Since 2005, Deadliest Catch has amazed fans with its exciting action and heart-stopping thrills. Following the captains and deckhands aboard various fishing vessels, Deadliest Catch has allowed many of their personalities to become stars. One of them is Captain Sig Hansen; arguably the biggest name in the franchise, Hansen took a journey to Norway to try his hand at a new nautical terrain while the Alaskan red king crab fishery was shut down.
Running the course of a single season, Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns took the focus and placed it on Captain Sig Hansen in a new light. Joined by his daughter Mandy Hansen and his son-in-law Clark Pederson, the Hansens are eager to reach a $1 million Norwegian red king crab quota. With an appearance by Deadliest Catch‘s Jake Anderson, Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns was a unique spin-off that took the allure of the flagship series and centralized it in a positive manner.
Captain Sig Hansen Was the Perfect Character for a Spin-Off
As the logline for the series states, “Sig Hansen lures his family back to their Norwegian homeland hoping to build a new king crab fishing empire.” With his main source of income temporarily stalled, Captain Sig Hansen took on a bit of a passion project with Deadliest Catch by his side. The fan-favorite Deadliest Catch star and his daughter, Mandy Hansen, partook in this family affair as they returned to their ancestral home in Norway with ambitions of building a fishing empire greater than their forefathers could have ever imagined, as stated in the show’s trailer.
Rather than focusing on a bevy of fishing vessels engaging in a singular crabbing season, the spin-off focused solely on Captain Sig Hansen and spotlighted Mandy Hansen’s desire to grow her own family. Through a journey to rediscover their own heritage and cement the legacy they’ll pass down to the next generation of fishermen, Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns exuded a new sense of adventure. It was a more personal journey that brought a welcome insight into the star and his universe. The objective was the same, but as Sig stated, “This isn’t about money. This is about family.” While family is a major factor within the 20 seasons of Deadliest Catch, this family story expanded upon the franchise-favorite Hansens. The family fishing business has grown since his father — who Captain Sig Hansen speaks highly of throughout the series — journeyed to America. Captain Sig Hansen speaks of his father highly throughout the series. He makes mention of the legacy he helped foster in Norway, bringing a “billion-dollar business” to fruition. Hansen is out there to honor this, and Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns capitalizes on this notion.
Returning to Norway Was About Legacy for Sig Hansen
The prime story on Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns is family. Even though Jake Anderson may not share the Hansen legacy, he has remained a major part of Hansen’s sea family. For Anderson, his journey on the series also featured a family storyline as he shared the story of his father as he spread his ashes in Norway. Regarding his relationship with Sig Hansen, the series watches as Hansen gives Anderson control of the wheelhouse of F/V Stålbas.
Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns was a whole new world for both the Hansens and Deadliest Catch. This was the first international journey the series embarked on. As Sig remarked about the series, “For me, the biggest challenge fishing in Norway was the uncharted waters. When I’m in the Bering Sea, I know the area and geography pretty much like the back of my hand. Fishing in Norway was like a new map to learn.” Hansen has a history with the open waters of Norway; he fished there as a teenager. But the icy tundras of Norway provided a new sense of cinematography for viewers. Those ice caps are unlike anything seen on the main series — there’s something magical about this landscape. You might know of Captain Sig Hansen from Deadliest Catch, but you get to know Captain Sig Hansen on Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns.
