In the second season of Barbaren, fiction takes over. The biggest flaw of this second season of Barbaren is the way the Romans are portrayed. The disciplined war machine it actually was is portrayed as a group of poorly trained soldiers. Almost every battle is childishly lost. One of the low points is the fight between a Germanic warrior and a group of Romans. The Germanic manages to slaughter them one by one. The fact that another group of Roman soldiers is watching and fleeing with bows and arrows makes it completely unbelievable. If the Romans had really fought this way and were so (dis)organized, there would never have been a Roman Empire.
The disciplined war machine it actually was is portrayed as a group of poorly trained soldiers.
Furthermore, the second season flawlessly builds on the first. We are now a year after the great battle in the Teutoburg Forest. The Romans are now rebuilding their strength. That threat causes the Teutons to try to broaden their alliances. An important empire is Marbod. His more eastern tribe Marcoman has seventy thousand warriors whereas Ari (formerly Arminius), together with his allies, does not get any further than about eight thousand warriors. A political struggle for power ensues. This is further complicated by the unexpected appearance of Flavus, Ari's brother who also grew up in Rome.
Family and relationships play a major role this season. Flavus has brought a big surprise from Rome. That surprise will have a major influence on events. Thusnelda, Ari's wife, doesn't just fight with her husband. Her feelings for Folkwin and their son put a strain on their relationships. Male love also gets a place. Unfortunately, all of this distracts from what actually happened. The impressive reality hardly gets any attention. The only thing that is correct are the names of quite a few historical figures. Also think of the two new persons mentioned, Flavus and Marbod (officially called Marboduus). The events are furthermore all made up or quite far from the truth.
The events are furthermore all made up or quite far from the truth.
What remains is that this six-part season is absolutely binge-worthy. I went through the series in two days. That certainly says something about the entertainment offered. The battle scenes look intense. The many intrigues provide tension, although some of them (such as the events surrounding Flavus) are very far-fetched. Everything else looks fantastic. Unfortunately, as a series based on real events, it has added far too much fiction. That, and the fact that the Romans get off very badly, means that I can't give the series more than a seven.
