How Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns Came Full Circle For Sig Hansen
Sig Hansen's new "Deadliest Catch" spin-off, "Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns," has him and his family expanding their crab fishing empire from Alaska into Norway. Hansen is quickly approaching 60 and admitted in 2019 that he no longer enjoys fishing but finds himself unable to quit. "I can't stop, that's the problem," Hansen told Entertainment Weekly. "All of us are egomaniacs. You want to stop, but the ego portion won't let me stop. ... Really what we need is a shrink. If we could get a goddamn shrink in Dutch Harbor, we'd be better off."
Still, Hansen keeps going, even though, as he told Entertainment Weekly in the same interview, he had a bit of a health scare a few years back after his allergic reaction to an antibiotic triggered a heart attack.
In an interview with Headliner Chicago, Hansen also explained the real reason why the spin-off has him moving to Norway: The Bristol Bay red king crab fishery was closed for a season for the first time in 25 years. With opportunities in Alaska dwindling, Hansen and his family sought new opportunities in Norway. But, in a way, moving into Norway is Hansen coming full circle.
Hansen's family has fished in Norway for generations
In an interview with First Coast News, Hansen explained that his family is not new to fishing in Norway, although it has been a while. "Well, for me, it came around full circle," Hansen explained. "You know, I was always proud of the fact that my forefathers were fishermen. You know, great great grandfather and my dad, these guys fished in Norway as well." This makes it even more significant that "Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns" focuses on the entire Hansen family, particularly Sig and his daughter Mandy, as they reconnect with their ancestral legacy.
That's not to say that Hansen is a complete newcomer to Norway, though. According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hansen used to fish in Norway as a teenager and also made yearly trips to the country to visit family.
Still, returning to the seas of Norway was a challenge for Hansen. "For me, the biggest challenge fishing in Norway was the uncharted waters," Hansen told Entertainment Weekly. "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." So, even though the show may be a return for "The Viking," it's also a brand new adventure in unfamiliar waters, making "Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns" to be one of the franchise's most promising spin-offs.