Vikings Actor Travis Fimmel's Overlooked Crime Drama Series Is Streaming For Free

In his most recent TV role, Australian actor Travis Fimmel swaps the cunning warrior mentality of his "Vikings" character Ragnar Lothbrok for the keen mind of a cold case detective. The Australian crime drama "Black Snow" premiered in 2023 and stars the actor as James Cormack, who investigates a different grisly case in each of the show's two seasons to date. Created for the Australian streaming service Stan, "Black Snow" is currently available to watch for free in the U.S. via The Roku Channel.

Season 1 revolves around the murder of a teenage girl in a small South Sea Islander town, while Season 2 sees Cormack looking into the death of another young woman while also digging up info about the disappearance of his brother. The mystery element is strong, but "Black Snow" remains a character-centric story that delves into Cormack's past experiences with loss and trauma. Both existing seasons have six episodes each, and "Black Snow" was renewed for a third season in March 2026. 

Prior to "Black Snow," Fimmel made a statement on TV as the lead of "Vikings" and later appeared in the likes of "Raised by Wolves" and "Dune: Prophecy." Although "Black Snow" hasn't reached mainstream viewers in the States yet, the show has received considerable praise from those who have taken the time to watch it. With a perfect 100% critic score and a 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "Black Snow" definitely warrants more attention from fans of crime and detective TV shows. 

Detective James Cormack isn't as widely celebrated as Ragnar Lothbrok from "Vikings," one of the best historical TV shows ever made. However, both the character and "Black Snow" as a whole mean a lot to Travis Fimmel. The Aussie actor appreciates the chance to work in and portray someone from his home country, and Fimmel even got to try his hand at directing for the first time in his career when he helmed the "Black Snow" Season 2 finale. In a 2024 interview with The AU Review, Fimmel discussed the importance of contributing to Australia's TV industry.

"It's great for Australia, and it's great for Australian actors, because there's just so much work for people," Fimmel said. "It's showing the world what we can do. But every Aussie actor wants to work at home. Yeah, we go overseas to make more money, but I think there's a greater future for productions in Australia." Newcomers have plenty of time to binge the first two seasons of "Black Snow" while the third season of this criminally underrated crime drama is still in production. Filming kicked off in the Cairns region of Queensland in April 2026.