Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 - Everything You Need To Know
Fans were under the impression that the time of the "Vikings" was at an end when the beloved epic series ended in 2020. Then the show's creator Michael Hirst passed the torch to Jeb Stuart, who crossed the streaming seas to reach Netflix and give us "Vikings: Valhalla," the sequel show set a century after the events of its predecessor. Homing new blood but still carrying the political and power-hungry edge of what came before, "Valhalla" introduced us to Prince Harald of Norway (Leo Suter) and hero-in-the-making Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett). Initially wary of one another, the two became allies (albeit with a mild double-cross in between) and are now unified and will change the time of the Vikings forever.
Admittedly given how things ended in its debut season, it might not necessarily look that way. With Leif seeing red and Harald on the run after Kattegat's fall, their combined comeback needed to be epic. And it was: The action unfolded on January 12, 2023, when the entirety of Season 2 debuted on Netflix.
What is the plot of Vikings: Valhalla Season 2?
What adventures did Leif Eriksson, Harald Sigurdsson, and Freydís Eiríksdóttir find themselves in during the second season of "Vikings: Valhalla?" Well, as Tudum explained, "Season 2 finds our heroes shortly after the tragic fall of Kattegat, an event that has shattered their dreams and altered their destinies. Finding themselves suddenly fugitives in Scandinavia, they are forced to test their ambitions and courage in worlds beyond their familiar fjords."
Speaking with the Netflix outlet, showrunner Jeb Stuart discussed Harald and Leif travels down the Dnieper River, in an adventure he described as similar to "Thelma and Louise," while Freydís heading to the Baltic world of Pomerania. Stuart also explained that the heroes would travel far and meet many interesting characters along the way, saying, "We put together this motley crew of nobles, Muslim astronomers, and con men, and they shove off from Novgorod."
Who stars in Vikings: Valhalla Season 2?
Like the show's historical predecessor, the guest list for "Valhalla" and its debut season was much more extensive going in than going out. Warring factions and betrayal in a world with many pointy implements will do that. Leo Suter and Sam Corlett returned to lay waste to their enemies as Prince Harald and Leif Erikson, respectively, along with Frida Gustavsson as Freydís Eiríksdóttir. Freydis, Leif's sister, had a crucial path of her own, as the last daughter of Uppsala.
Beyond that talented trifecta, the show also saw the return of Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as the side-switching contender for the throne, Olaf. Last seen as the threatening wave overthrowing Kattegat and sending its protectors running, Olaf's victory was short after King Canute's (Bradley Freegard) father, King Sweyn Forkbeard (Søren Pilmark), rocked up with a fleet of ships to bring down the treacherous tyrant. All three returned for Season 2.
If that's not enough, "Valhalla" will also see the arrival of an MCU star and a previous punching bag for boxing champ Adonis Creed. Florian Munteanu of "Shang-Chi" and "Creed II" plays Byzantine general George Maniakes (via Deadline). Bradley James of "Merlin" portrays Harekr, the leader of a particularly pagan bunch of warriors (via Collider). Hayat Kamille, Marcin Dorocinski, and Sofya Lebedeva also joined the cast.
Who was the showrunner for Vikings Valhalla Season 2?
As we've mentioned throughout this article, Jeb Stuart is the one overseeing the blood-soaked travels of Leif Eriksson, Harald Sigurdsson, and Freydís Eiríksdóttir. As the showrunner of Season 1, it only makes sense that he'd return for more, leading the Vikings back into glorious battle. A co-writer on action movie classics like "Die Hard" and "The Fugitive, Jeb Stuart wrote much of Season 1's episode, and he contributed heavily to Season 2's slate, along with returning writing staff members Vanessa Alexander, Declan Croghan, and Eoin McNamee. Individual episodes were directed by Season 1 returnee David Frazee, but most of Season 2's installments were helmed by directors new to the series, including Steve Saint Leger, Emer Conroy, Ciaran Donnelly, Jan Matthys, and Monika Mitchell.
Where to watch Vikings: Valhalla Season 2
It's only logical that a franchise about Vikings — Scandinavian seafaring warriors who lived, worked, and intimidated Northern Europe more than 1,000 years ago — would begin on a Canada-based cable channel called History. "Vikings," the first ever scripted, narrative series for History (largely an outlet for historical and educational documentary programming) wrapped up its 93-episode run in 2020, distributed in the U.S. by Amazon's Prime Video streaming platform, although it was later licensed for availability on Peacock's premium tier and on Hulu. A spinoff series, "Vikings: Valhalla," set about a century after the concluding events of the other show, hit streaming in 2022, with its second season following in early 2023. Both Season 1 and Season 2 of "Vikings: Valhalla" are available on still another streaming platform, and exclusively at that: Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Vikings: Valhalla" is an expensive series, and History couldn't offer the abundant financial resources that Netflix could.
How are critics and audiences responding to Vikings: Valhalla Season 2?
In the days leading up to and following the release of the entirety of "Vikings: Valhalla" Season 2 to streaming in January 2023, only a half dozen or so critics made the effort to review the new slate of episodes for the low-key Netflix hit historical adventure spinoff series. But the one thing all those TV writers have in common is that they all absolutely loved the new installments of "Vikings: Valhalla." On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 earned a rare and perfect 100% rating. That's even better than the excellent 90% score that "Vikings: Valhalla" Season 1 received.
Viewers are also registering their opinion about Season 2, and they're a bit more reserved than the critics in their praise. As of late January 2023, the second season of "Vikings: Valhalla" has a 65% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.