Why "Vikings" is the better "Game of Thrones" [No Spoilers]

TV series are a challenging business. Netflix, Amazon, HBO - there are a lot of "big players" that produce an incredible amount of series. "Game of Thrones" manages to be undoubtfully one of the most famous shows of all time. Millions of people watch and love each episode and the publicity it generates over all types of media is impressive. But why exactly is it Game of Thrones that everyone talks about? Why not the competitor "Vikings", that has so much in common with HBO's production - but is just this tiny little bit better?

Some background knowledge: "Vikings" is a Canadian-Irish production that had its debut 2013 on "History Television". The show is set in the time of the Vikings in the middle age around the year 793. While it does not focus on being historically perfect, it is based on real events and legends from the middle age. 

The main plot is about "Ragnar Lodbrok" and "Lagertha", that are famous from nordic legends and stories. While the series does feature a lot of characters and their lives, it also shows the daily life of vikings, their rituals, their fighting and a lot more. 

Ragnar Lodbrok is a simple farmer, until he discovers his needs to reach for something bigger than his simple viking life. He starts to explore a new world for the Vikings and becomes one of the most famous people of his time - with all the consequences that this means for him and his family. 

The  main cast of the series: Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Alexander Ludwig, Gustaf Skardgård and a lot more talented actors and actresses. 

The question is: Why is "Vikings" so good? 

First of all, their visuals. In other shows, such as Game of Thrones, some episodes are a firework of special effects - fire, explosions, epic battle scenes. Vikings does not need that. Sure, I am not going to say that I do not like episodes of GoT where fire-spitting dragons fly around a battlefield. But the world of the vikings is so much more immersive and believable by showing their real style and real battles. The fighting scenes are great and feature nice choreographs. Camera work is perfect as well. 

The pure image quality of the show is also worth mentioning: They managed to support their story and setting by using pale colors but also crystal clear and sharp camera shots. It may sound weird, but their visual style matches the series so well. 

Second, the characters. Game of Throes surely has a lot of great characters, but did you ever really get involved with one of them? It is no secret that no one is immortal in GoT. And if your preferred character you can identify with does not die, you can not really follow his development as they have so many different characters and so many different stories to tell. I am not saying this makes the show less watchable, I just prefer focusing on one story and giving it all of my attention. It makes the show more immersive and gives you the chance to really feel with the characters instead of having the plot switch every couple of minutes. GoT follows a lot of side stories, they do not want to have you miss something that happens in the world. Vikings does not need that. By having a great and believable storytelling they prevent you from having the feeling of missing something. 

Third, the overall style of the series. To be fair, both shows have a lot in common. It is all about battles, strategies, how people love and hate each other, how families hold together or break apart, how the game about power and influence plays out. You could also name the show "Game of the nordic throne" and it would fit quite nicely. But it managed to do everything that bordered me on GoT just a bit better. While watching GoT, sometimes the dialogues  are too long for my linking. In Vikings, you will not get bored. The dialogues are short, on point. They do not waste time, it is all about the main story. Action scenes are usually well placed in the episodes. You will not be distracted by side stories that turn out to be not relevant for the overall story. 

All in all, Vikings is just a little bit better version of Game of Thrones for me. I am not saying that Vikings is perfect, sure it has some things that could be improved. But I have never ever been so immersed in a TV series before than I was in this one. The plot is exciting and keeps you in front of the screen. They have some nice cliffhangers too. I have spent way more time at night watching new episodes than I should have, but I just could not stop as I wanted to know what happens next. 

After all, Game of Thrones is still in Top 5 TV series, but the 1st place will be taken. 

If you ever thought about starting the series or  liked Game of Thrones, I highly recommend to you to start watching Vikings. Not everyone will like the show as I do, but I doubt that you will hate it!

I hope that I did not bother any Game of Thrones fans during the creation of this post ;)