‘Norsemen’ On Netflix: Everything You Need To Know About This Uproarious International Comedy

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Norsemen

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It’s no secret that Game of Thrones can often present us with a little too much gloom and doom to handle, even with the occasional comic moment. What if Game of Thrones employed comedy in the style of Monty Python? You don’t have to wonder what this might be like – Norsemen on Netflix executes it perfectly. If you want to get ahead of the game and have the perfect, lighter rebound series to suggest to your pals after Thrones comes to a close next week, look no further.

The international comedy, which dropped quietly on the streaming platform earlier this summer, may not jump out at you while you’re browsing, but boy, is it worth your time. If you’re still on the fence about this strange-looking series or are still confused about Norsemen in general, we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Norsemen on Netflix primer to help prep you before you take the plunge.

What is Norsemen on Netflix?

Norsemen is a six-part Norwegian comedy originally titled Vikingane in its native Norway. Set in the year 790, we kick things off when Rufus, a Roman, is kidnapped and made a slave in a Viking village called Norheim and is disappointed to find that his former cultural status and belief system don’t mean anything to the Vikings. The rest of the series follows a group of characters living in the village and the shenanigans of their everyday lives. Norsemen‘s got everything; power struggles, thrilling battles, betrayals, rivalries, friendship, romances, the fight for gender equality, social commentary, and more!

Imagine all the high-production value, sweeping score, attention to detail, and engrossing cinematography of Game of Thrones paired with the surreal, uproariously relevant comedy and deadpan delivery of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and you’ll have a pretty good picture of what to expect. There’s no getting around it: Norsemen is disarmingly, gut-bustlingly funny. The employment of the inherent humor of everyday life combined with a period setting makes it one of the most unique comedies out there.

So is Norsemen in Norwegian with English subtitles?

Nope! The version available for you to stream on Netflix is actually in English. The production simultaneously filmed scenes in both Norwegian and English, freeing you of subtitles, maintaining the authentic international feel, and employing the same comedically-talented cast to perform this one-of-a-kind series rather than reshooting it all over again with a new group. They shot every scene twice (not to mention multiple takes of the scene in both languages). The Norwegian version was aired on Norwegian TV, and the English version was sold to Netflix.

You have to hand it to the team – the extra work put into filming in both languages and utilization of an unfamiliar language for many members of the cast – really is a special touch (and makes the comedy more accessible and effective for us non-Norwegian speakers).

Who stars in Norsemen?

If you loved Netflix original series Lilyhammer, you’ll be happy to catch a few familiar faces on Norsemen. There’s Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, who starred as Dag Solstad on Lilyhammer, Trond Fausa, who played Torgeir Lien, Marian Saastad Ottesen (Sigrid Haugli), and more! The rest of the cast members are better-known in Norway, but they’re certainly bound to attract a following as Norsemen gains traction on Netflix.

How many seasons of Norsemen are there?

Currently, there’s only one season of Norsemen on Netflix. It consists of six half-hour episodes, but a second season has been filmed and is set to begin airing on Norwegian television in November. It’s not clear, however, when the second season’s English version will arrive on Netflix, though the platform does reportedly have the option to pick up the Season 2 of Norsemen for streaming.

Stream Norsemen on Netflix