Vikings followed up last weeks superb episode with another phenomenal episode. This week had its humorous moments, but also contained gut wrenchingly painful to witness scenes, and there were a lot of standout moments that need to be discussed.
Ragnar finally gets a chance to meet with King Ecbert and I can’t really say which part of the scene I enjoyed more. There is the obvious, two grown men doing their negotiating in the bathtub, but more than that I loved how both Travis Fimmel and Linus Roache played this scene. Travis has become a master at a well timed facial expression. Watching him in these awkward moments, from the scenes with him, Lagertha, and Aslaug at the beginning of the season, to the bathtub negotiations now has become a real enjoyable experience. It cuts out potentially unnecessary exposition, while still getting the point across. I love how much Travis is able to convey with just a few expressions.
King Ecbert is an interesting guy, and I can see the parallels between him and Ragnar, but I think we’ve only just scratched the surface on him. I enjoy him far more than I did King Aelle, he is a stronger, more dynamic character. I had thought that he and Ragnar would be able to come up with some sort of deal, but now that Ragnar is gone and Ecbert has attacked his people I wonder if Ragnar will be seeking retribution.
It does seem, however, that the focus will now be on Ragnar getting his lands in Kattegat back and making Jarl Borg pay for what he has done. There were quite a few reunions on tonight’s episode as Ragnar makes his way back home. He is reunited with Aslaug and their brood of children, but also his other long lost family Lagertha and Bjorn. The reunion between Ragnar and Bjorn was wonderful, there was so much emotion, and you can see how much not having his son around has affected Ragnar. I liked that the reunion was really about Ragnar and Bjorn, even though Lagertha was there too, and I think it was important to do it that way. Of course Ragnar was happy to see her, but I think the loss of Bjorn has weighed heavily on Ragnar, as we’ve seen the past few episodes. Alexander Ludwig is doing a fantastic job of portraying Bjorn this season, a character who has grown taller and wiser, but still has a bit of naivety about him.
I do wonder how their return will affect that family dynamic of Ragnar and Aslaug, but I do hope not too much. While I love Lagertha, I’m more inclined to say I want her to move on beyond being Ragnar’s wife. Granted she’s not in a good situation now, and it was truly painful to see her this week as her new husband attempted to get her to submit to him, but I cheered when she took the upper hand. Lagertha is an inspiration to women everywhere, and to have such a strong character on television right now is truly encouraging. Yes, she does need to leave the rotten husband she has now, but not necessarily to go back to Ragnar. Let’s see Lagertha become a strong bad ass woman on her own. Forget all these male Earls, let Lagertha rule these lands instead.
I don’t say that just because I truly do like Aslaug and don’t necessarily want to see her go, but I think Lagertha has outgrown Ragnar. As for Aslaug, she is truly out of her element right now, but that’s what makes the show interesting, it takes characters out of their element and pushes them into situations they might be uncomfortable with. I’m interested to see the interactions next week between Lagertha and Aslaug.
Rollo continued to prove that keeping him around was a good idea, and that he is totally worthy of redemption. My big question is where does his story go next? Has he taken Athelstan’s place as the family babysitter, or is there something in store for him that we just haven't seen yet? I know it’s probably the latter, but I’m eager to see what it is. I’m also eager to see more Siggy, another character that I’m glad has stuck around. She’s another example of a strong woman on the show, and you really can’t have too many of those in this day and age. I’m honestly hoping at this point she gets her own prominent storyline, but of course there is only so much the show can do with the limited amount of time this season.
Lest you think I’ve forgotten one of the most emotional, intense, and heart breaking scenes of the episode (and I would argue the series), let’s talk about Athelstan. As I said last week, this character grows so much from week to week, and from season to season, his journey has been incredibly fascinating to watch. While at the beginning of the season it seemed as if he had found his place among the Vikings, I believe Athelstan will truly always be out of place in either realm. This week’s episode sees him choosing to stay behind with King Horik while Ragnar goes back to Kattegat, a decision that upsets Ragnar. It is time for Athelstan to start having his own story apart from Ragnar’s, as so many other characters are doing this season.
Unfortunately, staying behind doesn’t go so well for Athelstan and he is caught by King Ecbert’s men. He tries to reason with them, saying he is one of them, but he is not. He is no longer a Christian, but not a full Viking either, caught in the in between. The men do not spare him but instead crucify him in a scene that is painful to watch but incredibly well acted by George Blagden. I remember being in shock the first time I saw it, and after talking with George he confirmed that it was one of the most difficult things he’s ever had to do as an actor. He pulls it off, however, because the crucifixion scene is incredibly emotionally affecting. Thankfully, Athelstan is saved at the last moment by King Ecbert, and I’m glad because I think there is so much we have to see from Athelstan. I cannot begin to guess where his character is headed now, but I’m so excited to watch and see.
So that’s it for this week, Vikings Fans. What did you think of the episode? Did the crucifixion scene break your heart? Were you happy to see the reunion? Do you want Ragnar to go back to Lagertha? Sound off below and I’ll see you next week!
Don’t miss an all new episode, Thursday at 10 PM EST on the History Channel!
