I Heart George Blagden

I read lots of history and historical fiction. When a reasonably interesting historical fiction series comes around on Netflix or Amazon Prime, I'll at least read some reviews, maybe look at the first episode. And this is how I got sucked into the series Versailles on Netflix. Sadly, only one season has been shown in the U.S. (it's a British production) but I wait with 'bated breath for the next one, expected on Netflix later this fall. Versailles is not a Netflix production but they made a very good choice in adding it to their lineup. It's a sign of a good screenplay when you watch a show already knowing the basic historical facts and are still surprised, moved, entertained, and shocked by seeing it acted out. I should warn that this is not a show for pearl-clutchers--there is lots of nudity, sex, torture, gory deaths, and the usual mid-17th century European raping and pillaging. The costumes are lush and the mud and blood flow freely.

Because I don't do much leisure reading during school terms and I've been avoiding news and political commentary of late, I felt a little bereft when I finished the last episode of Versailles. I was poking around Amazon Prime looking for something else to watch when I decided to look into Vikings. I had been avoiding it because of its association with the History Channel, which for some years has been pandering to the lowest common denominator of viewer. However, I got hooked quickly. Vikings is like Versailles, only colder, wetter, and significantly muddier and bloodier. And while watching the second episode, I thought to myself, hey, I've seen those enormous blue eyes before.

Yep. The British priest Athelstan captured by Ragnar during his first raid in Northumbria is acted by George Blagden. And George Blagden is also Louis XIV, the Sun King himself.

I heart George Blagden. Seriously, go look at some of the stills from either series. His eyes are just fabulous. Here he is in 21st century garb. Of course it is probably 'shopped. Don't care.

And here's a very nice gif of him as Louis XIV. See what I mean? Putain!