The worst episodes of Vikings
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it. Fewer than 10 rated episodes — treat this ranking as provisional.
- 01
Neil Oliver heads for Scandinavia to reveal the truth behind the legend of the Vikings. In the first programme, Neil begins by discovering the mysterious world of the Vikings' prehistoric ancestors. The remains of weapon-filled war boats, long-haired Bronze Age farmers, and a Swedish site of a royal palace and gruesome pagan ritual conjure up an ancient past from which the Viking Age was to suddenly erupt.
- 02
Neil Oliver heads out from the Scandinavian homelands to Russia, Turkey and Ireland to trace the beginnings of a vast trading empire that handled Chinese silks as adeptly as Pictish slaves. Neil discovers a world of 'starry-eyed maidens' and Buddhist statues that are a world away from our British experience of axe-wielding warriors, although it turns out that there were quite a few of those as well.
- 03
Neil Oliver explores how the Viking Age finally ended, tracing the Norse voyages of discovery, the first Danish kings, and the Christian conversions that opened the door to European high society. He also uncovers the truth about England's King Canute - he was not an arrogant leader who thought he could hold back the waves, but the Viking ruler of an entire empire of the north and an early adopter of European standardisation.
Shows like Vikings
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Adventure·FantasyThe worst episodes of Game of Thrones2011–2019
Based on the bestselling book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. - 02Drama·Adventure·FantasyThe worst episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power2022–present
Set thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, this epic drama follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. - 03Drama·Adventure·FantasyThe worst episodes of His Dark Materials2019–2022·BBC iPlayerSecrets and dangers lie ahead for young Lyra Belacqua in an epic tale of stolen children and the mysterious substance of Dust.
- 04Drama·Adventure·FantasyThe worst episodes of The Wheel of Time2021–2025The Wheel of Time is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it safely.
- 05Drama·Adventure·FantasyThe worst episodes of Atlantis2013–2015·BBC OneA fantasy drama set in a world of legendary heroes and mythical creatures.
- 06Drama·Adventure·FantasyThe worst episodes of The Shannara Chronicles2016–2017·Paramount NetworkThe Shannara Chronicles is a new TV series based on the best-selling fantasy novels by Terry Brooks.
