Pirates and Vikings

[Amor de Cosmos]

Not sure we've had specific threads on either Vikings or Black Sails, and they're worth a threadshare at least.

The latter just finished it's second, excellent, season and (with luck) has lost it's weakest character who's been taken back to London to have His Majesty's Pleasure wreaked upon her. John Silver has also just lost his leg — but has yet to find a parrot.

Meanwhile the twitchy, bold and bloody Ragnar Lothbrok is planning to invade Paris, but he may have to go sort out the treacherous Brits first. And this series too has (definitely) just lost one of its weaker characters.

Finally these shows have two of the most interesting female actors currently working, in Katherine Winnick who plays Lagertha in Vikings, and Jessica Parker Kennedy, Max in Black Sails. As it goes both are Canadian too. Oh and Clara Paget, who plays Ann Bonny is also excellent.

[gavc23]

Pirates and Vikings

I've not caught Black Sails, but Vikings is glorious. Absolute nonsense, but wonderful nonsense nonetheless.

I struggle with King Ecbert knowing he's Ken Barlow's son, although I do like his bathtime diplomacy policy.

We've only just finished series 2 here, but I did receive the call for extras for series 4 as it was looking for Latin speakers, so either a lot more monasteries or a look at Bjorn's raids in Italy to come I guess.

[linus]

Pirates and Vikings

Ragnar did raid Paris, so I reckon it's going to be a scene by the Seine. I don't think the Vikings did a lot of raiding in the Mediterranean pre-Abba,.

I don't have Black Sails either, is that on canadian TV AdC or did you stream it?

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pirates and Vikings

It's a Starz production on Superchannel. The last show of the second series is this coming Saturday, but it'll be On Demand somewhere I imagine.

[linus]

Pirates and Vikings

S P O I L E R

Pretty epic episode with the raid of Paris, big production for a cable TV series. So far the script has been following history with the first attempt being pushed back.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/vikings-take-paris-a-by-787064

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pirates and Vikings

I agree a very good episode. I hope we're not getting set to lose Floki. Gustaf Skarsgĺrd chews scenery like a termite, but he's great fun to watch. Interestingly he's the only Scandinavian in the cast, the rest are Canadian, Australian, British or Irish.

It's been interesting to see how Michael Hirst has handled this series. He made The Tudors as a soap opera (which was his remit), and Camelot as a comic book. In both cases the mix of history and fable never seemed quite comfortable, but Vikings is a lot more coherent. Perhaps because he has more experience, or maybe the subject fits more comfortably in the space between.

Oh, and the Dude who stole Lagertha's earldom and is now playing rumpy-pumpy with her, will regret it big-time. You do not mess with Lagertha. She neither forgets nor forgives.

[sw2borshch]

Pirates and Vikings

I've watched the first two seasons of 'Vikings', but as I won't see S3 until it's out on disc, it looks like I'll have to avoid this thread.

It's been brilliant rubbish so far, though.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pirates and Vikings

I don't know that it's totally rubbish. The stuff on domestic life and religious ritual, so far as my limited knowledge can tell, is not altogether inaccurate. And certainly the obsession with elaborate hairstyles and body decoration is born out by existing records.

[Hugh Fatbastard]

Pirates and Vikings

Black Sails looks ace - I'll have to give that a whirl.

Vikings didn't take with me for some reason. I expected more in the way of chaos.

Perhaps I didn't get far enough into the series.

Ok - you talked me into giving it another go.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pirates and Vikings

The first half of Vikings series one is pretty weak (basically the Gabriel Byrne part.) After that it picks up quickly.

Black Sails too found it's stride midway through the first season, then put its foot to the floor with season two. There are some resemblances with Vikings (the mix of fact and fable.) But Black Sails exuberantly and obviously doesn't care. So you've got characters out of Treasure Island — John Silver, Billy Bones, and Captain Flint — rubbing shoulders, and other body parts, with real life pirates such as Charles Vane, Jack Rackham and Ann Bonny. Everyone involved is clearly having a wonderful time.

[sw2borshch]

Pirates and Vikings

I wouldn't disagree with you AdC, from what I've seen of the historical criticism, there's nothing that really matters in the inaccuracy stakes, and a whole lot of the fun is in seeing my inner nine year old's imaginings come to life.

I mean more that the drama itself isn't that great, the intriguing doesn't grab me like the better stuff from the last fifteen years of cable shows, but I don't care - it's fabulous fun.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pirates and Vikings

Yeah, I can't disagree with that. The dramatic plotting is pretty rote and, with a handful of exceptions, the acting is no better than adequate. (Black Sails is significant step up in that regard.) Most of the cast were clearly hired for their physical special skills (Katherine Winnick, 'Lagaertha' has a black belt in Tai Kwon Do for instance.) It's the details of time and place that make it worthwhile. The place of the Gods in peoples' lives, the importance of the right kind death and so on.

[Satchmo Distel]

Pirates and Vikings

Vikings seems to have more depth and far, far better acting. I abandoned the pirates thing early as it seemed to be overacted soft-porn and the accents didn't fit (loads of Aussies and South Africans in 1619 Nassau?). Black Sails also has gratuitous swearing - fuck, cunt - which Vikings avoids to the latter's benefit, I think.

SPOILERS

However, the violence in Vikings can be genuinely disturbing - a man being cut open slowly from the back, a woman having an ear cut off, the "annoying character" being crucified. I dunno if this was an attempt to compete with Game of Thrones, which the series does resemble in mood if not structure (GoT has a lot more separate threads and locations).

Vikings deserves credit for how well it fleshes out the culture of the country being invaded - the Saxon and Parisian cultures seem to have depth and history and are not just standing around waiting for the Vikings to change them. Spiritual belief is conveyed fairly convincingly.

It's hard not to be distracted by echoes - Lagertha as Xena Warrior Princess or the fact that one character is the namesake of BBC kids animation character King Rollo (not the same historical figure, I assume?).

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pirates and Vikings

Both shows have international casts (as noted above with Vikings they're predominately Irish, Canadian, Australian.) Black Sails has more Brits and, a couple — such as Toby Stephens — with fairly impressive theatrical resumés. I can't say I've picked up any misplaced accents. Hannah New, as Eleanor Guthrie has always seemed badly miscast, she sounds far too 'county.'

Certainly at times, especially in the first season, you could argue there's been some pandering to the male gaze. But no more than many other specialty cable shows, and certainly no where near as much as in Game of Thrones for example. Also swearing and whorehouses were pretty certainly part of Nassau in 1720s.

The second season is (slightly) more rooted in actual history, as it deals with Flint's back-story, and the attempts to negotiate a pardon with the British government.

[DCI Harry Batt]

I've just got into Vikings. Rattling through it at pace. About to start the final season.

[DCI Harry Batt]

The final season, second half especially, is a bit of a let-down. As is so often the case.

[Levin]

Our Flag Means Death was a lovely little thing.

[Guy Profumo]

Not sure we've had specific threads on either Vikings or Black Sails, and they're worth a threadshare at least.

The latter just finished it's second, excellent, season and (with luck) has lost it's weakest character who's been taken back to London to have His Majesty's Pleasure wreaked upon her. John Silver has also just lost his leg but has yet to find a parrot.

Meanwhile the twitchy, bold and bloody Ragnar Lothbrok is planning to invade Paris, but he may have to go sort out the treacherous Brits first. And this series too has (definitely) just lost one of its weaker characters.

Finally these shows have two of the most interesting female actors currently working, in Katherine Winnick who plays Lagertha in Vikings, and Jessica Parker Kennedy, Max in Black Sails. As it goes both are Canadian too. Oh and Clara Paget, who plays Ann Bonny is also excellent.

Aw.

Given the title I was hoping for an Aardman "Adventure with Scientists" sequel