Axl is a guy just coming up to his 21st birthday, and has been brought up in a family consisting of his 3 older brothers after their mother left them under somewhat mysterious circumstances. A series of portents and events around his 21st birthday occur, resulting in him being the incarnation of the Viking God Odin, and discovering that his brothers are also Viking Gods. They're in New Zealand because only descendants of Vikings who were driven there in the 19th century can "become" Gods.
There's just one problem; being a Viking God isn't all its cut out to be as their Godlike powers have been substantially weakened due to being out of Asgard for too long and are unable to get back. In order to get back, the first step is for Odin to find his female partner, Frigg, who should also be inhabiting a mortal body somewhere. Just to make life complicated, for various reasons of their own, not all the Viking Gods and Goddesses want Odin to regain his full powers and minor domestic issues of this almost hillbilly family and their brethren Gods seem to slow or frustrate Odin on his path to power.
I have to say this is a really great premise for a series and it has you hooked. The only problem is that the series is missing the budget and tightened up plot lines that would convert this series from being simply "good" into being "Epic". The lack of budget shows to a certain extent in the limited locations and lack of finesse in special effects. I'm not however going to criticise the latter too much, but would've thought that since Doctor Who substantially tightened up its act over the last few years, and video technology has moved on, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to expect other series to do so to. The gods don't (in series 1 and 2) have awesome powers for the reasons explained above but the powers that they do have would have benefited from a better effects budget.
I also think the series could have benefited from some slightly better acting and wider use of the Viking pantheon of gods. I have no real complaints about Axl (Odin), who I can accept is a bit awkward due to finding his way in this newly opened world, or Mike(Ullr) and Olaf (Baldur). Ty(Hodr) and Colin(Loki) seem a bit wooden and overacted at times, and I'm trying to decide if this a plot fault or down to the acting. With Loki, the face fits the part, but I think he's missing the cunning that a real Loki should have. Whilst I can accept Zeb being the impulsive joker/fool, Stacy seems to be a bit overused in being a handmaiden to just about any goddess who needs one and a bit part filler whenever required.
The show has a fair amount of swearing and nudity, which as far as I am concerned is fine for an adult program, but sometimes has nudity when it doesn't need it and at other times is missing it when it does.
Maybe what I have said is too critical, perhaps because I love the series but can easily see what they have so narrowly missed. It's well worth a watch to see if you get similarly pulled in though.
There's just one problem; being a Viking God isn't all its cut out to be as their Godlike powers have been substantially weakened due to being out of Asgard for too long and are unable to get back. In order to get back, the first step is for Odin to find his female partner, Frigg, who should also be inhabiting a mortal body somewhere. Just to make life complicated, for various reasons of their own, not all the Viking Gods and Goddesses want Odin to regain his full powers and minor domestic issues of this almost hillbilly family and their brethren Gods seem to slow or frustrate Odin on his path to power.
I have to say this is a really great premise for a series and it has you hooked. The only problem is that the series is missing the budget and tightened up plot lines that would convert this series from being simply "good" into being "Epic". The lack of budget shows to a certain extent in the limited locations and lack of finesse in special effects. I'm not however going to criticise the latter too much, but would've thought that since Doctor Who substantially tightened up its act over the last few years, and video technology has moved on, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to expect other series to do so to. The gods don't (in series 1 and 2) have awesome powers for the reasons explained above but the powers that they do have would have benefited from a better effects budget.
I also think the series could have benefited from some slightly better acting and wider use of the Viking pantheon of gods. I have no real complaints about Axl (Odin), who I can accept is a bit awkward due to finding his way in this newly opened world, or Mike(Ullr) and Olaf (Baldur). Ty(Hodr) and Colin(Loki) seem a bit wooden and overacted at times, and I'm trying to decide if this a plot fault or down to the acting. With Loki, the face fits the part, but I think he's missing the cunning that a real Loki should have. Whilst I can accept Zeb being the impulsive joker/fool, Stacy seems to be a bit overused in being a handmaiden to just about any goddess who needs one and a bit part filler whenever required.
The show has a fair amount of swearing and nudity, which as far as I am concerned is fine for an adult program, but sometimes has nudity when it doesn't need it and at other times is missing it when it does.
Maybe what I have said is too critical, perhaps because I love the series but can easily see what they have so narrowly missed. It's well worth a watch to see if you get similarly pulled in though.