I loved the season premiere of Vikings on History last week. But after the episode, I began thinking: Has Vikings started to mirror Norse Mythology? How close is Ragnar to his own Ragnarok? For anyone who’s seen the show, Vikings often makes reference to Norse Mythology, which was a primary religion for Scandinavians before their…
With Black Sails nearing its season midpoint, we have the return of Vikings on History to keep us going until the April premiere of the next season of Game of Thrones. The Official Season 4 Trailer hints at a ton of conflict, some of which should arise as Rollo tries to found what will become Normandy in France, with a…
I’ve had little time to write this week, but I wanted to mention that HBO has released photos from Season 6 of Game of Thrones. There’s none of Jon Snow – though I’m fairly certain we’ll see him soon (you can read why here). Anyway, here are my three favorite pics, along with what they…
Eleanor Guthrie, played by Hannah New, has always been one of my favorite characters on Black Sails. Last season, she sided with Flint, hoping his voyage to return the kidnapped daughter of Charleston’s governor would pave the way for Nassau’s legitimacy. She also betrayed a few people along the way, including her ex-lover, Charles Vane,…
With little time to write this week, I wanted to pass on my thoughts about last week’s season premiere of Black Sails on Starz. The premiere showed a ton of promise for season three. Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard) is on his way to Nassau. Max, Jack, and Anne Bonny are worried about the damaged fortress,…
Poul Anderson was one of giants of the golden age of science fiction and fantasy, authoring vintage classics like Three Hearts and Three Lions. But he also wrote historical fiction, including a trilogy about Harald Hardrada, a Norwegian king whose failed attempt to conquer England in 1066 marked the end of the Viking Age. I…
Winter of 2016 is promising to be a fantastic year for historical and fantasy-themed television. Season 3 of Black Sails is right around the corner, followed by the debut of Season 4 of History’s Vikings. And, in perhaps the most unexpected new addition, MTV, of all networks, has already brought us a surprisingly good adaptation…
At least The Winds of Winter, that is. That was the news this week from George R.R. Martin when he informed fans that the next book in this A Song if Ice and Fire series won’t be released before Season 6 of Game of Thrones. This news confirms that we’ll learn the fate of…
I did not expect this, but the final episode of Da Vinci’s Demons, Ira Deorum, was a true series finale in every respect. Leonardo’s pseudo history came to a fitting end, and Lucrezia’s character arc was finally complete, as was Riario’s – though his was the final twist. Not all questions were answered, but I’m…
Merry Old Saint Nick! I’m taking the week off for Christmas, getting ready to prepare the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a Southern Italian tradition in our home! But I’ll be back before New Year. Until then, I hope you enjoy the holidays! P.S., the above link is to an article about Lidia Bastianich and her…
When I published my post titled 5 Questions Going Into Season 3 of “Da Vinci’s Demons,” I never thought I’d receive a tweet from Tom Riley, who plays Leonardo Da Vinci on the show. Commenting on my post, he wrote: “You will actually get decent answers to all of these.” Heading into the penultimate episode…