It’s unusual for a streaming giant to make a sequel to one of its rivals’ shows, especially if the TV series in question was a major hit. But that’s exactly what Netflix has done with Vikings Valhalla, a spiritual successor to Michael Hirst’s Vikings TV show, which ended in December 2020.
Vikings may have originally aired on the History Channel, but its migration to Prime Video during its final season – Vikings was available on Prime Video in the UK as early as 2015, though – makes Netflix’s sequel all the more curious. After all, why make a Netflix series that follows on from your competitors’ own early medieval offering?
Ahead of Vikings Valhalla’s launch on February 25, TechRadar sat down with the show’s cast to find out how Netflix’s sequel honors and differs from its predecessor. We also discuss why the show takes creative liberties with Viking history and the challenges of filming the series’ substantial fight sequences.
Rediscovering the Vikings
Set 100 years after the events of the original show, Valhalla follows three legendary Vikings – Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Hardrada (Leo Suter) – in the years that precede the end of the Viking era.
After the Anglo-Saxon King Aethelred II (Bosco Hogan) orders the massacre of Vikings living on British shores, King Canute of Denmark (Bradley Freegard) leads an invasion of Nordic forces to retaliate and seize control of England’s throne. It’s here where Eriksson, Eiríksdóttir and Hardrada’s paths collide, setting them on an epic, years-spanning journey that’ll secure their places in history – and potentially Valhalla itself.
For a show steeped in Viking and Norse mythology, it’s unsurprising that Valhalla’s cast members heavily researched their characters to ensure their portrayals were historically accurate. However, those set to play well-known individuals from this era, including King Canute (Freegard) and Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin), soon realized that months of preparatory work would be in vain or more difficult to perform than initially expected.
“You try and get a feel for your character, but often you’ll find that research is useless,” Freegard explains. “The creative team have made their own decisions about where that character fits into the show, and that’s what happened with Valhalla. Things that I brought to King Canute before I read any scripts were useful from a character study perspective. But, in the end, you have to create a character that serves the drama that [showrunner] Jeb Stuart wanted to tell.”
“When I started my research, I realized how little we know about the Vikings,” Berlin adds. “There’s a lot of information out there, but there aren’t many sources that are really trustworthy. We have a lot of historical facts, but we don’t actually know how these people felt or thought about things.”
In some instances, that lack of historical evidence worked in the cast’s favor. As Gustavsson and David Oakes (who plays Earl Godwin of Wessex) explain, the dearth of information surrounding their characters provided the opportunity to flesh out Freydis’ and Godwin’s personalities and motives.
“There was very little to find in Freydis’ history,” Gustavsson says. “But that’s good because we’re not doing a historically authentic show. It’s not 100% accurate or a full-blown documentary. That gave me freedom to create the Freydis that I felt the text was speaking to, and I worked a lot with Jeb to rework her character. It’s great to have something to use as a reference point, but it’s equally important to me to bring my own take to her.”
“The most useful thing about this show is that you've already got a historical arc to aim for,” Oakes adds. “That gives you a choice over how you muddy up each character’s journey, or how you add extra little loops as you go along, which makes for a fascinating watch.”
Novel takes on mythological Vikings aren’t the only creative liberties that Valhalla takes. Jarl Estrid Haakon, portrayed with real authority by Danish actor Caroline Henderson, is a wholly original character created specifically for the show.
The confusion around Henderson’s character is understandable. After all, a real-life Norwegian Viking called Haakon Sigurdsson was also known as a King Canute lieutenant named Hakon Jarl. Henderson, though, is keen to stress that her character bears no association with Sigurdsson. Instead, as a fiercely proud Black Viking woman, Henderson believes Jarl Haakon is emblematic of the fact that Viking society was more diverse than historians initially thought.
“She’s based on a lot of strong women and male leaders that we know of today,” Henderson explains. “I've done a lot of research, and it's been very interesting to read because Viking people traveled much more than we knew. Now, especially through DNA sequencing and other genetic research, we know that they traveled further afield to Africa, North America, and the Middle East.”
Blending fiction with fact
Vikings Valhalla may make subtle (and sometimes stark) differences regarding its character line-up, but the series is still deeply rooted in Viking history. For one, Valhalla explores the rapid rise of Christianity within certain sections of Viking society, which created deep divisions between the newly formed Christians and their pagan counterparts. It’s an internal conflict that threatens to engulf King Canute’s army before they even set sail for England, but one that the Danish monarch knows he can use for his own geopolitical gains.
“I think Canute starts to draw upon the use of religion to gain political power,” Freegard muses. “Compared to previous Viking rulers, he understands the importance of keeping the smaller Viking tribes, plus allies within the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, united and on his side. Religion plays a big part in keeping everyone on board and aiming for the same political goals.”
“What's interesting to me is that you can see how religion becomes a battle between Christians and pagans,” Johannes Johannesson, who portrays Olaf ‘the Holy’ Haraldsson. “There are religious motives behind every move and thought, and they [Viking leaders] are using religion as a tool to control people. These motives aren't always good, or even being driven by the religion itself, but by the power that comes with it.”
The drama at Valhalla’s heart makes for compelling viewing, but audiences will get more of a thrill from the bruising and gruesome battles depicted in season 1. From the Vikings’ siege of London in 1013 to Aethelred’s attempts to retake the city during the infamous Battle of London 12 months later, to the mini skirmishes throughout the season’s eight episodes, viewers will certainly get their fill of action.
With every entry – from episode 3 onwards – containing its own extensive battle, it was inevitable that injuries would be commonplace on set. The show’s cast accumulated black eyes, gashes, bruises, and sprains during Valhalla’s 10-month shoot. For Leo Suter, though, such wounds were par for the course, particularly if it meant that Valhalla’s numerous battles were acted out and filmed authentically.
“One of the joys was the relentlessness of it,” he says. “Once you finish one fight sequence, you're onto the next because each episode has had its own clash. You leave it all out on the field because you're expanding your ability to move. It was a true feat of endurance, which just aided the energetic roles we were playing, so that relentless, primal nature was actually a great contributor.”
A Viking streaming war
Still, the question remains: why would Netflix become the home for a new Vikings adventure that simultaneously acts as a spin-off show and a sequel to Hirst’s original series? Sam Corlett, who grew up watching Vikings with his father in Australia, doesn’t concern himself with where Valhalla is available to watch. Instead, the ex-Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star just hopes to live up to the series that came before – and maybe elevate it to another level narratively.
“With respect to what came before, we're stepping into our own world with our own mix of energies and our own ingredients,” Corlett says. “Jeb has come at it with a different pace in this new saga. But, at the same time, it’s an honor to continue the legacy of that show, and I hope we can continue to pay tribute to that and perhaps raise it to the next level.”
As the world’s biggest streamer, though, Netflix prides itself on creating and releasing its own original content. And, while it can be argued that Vikings Valhalla is an original series, it’s still intrinsically tied to the series that predated it. In that sense, it’s difficult to untangle the two productions.
In time, maybe it’ll be easier to distinguish Vikings Valhalla and its predecessor from each other. There’s likely to be two more seasons of Vikings Valhalla (per Deadline ) so, by the time the series ends, it could’ve potentially sailed off in a different stylistic or tonal direction. Alternatively, Netflix could acquire the rights to Hirst’s Vikings TV show and become the go-to streamer for live-action Vikings content. Until such a time, though, Netflix’s Viking offering is fundamentally tied to its History and Prime Video sibling – for better or worse.
Vikings Valhalla launches exclusively on Netflix on Friday, February 25.
How to watch Bel-Air online and stream the Fresh Prince reboot from anywhere
Exclusive to Peacock in the United States, this dramatization of the iconic 90s sitcom will traverse the highs and lows of Will Smith’s journey from rough and ready West Philadelphia to California’s ostentatiously wealthy Bel-Air. Read on below and we’ll explain how to watch Bel-Air online from anywhere now.
When Morgan Cooper dropped the 2019 reimagining of the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will Smith was seriously impressed. A far cry from the series' hay-day of gags and slapstick humor, Cooper foregrounded the drama inherently in the protagonist's emotional journey.
The setup of this Peacock Original series is pretty much the same: Will is bailed out after getting “in one little fight” and his fretful mom sends him cross country to live with his rich relatives in their Bel-Air mansion. But Cooper’s Bel-Air – which he wrote and directed – focuses on the story’s emotional beats rather than its broad comedy, with Will clashing with cousin Carlton, his new classmates, and generally struggling to adapt to this rarefied, upper-class environment.
So, read on below for our guide on how to watch Bel-Air online, and stream every episode with a subscription to NBC’s Peacock .
How to watch Bel-Air from outside your country
For those of you abroad when Bel-Air lands, you’ll be unable to watch the new drama series due to annoying regional restrictions.
Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of a VPN . This nifty bit of software changes your IP address so that you can access all the content you normally would at home, only from anywhere in the world.
Use a VPN to watch Bel-Air online from anywhere
How to watch Bel-Air online and stream the new drama show in the US on Peacock
What devices can I watch Peacock on?
Peacock is available on a wide range of devices. As web-based service on PCs and laptops, it's also compatible with: iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, Xbox, Vizio Smartcast, select LG smart TVs, and Xfinity Flex 4K. We'll let you know where to find the Peacock app you need as soon as they're live.
How to watch Bel-Air online in Canada
How to watch Bel-Air online in the UK
How to watch Bel-Air online for FREE in Australia
Where to buy a Dyson Airwrap: all the retailers to check for the iconic hair styler
The Dyson Airwrap is one of the best hair stylers on the market, so it's no surprise that it's one of the most popular, too. If you’ve been looking to get your hands on the hair styling wand that can dry and style tresses simultaneously, then chances are you’ve been out of luck lately.
Following Black Friday and Cyber Monda y last year, when consumers clamored to get their hands on the much-loved hair styler even though there weren’t hefty discounts to be had, many retailers sold out. Even though 2022 is well underway now, it's still bee extremely hard to get your hands on the Dyson Airwap - whether that’s the standard pink and nickel colorway, or the limited edition Prussian Blue version, which first debuted in October last year and pairs a rich navy blue shade with warm copper accents.
However, it's all just become clear why, as Dyson has unveiled a new version of the Airwrap. Initially, it appears to look the same as the original hot air styler, but the attachments have been redesigned. The curling barrels no longer have to be switched halfway through styling as they can create both clockwise and anti-clockwise curl and waves.
The dryer head has also been overhauled as well as being able to take hair from wet to dry, it can also hide flyaways in hair creating a smooth sleek finish, just as a similar attachment for the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer does.
The new Dyson Airwrap will set you back $599 / £479.99 / AU$899, which makes it slightly pricier than the original version. It will go on sale in the UK at the end of March and is available to pre-order now, although in the US and Australia it won’t be available until at least June.
In the UK, the Airwrap is currently only available in a nickel body with copper accents. However, a Prussian Blue version, along with a copper/nickel option that uses the copper shade on the body and nickel as the accent, and the iconic nickel/fushchia model, are also listed on the website but marked as out of stock. The color options for the US and Australia have yet to be confirmed.
Think this all sounds great? We certainly do. But there's a catch, the new Dyson Airwrap won't be available until at least June this year.
So what about it if you just can't wait a few more months to get your hands on an Airwrap? It’s not impossible to land one of these magical hair wands right now, but you'll need to spend a lot of time constantly checking retailers for stock, and in some cases be prepared to pay an inflated price.
In both the US and the UK right now, the only retailer with a good supply of the Dyson Airwrap is Amazon. Be forewarned, though, the online giant is taking advantage of the shortages by dramatically hiking the price.
Update: In the US right now, Ulta has stock of the nickel / fuschia Airwrap available. However, based on previous supplies, we expect these to sell out quickly, so don't delay in snapping one up if you've been itching to get your hands on an Airwrap. You can also still nab a refurbished Airwrap from Dyson themselves, although once again only the nickel / fuschia version is available - the purple/black option has sold out. However, there is currently no brand new stock available through Dyson.
Unfortunately in the UK, Dyson doesn't have any stock, refurbished or otherwise, and neither does any of the UK's major retailers, unfortunately. Stock drops have been few and far between in Britain - John Lewis was the most recent store to offer stock, but that sold out more than two weeks ago, and new supplies are yet to materialize.
We’ll be updating this article as soon as we’re aware of stock dropping, but if you're desperate to get your hands on an Airwrap as soon as possible, then it's worth regularly checking the retailers below.
We've also included some alternatives from beauty stalwarts such as Remington and Revlon, that offer the same functions as the Dyson Airwrap without the hefty price tag.
We’d also recommend considering a refurbished model, particularly if you're on a tight budget, as this can save you around $100 / £50. However, make sure you purchase a refurbished model from well-known retailers - Dyson itself offers reconditioned units, while in the US, they can also be found at retailers such as NordstromRack. Avoid marketplace sites as there are no guarantees on the condition of the hair styler.
Where to buy a Dyson Airwrap in the US
Where to buy Dyson Airwrap in the US: quick links
The US stores below carry the Dyson Airwrap regularly, and are worth checking out often
Where to buy a Dyson Airwrap: Which US retailers have stock right now
Where to buy a Dyson Airwrap in the UK
Where to buy the Dyson Airwrap in the UK: quick links
Check the quick links below to find out which retailers have stock of the Dyson Airwrap in the UK right now.
Where to buy a Dyson Airwrap in the UK
Why is the Dyson Airwrap so popular?
The versatility of this hair styler is what makes it so popular. Suitable for all hair types, the Dyson Airwrap uses warm air to create an aerodynamic phenomenon called the Coanda effect. This attracts hair towards the barrel and then either wraps it around to create curls, or propels air along the hair strands in the same way a hair dryer is used when blow drying, to create a sleek, smooth style.
Powered by the V9 digital motor, the Dyson Airwrap comes with an array of accessories, so you can create everything from curly, voluminous locks to a sleek, smooth style. There are even different thickness barrels bundled with the hair styler for tight curls and loose waves.
It’s stylish too - the design and presentation of the AirWrap is pretty much impeccable. It comes in a tan leather-effect storage case, which snaps shut via a magnetic clasp, and looks attractive enough to make you want to leave it out instead of tucking it away in your cupboard when not in use.