I love a good historical costume drama. Especially when it's about my people.
Full disclosure: My branch of the Storey clan traces its ancestry back to the Vikings. Yeah, just a happy-go-lucky bunch of sea-faring good ol' boys who ventured from Scandinavia to Normandy, then England (1066), North Carolina (1720), and eventually to northeast Arkansas around 1820.
Somewhere along the way they lost the urge to burn and pillage. Probably in England. Certainly in North Carolina.
Not so for the cast of lusty characters in History Channel's engaging series about the Norsemen. Although there are some who would love nothing more than to forsake the sanguinary life of raiding to become farmers, others can't leave the wanderlust behind.
Find out how it's going when Vikings returns at 9 p.m. today on History. It's an action-packed beginning for Season 3.
As with all worthwhile adventure series, Vikings gives viewers far more than just blood and guts. The series is also a fascinating study in human nature set against the backdrop of a dramatic turning point in history.
Season 3 begins with former farmer Ragnar as the new king and follows the heavy responsibility that now rests on his shoulders.
With the promise of fertile new farmland from the English, Ragnar leads his fleet to an uncertain fate in Wessex, where shifty King Ecbert has made Ragnar a boatload of promises. It remains to be seen whether Ecbert will keep his word.
But once a raider, always a raider, and a restless Ragnar is soon searching for new adventures. This season he finds them in the legendary Roman city of Paris.
Paris is rumored to be impregnable, so Ragnar and his band must find a way to breach the walls and secure the Vikings legend in history.
Trivia aside: The historic Siege of Paris (then a small river island city) took place in 885-86 as part of a Viking raid up the Seine.
At its heart, Vikings is a (sometimes dysfunctional) family saga. It tells the tale of Ragnar, Rollo, Lagertha and Bjorn and their assorted alliances and friendships. It's an age when nothing is truly certain, faith (Christian and pagan) is questioned and relationships are strained.
The Irish-Canadian series, inspired by the legendary tales of Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok, is filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland, and features breathtaking scenery. There will be 10 episodes in Season 3 and, in case you've forgotten, here are the major characters.
Ragnar (Travis Fimmel). The former farmer from Kattegat is now the restless king who longs to conquer new lands.
Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). Ragnar's shieldmaiden first wife, now an earl. She's beautiful, fierce and a force with which to reckon.
Rollo (Clive Standen). Ragnar's brother is impulsive and carefree. He's a fierce warrior who has defied his brother in the past.
Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig). The scheming widow of Earl Haraldson has not lost her desire for power.
Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard). The master shipbuilder is a loyal friend to Ragnar. He seems to be a jester, but he's dangerous.
Athelstan (George Blagden). The former English monk was captured by Ragnar and became his friend.
King Ecbert (Linus Roache). The ruler of Wessex, the largest of England's five kingdoms, he schemes to use the Vikings to enlarge his kingdom.
Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig). The son of Ragnar and Lagertha yearns to test himself as a warrior and explorer.
• Gone again. In case you missed it last week, Rosie O'Donnell has left The View for a second time. Feb. 12 was her last day. The comedian, who has five kids, is divorcing her wife, and had a heart attack in August 2012, said she was leaving to lower her stress level.
O'Donnell's first tenure lasted a volatile eight months and ended in 2007.
After thanking The View's creator Barbara Walters (who has retired from the show) for her second shot, O'Donnell said, "We've had fun and I hope we'll have more. I'll come back and do an occasional crafting segment because I have a hot glue gun and will travel."
Although O'Donnell has been back with The View since September, the ratings have fallen from 3.04 million to 2.91 million viewers a day.
• Back again. IFC has given the green light to two more 10-episode seasons of its oddball sketch comedy Portlandia. In five seasons, the series starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein has gone from a cult secret to a pop cultural hit.
Guest stars have included Eddie Vedder, k.d. lang, Paul Simon, Oscar the Grouch and Matt Groening.
Meanwhile, you can see the multi-talented Armisen as bandleader on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email: [email protected]
Weekend on 02/19/2015