Sons of Liberty (2015)

Samuel Adams (Ben Barnes) is a widower.  Sometime before the story begins, he was appointed as a tax collector.  However, he has done a poor job of it, being 8,000 pounds in arrears.  Governor Hutchinson (Sean Gilder) ordered his arrest, which led to a chase through the dark and gloomy streets of Boston.  Unable to catch Adams, those who failed to pay taxes to Adams are instead arrested.  Riots followed and Adams was viewed as the leader of these 'Sons of Liberty.'  Hutchinson called upon John Hancock (Rafe Spall) to deal with Adams.  Hancock paid off Adams' debts and resolved his legal problems.  Hutchinson was not amused.  Tensions in Boston grew until, in 1770, the Boston Massacre tipped the balance to the Sons of Liberty.  Soon followed the Boston Tea Party (1773), The Quartering Act (1774), the Battles of Lexington & Concord (1775), Bunker Hill (1775), and the Declaration of Independence (1776).

The casting is questionable.  Paul Revere (Michael Raymond-James) is elevated to command Bunker Hill when he was not even present.  However, it was easier to expand his role than add more characters to an already full cast.  Sam Adams was 43 years-old in 1765 and 54 when the miniseries concludes.  By contrast, Ben Barnes was only 34.  He is a young hot head with no impulse control and a rage that bubbles just beneath the surface in many scenes.  Though he is shown as a widower, he has no kids.  In fact, Adams had 2 children, Sam Jr (who would have been 14 in the opening and 25 at the conclusion), and Hannah (9 to 20).  John Adams (Henry Thomas) comes across as the older and wiser cousin despite being 13 years younger than Sam.  Margaret Kemble Gage (Emily Berrington) was 40 when she arrived in Boston, a decade older than the actress.  Committing treason against her husband has been suggested; she was born and raised in New Jersey.  John Hancock comes across as an effete snob with all the passion of a wet towel.  He is so wishy-washy and indecisive that one would expect his signature to be a meek scrawl, not the dominant Alpha signature of history.  General Gage (Marton Csokas) is painted as evil incarnate, a man who did everything he could to alienate the colonists.  In truth, many accused him of being too lenient.  Gage was in a difficult position, having to implement unpopular laws while having limited forces.  

Many of the incidents are turned up to 11 to add some excitement.  During the Boston Tea Party, Sam Adams stands in full view and defiantly stares down a score of redcoats while tea is hurled over the side.  Revere takes down British soldiers during his ride in feats of fisticuffs and gunplay.  Joseph Warren leapt over the redoubt of Bunker Hill and charged down the hill to fight hand to hand with red coats and even General Gage.  Not only is Margaret's role as Warren's intelligence source included, she becomes his lover.  Yes, changes have been made to spice up the narrative, but it gets the gist correct.

Just okay.

Vikings

The History Channel has a new show about the famed raiders of Scandinavia.  It premiered last week and the 2^nd episode was last night.  So far, I’d say it is quite good compared to other efforts at Viking fare.  The central character is Ragnar Lothbrok, an experienced raider who longs to raid richer lands to the West.  Earl Haraldsson, ruler of the region in which Ragnar lives and owner of the raiding ships, refuses Ragnar’s suggestion.  Thus, Ragnar commissions a ship to be built and sets sail.  He lands at Lindesfarne in 793, the traditional starting date of the Viking Age.

The look of the show is good.  There aren’t horned helmets and swords are scarce; only a rich man can afford a sword.  These Vikings use axe and shield.  The long ship is very cool.  On its voyage across the North Sea, it is run through its paces and shows how the men lived, navigated, sailed, and rowed. 

That said, the show has its faults.  The writers do not seem to know Viking law.  Vikings didn’t have a death penalty that an earl would impose.  In the first episode, a man is accused of murder and found guilty.  He is beheaded the following day.  Viking law would have sought a wergild – a man price – to compensate the murdered man’s family.  Failing that, a man was likely to be declared an outlaw.  Outlaws could be killed on sight without fear of retribution.

On another point, Ragnar’s wife, Lagertha, is declared to be a shield maiden.  Previews of future episodes have her in the shield wall (fighting formation) with all the men.  Though Nordic women had much higher standing that their fellow European sisters, they were not generally on the front lines of battle.  Shield Maidens are more legend than history and doubtless related to the Valkyries who carried valiant dead to Valhalla.  It seems no historical era can exist on film unless there are women warriors.  If this was airing on anything other than the HISTORY channel, I’d probably be less annoyed by the bow to that current fad.

Lastly, the grand coincidence that makes Ragnar’s journey to England possible is grating.  He has recently come into possession of two navigation aids, both given to him by ‘a wandering traveler.’  We learn nothing more of this wandering traveler so the items are otherwise inexplicable.  Then there is Floki the shipbuilder.  Apparently, his is the ship design that is now widely known.  He is a genius shipbuilder who can build a ship alone in a short period of time.  The shipbuilder was like a foreman who guided the building, but Floki chops the trees and cuts the planks and all the rest.  He seems to have no assistance.  So, it wasn’t that Ragnar was the first to dare a crossing; he was the first to even have the tools to make the crossing.

This may be History’s answer to the successful Game of Thrones on HBO.  I am quite hooked on that show and they both air on Sunday night.  I’ll be watching both.