Vikings parents guide: Why you shouldn't let your kids watch the historical drama, explained

Vikings takes the audience through the dramatic story of Norsemen set against the scenic medieval Scandinavia. The historical drama series revolves around Norse leader Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel) and his family, as they confront the brutal and complex challenges that shape their rise to power. With the rating of TV-MA, the series is not suitable for children.

Vikings ran for six seasons and features graphics scenes that are not appropriate for younger audiences. Viewer discretion is strictly advised for the series due to explicit content that includes nudity, strong language and bloody violence. These scenes could be disturbing to some viewers.

Vikings parents’ guide: Why you shouldn't let your kids watch the historical drama?

Vikings, written by Michael Hirst, brings forth the ruthless and ambitious story of warrior Ragnar Lothbrok. His dream of exploring the world sets up the stage for some of the more brutal and violent historical events. The series also gives the audience an insight into his family life, as he navigates through the complex world of warfare. The cast of the series includes Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen, Alyssa Sutherland, Alexander Ludwig and Kevin Durand, among others.

As per IMDb, the logline of the series states,

“Vikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore--and raid--the distant shores across the ocean.”

Vikings has TV-MA rating in the United States, which explicitly states that the historical drama is only suitable for mature audience. Through Season 1 of the series, where are a few scenes depicting r*pe. The series also features recurring s*xual content across all seasons, including scenes with full nudity. In one scene, Ragnar and his wife will ask another man to get intimate with them as she tries to seduce him.

The show frequently portrays war through intense violence, including brutal battles and their graphic consequences. Add to this, the sound effect makes the scenes even more gruesome. In the Blood Eagle scene, Ragnar performs one of the more deadliest execution scenes, which is equal part terrifying and shocking. The extreme graphic portrayal highlights the barbarity of the era, making viewer discretion compulsory.

The series also includes depictions of violence, such as amputations used as punishment, public floggings, and prolonged excruciating deaths. There are also scenes of s*xual and physical assaults towards women and children.

While the use of profanity is relatively sparse, Vikings does include some strong language with words such as ‘f’and ‘c’ appearing in the show’s dialogue. Many scenes in the series also show the characters indulging in drinking. Ragnar is shown having Opiate addiction.

One of the more intense scenes in the series is Ragnar’s execution by King Aelle’s men, which is prolonged and brutal. In Season 4, the extended scene shows his execution in the most graphic manner including getting beaten, cut and left in a ditch full of venomous snakes.

While the story holds historical significance, due to its high level of graphic and violent content,Vikings is appropriate only for mature audience.

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