The highly anticipated fourth season of Vikings, starring Australia’s Travis Fimmel and Alyssa Sutherland, arrives on Australian television screens on February 24th on SBS. Known for outstanding drama, stunning visuals and thrilling battle scenes, Vikings will return with a brand new, bigger season, boasting 20 episodes that will air in two 10-episode parts during the year.
History Channel also revealed recently the new artwork for season four. The image shows key cast members seated at a long table – with Ragnar as the central figure – the imposing image evidently inspired by da Vinci’s The Last Supper and representing what have been core themes explored in Vikings thus far: religion and betrayal.
The series is written by internationally renowned historical storyteller Michael Hirst and tells the fascinating lives of the Vikings through their own eyes. Leading the stellar cast is Travis Fimmel as the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok, and starring alongside him as his wife Aslaug is Alyssa Sutherland. Having ruled in Kattegat while Ragnar was away sailing on ships adorned with heads of decapitated Mercians and attempting to conquer Paris, Aslaug acquired a taste for power, and with the Seer’s prophecy that a woman will one day rule Kattegat, things are set to get interesting for the now more feisty queen.
Meanwhile Rollo (Clive Standen) has turned his back on his brother once more, opting to remain in Paris to wed a princess who wishes him dead, and everyone’s favourite shieldmaiden, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) will continue her power-struggles with her second in command, Kalf (Ben Robson). Ragnar’s eldest son, Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) is said to play a pivotal role in the new season as he attempts to prove himself a worthy successor to his father. Viewers will also be keen to discover what becomes of Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) who, love him or hate him, will be seized and imprisoned upon returning to Kattegat for his brutal actions against Ragnar’s most trusted friend and advisor, Athelstan.
Season four will also introduce three new characters to the series: Peter Franzén will play King Harald Finehair and Jasper Pääkkönen his younger brother Halfdan the Black, who will pose new challenges for Ragnar. Poised to captivate the Viking king is Dianne Doan, who joins the cast as the exotic slave Yidu. Adding more intrigue and mystery to the brand new season are the foreboding (and ambiguous) titles of the first four episodes:
Episode 4.01 – A Good Treason
Episode 4.02 – Kill the Queen
Episode 4.03 – Mercy
Episode 4.04 – Yol
With a question mark hanging over the state of Ragnar’s health, those closest to him vying for their own power, and with danger and revenge looming across the seas in England and France, season four of Vikings is sure to continue to enthrall Australian audiences in 2016.
Vikings, season four, is a 20-part series to be aired as two 10 episode parts on SBS in 2016. Part one begins Wednesday 24 February at 8.30pm and continues every Wednesday at 9.30pm.
The second part of the series will conclude in later in 2016.
Watch the trailer here:
You can read our Five Star review of Vikings season three, available now in Australia on Blu-ray and DVD, here and our watch our interview with Clive Standen (Rollo) talking about Season Four here.
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