Vikings - Season 2 [2013] (Blu-ray)

Synopsis: Season 1 of Vikings left many unresolved issues and cliffhangers—would Rollo really fight against his brother Ragnar? What will result from Ragnar’s night of passion with Princess Aslaug? Can his marriage to Lagertha survive both his infidelity and the death of their daughter Gyda? In Season 2, these issues are resolved in dramatic and often unexpected ways.

At its heart, Vikings remains a family saga, following the fortunes of Ragnar, his extended family and the people he represents now that he is an earl. Ragnar’s own desire to sail west, to explore new kingdoms, in alliance with King Horik, leads to a storm-tossed landing on the coast of Wessex, an important Saxon kingdom ruled by a king not unlike Ragnar.

Season 2 is all about crises: of faith, of power and of relationships. Kingdoms are at stake. Lives are at stake. Love is at stake. And all under the watchful eyes of the gods

Special features:

1. A WARRIOR SOCIETY: RITES OF PASSAGE (1-12 minutes)

THE VIKINGS are such a fascinating topic for exploration because so much of the culture remains a mystery that our best historians continue to decipher today. VIKINGS SEASON 1 DVD/BLU-RAY delved deep into the rich history of VIKING CULTURE AND JUSTICE, and the Season 2 release follows this engaging historic exploration into the Vikings’ RITES OF PASSAGE. Just as Bjorn has grown from adolescence into manhood within the series, our Viking historians reveal the real world practices that young children in this culture underwent on their way to adulthood. Topics for exploration include: Viking Birthing Rituals, The practice of teaching the Viking Children, an exploration of the ages at which milestones were achieved, the significance of a young man receiving an armring, and the practices underwent before a young man or shieldmaiden’s first battle. RITES OF PASSAGE unravels more mysteries of Viking culture for the Home Entertainment audience. MY FAMILY, MY ENEMY

2. DECONSTRUCTING THE CLIMACTIC BATTLE (1-12 minutes)

Season 2 of VIKINGS raises the stakes for the battles and the bloodshed of the series as the stunt coordinator and swordmaster surpassed the action choreography of the inaugural season. This behind the scenes exploration looks at the key battle sequences before intricately deconstructing every stage of preparation for the climactic VIKING battle in season 2. From initial planning, to storyboards, to creating the choreography with swordmaster Richard Ryan, to the actors’ choreography training under Ryan, to catching the production day from behind the scenes… every aspect of the planning and execution of the key battle scene is explored by the creator, director, swordmaster, cast, and stunt coordinator.

3. THE VIKING SAGAS (Archival Interactive Exploration)

Use the BD Remote to page through the high-resolution 3-d archives of the Viking Sagas. Select an icon (Monetary Icon for tales of greed, the Passion icon for tales of lust and adultery, the Battle Icon for tales of bloody fights, or the poetry icon for authentic Viking verse) within the Sagas to hear the actual Saga re-told with simple animation of the tale teamed with narration and sound design. Following the animation, a detailed deconstruction of the Saga by Viking Historians and Vikings Creator Michael Hirst is presented on-screen.

4. The Creator’s Audio Commentary with Michael Hirst and Viking Historians (Episode length)

5. The Creator and Cast Audio Commentary (Episode length)
Director: Michael Hirst
Cast: Travis Fimmel, Clive Standen, Jessalyn Gilsig
Region Code: B (UK & Europe)
Cert: 18
Format: Blu-ray