SuzieBee

Regarding the Bjorn/Ragnar relationship. My quiet brother was like this with my dad. It took time for him to gain enough confidence to stand up to our strong father. Same thing should happen with Bjorn, given time. In his past interactions (Jarl Borg/Paris), Bjorn was not even out of adolescence yet, as that developmental stage lasts until age 25 or so. It helps if you have a wife and kids, and we didn't see Bjorn's yet in the time-jump (will it be Torvi? I guess all will be revealed in the next season).

What an interesting shot that was of Helga's arm reaching down to pick up Floki's toy boat in the harbor! For a few moments there, I thought we were watching the movie "Jason and the Argonauts", and rather than Helga's arm, that was instead the hand and arm of one of the Greek goddesses, who was bent on stirring up trouble for some mortal, or maybe causing a ship to capsize.... Floki seemed to have more gravitas after the time leap. Unexplained things abounded this season, and we really were never shown what Floki's new powers meant going forward. This time, we merely got shots of the seer wailing. I suppose he was crying because he sensed their defeat? Finally, someone in Paris is on their knees praying. Good scene with Princess Gisla in the chapel; I think it explains a lot. She asks the Holy Mother to protect and forgive Rollo, knowing that even at that moment, Rollo may be attempting to kill Ragnar in the battle. And, I was wondering what happened to the arm band that Rollo gave to Gisla, and now I am satisfied, especially as it was used so effectively in the chapel. The scene where Rollo gave it to her is one of my favorites. Speaking of adornments, bracelets, and body art, I believe Hirst did miss an opportunity for a scene in which Rollo could have been asked about his tattoos. The logical person to ask would have been Gisla, of course. I believe Rollo was supposed to have a tattoo of a wolf on his left bicep; the trouble is, if you look back to prior seasons, the tattoos kept changing, and maybe that's a macaw now on his arm? :) Nonetheless, considering the popularity of tattoos worldwide currently, a scene like that would have meant something to a large contingent of viewers, and it would also make sense, plot-wise, as a curiosity in the eyes of the Frankish court. I will never get a tattoo, but any man I have ever asked about his tattoos always seemed eager to talk about them. OK, enough. I was captivated by the scene in Kattegat where Aslaug interrupts Bjorn's spear fishing to ask him to see a visitor. My, my, Bjorn is looking fine, walking barefoot with his damp feet into the new, fancy digs. If this were the 21st Century, the great hall would be a country club reception room, and owner/manager Bjorn would leave poolside with a towel flung over his shoulder to greet the guest. Alexander Ludwig is doing a good acting job as Bjorn. He's giving us a nicely studied portrayal of an introvert. Sees much, shares little. Loyal to the core; can be trusted implicitly with a confidence. Speaks up simply about his father when it is important. Seems able to move on from first girlfriend Porrun, and doesn't mind spending time in the little cabin out in the middle of nowhere during the winter. Fabulous. I think, of all things promised for upcoming seasons, I most look forward to seeing the adult Alfred the Great. (But maybe not till Season 5? Will be hard to wait for this!)

I guess that would be the French way? If we must go there, can't it be some good-hearted girl, not that completely amoral Therese person? She is repugnant.

Most impressive were the scenes of the Ecbert coronation and the presentation of the sword to Alfred in Rome. Michael Hirst seems able to do excellent and stirring scenes of this kind, and I am reminded of scenes in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, movies that he co-wrote. I loved the way they intercut scenes between the two. Heck, it's not every little kid of age 4 who gets to own a memory like that. From what I remember of Alfred the Great, it likely had special significance. Bravo, well done! That little actor is cute as a button. Lagertha and Ragnar and Bjorn. Fantastic scenes, not much dialog needed. Just looks and body language carrying the day. With the way Aslaug is behaving back in Kattegat, Ragnar and Lagertha should get back together. Even if they didn't end up together, though, the fans of Vikings would like to see any kind of tender love scene between the two. It would be a compensation of some kind, for the less than stellar writing given over to the Yidu/Ragnar alliance. No sex for Rollo? Hmmm..... Well, I have heard it said that top NFL players perform better in important title games when they don't have sex the night before. Therefore, Rollo should be good to go in the next day's boat battle with the Vikings! I have a feeling that Rollo won't die yet. The Gisla/Rollo bedroom scene is setting up another plot point, to be explored later in the script; that is, if they don't time-jump so far in the second half of the season as to make tying up loose ends a little sloppy.

Therese could always lie, and say that she is devout and engages in self-scourging as a form of deep penitence (the same way that Aethelwulf does). Only trouble is, I doubt that would leave scars quite so deep, but perhaps the story is semi-plausible.

Good episode. The whole story line with Yidu was so pointless; at least I think so. Michael Hirst hinted at the beginning of the season that this slave's appearance in the plot "would all make sense in the end." I'm skeptical, because now she's dead, and what have we learned? The producers didn't even try to make her sympathetic, as she was so obviously there to bring Ragnar down. A stand-in for Athelstan? No. Ragnar, when someone offers you drugs the first time they are alone with you, run! This is the true sign of bad character. Sin always seeks to involve others. Yidu looked pretty experienced herself. Also, Ragnar, when you are in a drug-induced paranoia, think, man, think. Give yourself at least two minutes and take a deep breath. Yidu has never been shown interacting with any of the Northmen, just with Aslaug. Was Yidu going to run and tell your secret to Aslaug? Nope, Aslaug was in Kattegat, smashing crockery and slapping Harbard around. Just goes to show how desperate and scared Ragnar is becoming. I would suggest The Magic of Rapport: The Art of Negotiation for his reading list. Pathetic reaction from Emperor Charles when Princess Gisla told him she was pregnant. Come on. I don't care if the conversation at the table was a little tentative and tense. A potential royal heir is a huge deal. Even if the grandfather had many things on his mind, couldn't he fake a big smile and give her a kiss? At least he did raise a toast. Frankly, I would have preferred to FIRST see an intimate moment between Rollo and Gisla as she delivered the news privately. That Charles/Gisla/Rollo dining scene wasn't perfect, but I do love the elegance of the dining table (even if the table settings aren't accurate). Obviously, Rollo has read the article "How Good Manners Changed The World." I think Jennie Jacques as Judith was pretty good in her scenes this time. In general, I think people's complaints about the acting have focused on a few of the more minor female characters, not on the male actors. I don't expect that every actor will turn in an Emmy-awarding performance consistently. I'm of the belief that the show runners selected some (not all) of the actors or actresses to fill roles based on the visuals. Especially with an actress who will be romantically involved with someone. For instance, I love the way Gisla and Rollo look and act together. As far as Linus Roache, he makes any woman look good. The women he is paired with are a reflection of his glory, an echo chamber for his charismatic, poetic thoughts. What did the very emotional and desperate Queen Kwenthrith say in this episode? "Next to your sins, my sins are quite unimpressive!" (a paraphrase, I think). As a friend of mine who had a degree in dance once said: "All you need is a good partner." Lagertha does not reflect anyone's glory. She is a case unto herself. One complaint though -- she is much prettier without any makeup at all. I don't like the kohl-rimmed eyes she is sporting right now.

I tend to agree with you there, to the extent that the number of shield maidens in the last battle seemed inordinately large to me. The average man has quite a bit of an advantage in upper-body strength over a woman, giving them superior endurance. If both practiced fighting skills and strength conditioning on a regular basis, I don't see the women catching up -- unless you are matching a BIG woman with a much smaller man, and you sure can't control that very well in a battle. I guess if you are a young woman, it's easier. But I am regularly at the gym working on my own endurance and strength, and being older, it's just HARD and sometimes discouraging to see my lack of progress! Of course, I could be wrong, and I just found my book The Vikings, Elite Series from Osprey Military. I will read up and see. By the way, I seem to remember from my book, The Year 1000: What Life Was Like in the First Millennium, that Europeans were actually pretty large people around 800-1000 AD. It was only later, after plagues, malnutrition, etc. that the average male on the continent became smaller in stature, and hence, you see such small suits of armor in museums. I do not know about the Vikings, though.

It is not your imagination. I heard the slipped accent in that line of dialog. Yes, Fimmel went Australian there for a moment when he was yelling. I assume it may be difficult to maintain the Swedish accent when you are emoting at that decibel level. I have respect for how well these actors are coached in unfamiliar accents. It is one thing to sing in a different accent, with different, more pure vowels; in fact, it is EASY compared to what these actors have to do. Perhaps the director didn't want to re-do this part of the scene on the boat because it was just too much trouble?

I don't care for the Wessex story that much, but that was a gorgeous blue and gold cloak that they put on Linus Roache right before he got on his horse. The long shot where he and his men entered Mercia was a bit of stunning camera work. This show does cloaks really well. As King Harald Finehair sailed into the harbor at Kattegat, his magnificent wool patchwork cloak flowed behind him, making him look far more commanding than he probably is. It looked like Floki was being conferred with god-like powers in his vision of making love with Aslaug. One complaint I have though -- doesn't it seem like Aslaug gets too many lines? Her scenes eat up too much screen time. It would be far more profitable to give that time to a female character who deserves the attention -- like Lagertha. Maybe what I just said isn't really true; but when you see such an unlikeable character appear in the episode, you wish they would hurry up and disappear. These episodes are so short with all of the commercials.

Yes, those first few episodes were great and set a good standard for character building. I also think they were excellent because the show was all potential back then, and not only did we have no notion of where they'd go with it, we also didn't have repeat themes that some viewers tired of. If Ragnar and Lagertha were young and full of potential during the S1 of Vikings, so was Athelstan. Yes, he was a special character that I miss all of the time. Just guessing, I think he was probably about 20 when he was captured by Ragnar and forced into slavery. Late teens to early twenties is a perfect time to have a crisis of faith. It happened to me when I was 18, and so I identified in some respects with Athelstan's experience, and the fact that he made his way back to Christ, in the end. Having said that, Season 3 was my favorite because of the expansion of the Vikings territory and their fantastically played, large-scale siege of Paris.

I didn't like the episode either. Though not much of a TV watcher, I contend that a series like this has to have some weak episodes. It makes the truly outstanding ones look so favorable by comparison. People complained all the time when Mad Men was on the air, that there was nothing happening in the episodes, or that weak characters stuck around too long. Please get rid of the Ragnar/Yidu pairing and drug trips. The producers haven't sold Ragnar's sordid descent very well; compare his debauchery with that of the fabulous Clive Owen, who plays the fascinating and compelling cocaine-addicted Dr. Thackeray in The Knick. Charles looked a little confused, like he was in the early stages of dementia. Was this an act? I have to believe so, based on the sly smile when he was alone. I don't get Roland/Therese. They have been at court from the beginning. Are they really sister and brother? In the episode where Therese suggests an assignation with Count Odo, she says she has all the time she needs, as her husband is likely drunk and passed out for the evening. Is that old guy she was sitting beside during the Epiphany feast her husband? Lagertha has never looked more beautiful than in the wedding scene. The visuals with all of the pastels, fluff, flowers, and other symbols of marital purity made the murder of Kalf all the more horrible. Alexander Ludwig was very good. I loved the expression on his face when he was conversing with King Harald, a man Bjorn distrusts instinctively. Mark my words, Harald has a reason for going on the Paris raid. We just don't know the reason. Linus Roache is great. I love him. But that scene where he gives Judith his late wife's ring to wear was just lame.

Crackers, you are correct. I hate making errors of fact, and I watched the scene again. Yes, it was the same book of annulment papers, not a smaller book. However, the hand-off of the papers to Rollo did contain an editing mistake.

Hmmm... I watched it several times. The cardinal appears and announces he is presenting papers of annulment to Rollo. The cardinal is holding a black leather folio, almost legal-sized, under his arm. We don't see him hand Rollo anything. After everyone is ushered out, Rollo gives a book to Princess Gisla, but it's not the legal-sized folio, it's a tiny book, less than the size of a personal journal! I hadn't thought about it before, but this could simply be sloppy editing. I'm not one to analyze editing, but if you view it enough times.... I'd still like to think it's a book of poetry, though. :)

An uneven episode, to be sure. Although I didn't care very much for the Yidu/Ragnar drug trip in the cabin, it is always a pleasure to watch Travis Fimmel. I have never seen anyone with such icy blue, expressive eyes. Also, I liked the introduction of the new charming but sinister King Harald Finehair. Mainly I watched it for Rollo/Gisla. The transition in their relationship was handled too abruptly, but I won't complain about the soft-focus lovemaking scene. The scene at the Epiphany feast was fun! (Wonder what made the producers put Gisla in a black lace cocktail dress, circa 2015?) I'm old. I think I read the original Kathleen Woodiwiss bodice ripper novel (1972 or so). I can only take so much tedious dreck in that kind of romance novel, and don't want a steady diet of fanciful make-up sex; however, I think there will be continued fireworks and storms in this marriage. Gisla won't be able to help herself, will she? I hope the conflict is handled well. I was intrigued in the moment when Rollo hands Gisla a small book, leading her to ask if this is Rollo's confession of love and devotion. It makes me wonder if the book contains poetry. If so, the Vikings writing staff needs to hire a poet, post-haste! Can we please hear Clive recite some romantic poetry? Also, Clive said (in an interview that I have lost), that the first time Rollo sees Gisla up on the battlements during the siege of Paris, he thinks he is looking at a valkyrie. Hmmm.... As for the female empowerment thing, I had a friend to tell me that the public cannot get enough of this theme. He is right. The producers of Vikings are likely walking a fine line when they interpret girl power among the Saxon and Frankish women. My favorite historical figure is Queen Elizabeth I, the finest monarch England ever had, and no other woman can compare, and certainly not a vaguely formed fictional Queen Kwenthrith. And that's because Elizabeth shared her power with no man. But I guess it's nice that someone is trying to bring a fresh perspective to this early Medieval TV series. The posts and writing at this site remind me very much of the writing at the now-defunct web site, Television Without Pity (TWOP). I wish I could write half as entertainingly.