Most critics find Vikings an engaging historical action series, with praise clustering around its bloody battles, Irish landscapes and production values. The combination of raiding, intrigue and character development gives the drama enough momentum to carry its rougher passages. Several reviews find that it becomes more assured as it progresses, while the performances help give the violence some human weight. Historical accuracy is not its priority, but that rarely prevents the critics from enjoying it.
Reservations centre on clumsy early storytelling, blunt dialogue and a tendency towards simplistic drama. The spread runs from warm approval to qualified appreciation, with no outright rejection. The Independent is the least persuaded, finding little subtlety but praising Travis Fimmel, the costumes and the theme tune. The Guardian finds more to consider beneath the fighting, particularly in the treatment of social customs, morality, knowledge and power.