Vikings

If this episode has any flaws, it’s the way they play with time. In other words, it looks as if everyone travelled from one place to the other at supersonic speed. GoT had the same issue, but here it was is pronounced. (19.01.2020)

The Bishop and Ivar play chess and philosophise, while the rest are properly getting ready for the battle. Not much will happen if you skip this episode. (19.01.2020)

A battle that doesn't have the right ingredients or directorial skill, unfortunately. And actually, not much happens in it. (20.01.2020)

Another trip in time. Having many weeks, if not several months, passing in two successive cuts is not exactly a good idea to speed up the saga, when it's thrice the crap it should be. (20.01.2020)

The promised battle for Norway didn’t work out, it was cluttered, stilted and unnecessarily full of annoying, sometimes surreal flashbacks. The creators, incapable of putting together a proper battle, limit themselves to mindlessly hacking infantrymen with the swords and axes of the main characters. Boring to watch, though of course solidly crafted, it's highlighted a bit by juicy details like a hand being amputated in the shot when Lagertha walks past the wounded, etc. The question remains, when will the grand finale really happen and will the cards be shuffled? (20.01.2020)

An impressive reunion with Rollo, who has hopefully come to the rescue of the occasionally somewhat hapless writers. Finally, there's less Floki on screen. (25.01.2020)

The main line moves to England, with the Bishop assuming the role of saviour and liberator. Well, at least for some time. Only the unfolding love story between him and Lagertha can't be trusted, or doesn't feel authentic. Two good murders at the end hopefully foreshadow that there will be some blood in this otherwise sterile fifth season, which has been unnecessarily long and drawn out. (25.01.2020)

The blatant boredom and the final sacrifice scene is so absurd that it actually evokes today's hypocritical times full of lies and untruths very well. As a semi-documentary, the final few minutes are pretty okay. Otherwise, this is the weakest episode so far. (25.01.2020)

It’s a shame the direction they are taking with Ivar’s character. He’s too psychopathic and forced, and the attempt to shock the viewer this way is not the best idea. (25.01.2020)

A nice battle involving siege weapons as a bonus. A bit poorly edited again, full of flashbacks, lacking the masterfully handled GoT-style warfare, but the workmanship is still high. It's hard to say what happened to Lagertha, the Bishop went crazy and that's how it all turned out. A strangely developed character. (25.01.2020)

Preparing for the final battle four episodes before the season finale is not the most fortunate decision, and no alternative side plots can save it, especially not the one with the Buddha. The ending, on the other hand, is superb. Once again, inspired by GoT and equally shocking and authentic. (26.01.2020)

An absolutely memorable episode. Not even the execution of several members of the group in Iceland can shake the total boredom. At least the end is near. (26.01.2020)

Berkoff as a fat Nordic king? The casting this time is exceptionally bad. Actually, the whole episode is a bust. (26.01.2020)

Ubbe’s personal struggle is brilliant, and actually the only memorable thing of the second to last episode, which is not a good sign. (26.01.2020)

A decent battle, but not the best by any means. The sets of the town and the fortifications are good, but otherwise is no thrilling ride, just solid craftsmanship. And also, another situation that doesn’t solve much. (26.01.2020)

A contrived finale that lacks the sophistication of the first season, the suspense of the middle ones, and any invention, or perhaps at least the visual satisfaction that the end of this saga would deserve. It's not a total disaster, it has its good moments, but they are few and far between, and it's more about sentiment and respect for the material than quality. (16.01.2021)

The production design is good overall, but the scenes from Rus are not what we probably expected. They feel contrived and unrealistic, a plot in the style of “only so something can happen”. The Nordic storyline is a lot more entertaining. Lagertha and Bjorn are keeping Vikings literally above water. (09.02.2020)

In the shadow of the brutal carnage of the first three seasons. The actors are stagnant and the script and scenes in Russia are downright annoying. Likewise with the several WTF characters that sometimes turn the show into almost a parody. Also, the make-up work is awful, especially with Lagertha. They do need to get better. (16.02.2020)

The misery continues with shoddy sets in Russia, poor makeup work, and annoying supporting characters. I miss gold old Kattegatt and Ragnar vs Rollo. Fortunately, at least there’s some action by the end. (16.02.2020)

The series has absolutely lost its grip and almost all of the reasons to like it. The main characters are unused and difficult to work with, the secondary characters are redundant and too much to work with. The tension and unpredictability are gone. They’ve moved from Norway to the whole world and that doesn’t benefit the episodes. The same goes for this one, which lasts 50 minutes but nothing really happens in it, except for the whole Lagertha situation, which is contrived from the beginning just so something can happen aside from the main line. (16.02.2020)