoming with more characters coming in, more lives are threatened, and more violence becomes imminent.
Over the course of each episode, Vikings: Valhalla does pack on the story, thrills and history. The show seeks to entertain many audiences with great production values, storied research, dramatic depth and a faithful realism. Since this is a show based firstly on entertainment, keep in mind some of the events are obviously dramatized differently, and for those who’d complain, know it seems that the more fictional elements of the story come together with the true elements for a very well thought out mix. The diverse cast adds another excellent layer to the series.
While Vikings: Valhalla may indeed be a sequel series, in no way does the show show signs of fatigue or a lesser-than quality. Overall, the show begins with a first-rate storyline that begs to be binge-watched. Thankfully, those without Netflix will finally have a way to dive into the Vikings universe once more. Pair this with the original series on Blu-ray and you’ve got a very rewarding ride into history with plenty of violence, sex and dramatic tension to satiate even the pickiest of viewers.
Video:
Encoding: MPEG-4/AVC
Resolution: HD (1080p)
Aspect Ratio: 2.00:1
Layers: BD-50 (Across 2 Discs)
Clarity/Detail: Filmed in 4K with Dolby Vision for its Netflix release, Vikings: Valhalla (Season 1’s) Blu-ray set is in no way a downgrade to that digital streaming presentation. Clarity is sharp and detailed with lovely attention paid to textures on clothing, faces and hair follicle. There is no degradation of image quality taking away the HDR colors or the higher resolution. As we know, streaming in 4K is not the same as UHD Blu-ray or Kaleidescape’s digital 4K presentation, so have no fear!
Depth: Depth of field keeps you in the world of Vikings: Valhalla, with nice focus points and no blurred instances within the series.
Black Levels: Darker scenes can nearly give way to crush just as things get really blacked out but are saved by the detailed elements within the costume design and the focus on the actors’ faces.
Color Reproduction: Colors appear natural despite the lack of wider color gamut. No scenes are left looking artificial or miscolored and appear faithful to the source.
Flesh Tones: Flesh tones are natural throughout, with dirt and makeup effects blending well with that natural look.
Noise/Artifacts: Clean
Audio:
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD MA 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French
Dynamics: Dolby Atmos appears on Netflix, but don’t let those extra surround channels fool you. The mix provided on this Blu-ray set of Vikings: Valhalla is every bit as satisfying as the streaming Atmos mix. Dynamics are a bit better seeing as the mix has more room to breathe on disc. Sound effects, music and dialogue are all given plenty of room to hold their own.
Height: N/A
Low-Frequency Extension: Battle sounds and music activate the subwoofer when called for, but as with most early season shows, episodes of Vikings: Valhalla have more dialogue moments than action sequences.
Surround Sound Presentation: Battles, moments in crowds, and nature come into the Surround channels, taking you into the old days with the Vikings.
Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is clear throughout the episodes.
Extras:
Extras for Vikings: Valhalla are non-existent. Unfortunately this seems to be a normal instance for Netflix shows hitting physical media as of late.
Summary:
Admittedly, Vikings: Valhalla is my first foray into the Vikings universe. The lovely thing about this first season of the show, is that it makes me want to go back and discover the original series now. It would appear that I have missed out on something great that has been thought of as a lesser Game Of Thrones but that ultimately feels like a wholly original and truly thoughtful recount of the days of the Viking and the legacy too. This first season will hopefully follow with the others, and now I can’t wait to get into Vikings even more!
