Barbarians (2020 TV Series) ~ Carnage, Copulation, and Combat

Barbarians | Official Teaser | Netflix

If you are a history buff, then you have definitely heard of Barbarians. Relatively new on the block of series, the original title being Barbaren, is a German historical war drama, available for streaming on Netflix. It was renewed for a second season just last month, which means there’s more of this to come.

Plot

Poster of Barbarians, a 2020 German historical war drama television series, with soldiers fighting with each other starring Laurence Rupp as Arminius with a serious face, with paint and blood on his face, and wearing armor.

Situated in the 9 AD, the show focuses on the occupation of Magna Germania by the Roman Empire. This occupation is made by the bristly relations between the Germanic tribes. We see Arminius return to his village as a Roman officer, serving Varus, having been given away as hostage by his father, Segimer, when he was just a child.

However, upon seeing the brutalities committed by Romans upon his people, he switches allegiance and leads a revolution, with the aid of his childhood friends, Folkwin and Thusnelda.

Review

On the left, Jeanne Goursaud as Thusnelda with a serious face, with wounds and blood on her face, with black paints on her body, and holding a spear in a scene from Barbarians (2020).
On the right, Laurence Rupp as Arminius with a serious face and wearing a checkered fur coat over a green shirt in a scene from Barbarians (2020).

Barbarians has a lot going for it. For one, the historical event it is based on is easily one of the most fascinating periods in the entirety of European history. The show works well with this: it builds up the simmering tension between the Romans and the Germanics to an effectively gripping point of attention.

It definitely keeps you hooked up until the finale of the Battle of Teutoburg. The character of Arminius is well constructed and we are able to understand his sense of conflict. Yet, the same cannot be said for the rest of the characters – they are stereotypical moulds and the exposition fails to have a connect with the audience. Barbarians falls prey to the cliches of its genre, never rising to the challenge fully. However, it is definitely binge-worthy as it weaves the elements of sex and violence effortlessly into its narrative. To paraphrase famed Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, we’d urge you to “overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles” for this show.

Facts

• Arminius and Thusnelda were indeed real-life characters who had existed in the 9th century AD, and the Battle of Teutoburg is a real event as well.

• However, as per history, Arminius actually abducts Thusnelda after the Battle, and it was after this that he went on to marry her.

• Some proof exists that Arminius was in love with her, but it is not known if Thusnelda felt the same.

Episodes

Jeanne Goursaud bends down, with a serious face, with wounds and blood on her face while Laurence Rupp with a serious face and wearing armor and Nicki von Tempelhoff with long white hair and wearing a gray shirt in a scene from Barbarians (2020).

Season One

Wolf and Eagle: The demands of Varus, the new governor, anger Segimer, the Cherusci tribal chief.

Vengeance: Arminius, Roman officer, is reunited with his father, Segimer, and his childhood friends the secret lovers, Thusnelda and Folkwin, upon the standard being stolen.

On the Edge: Folkwin endangers his village by being defiant: troops ordered by Varus and led by Arminius hunt him to kill him.

A New Reik: Arminius gets into his new place at the Cherusci, but his sense of alliance has shifted.

Treason: Thusnelda and Arminius get married as a political alliance to unite the quarrelsome Germanic tribes – Folkwin is believed to be dead but has actually been captured.

The Battle: Arminius guides a trio of Roman battalions and Varus into the Teutoburg Forest while Thusnelda offers a grisly sacrifice to preserve the unity of the tribes.

References

Barbarians (TV Series) Wikidata

(Text) CC BY-SA