[S04.E19: On the Eve]

Vikings,even creepy ones like the Bastard, are tough nuts to crack. You won't get info from them with a"pretty please with cream and sugar on top", and Lagertha doesn't know if time is a critical factor in finding out who paid this guy to attack Kattegat. WE know who, so we know she has time to use less vicious methods, but Lagertha doesn't know that. It seems logical that due to the possible need for haste the most effective method (which maybe DIDN'T hold out the promise of Valhalla) needed to be used. I didn't get the impression that Lagertha enjoyed using that method, but it WAS effective. Its not as brutal as blood-eagling( and Ragnar and sons seemed to actually enjoy that) and Lagertha didn't feel the need to kill him after she got the info. And yes I DO also understand that she knows Harold & Co will do it for her.

[S04.E18: Revenge]

On 1/18/2017 at 9:22 PM, Silverglitter said:

That Danish princess reminded me of Rebecca DeMornay. Specifically as her Milady de Winter role in the Three Musketeers.

You  are SO right! That must be why I felt like I had seen her before.

[S04.E19: On the Eve]

On 1/26/2017 at 7:55 PM, Ravenya003 said:

Great episode, especially on the heels of last week (though I was willing to cut it some slack since I suspected the budget was being saved for these final two episodes).

I never know what to make of Athelwulf. We've seen him hit his wife and kill terrified children and generally act like a neanderthal, and yet here he's given a lovely scene with Alfred. I've been waiting to get a fix on their relationship, and despite complaining a couple of weeks ago about how he has to raise his wife's bastard, it's obvious he loves him (and is loved back). He even managed kind words for Athelstan, who he hated during his life time. Who'd have thought he had it in him?

And hey, his biological son! A couple of weeks I wondered whether I had just imagined his existence. 

The Kattegut plot didn't interest me much: I wasn't too worried for Lagertha since we've seen Kattegut get overthrown and taken back so many times already, and there weren't many twists in the battle. After throwing down the flaming torch, why didn't one of the men on the other side just shoot her? Or just run through it? It was staged like some remarkable strategy that turned the tide of the battle, but didn't really feel like anything particularly spectacular. And it ends with Lagertha discovering something that the audience has known from the start: the creepy smarmy obviously evil brothers are out to conquer Kattegut. How'd they not see that coming??

I don't dislike Judith, but I did snorfle when Ecbert praised her brilliant mind. Um, okay. Sure. 

I'm holding out hope for Torvi. They wouldn't have bothered to show her blinking if they didn't want to establish she was still alive at the end of the episode, so maybe there's hope.

That subplot with the Finehair brothers was kinda weird and pointless, but mad respect for Princess Nice Hat. Plotting to stab your husband's killer to death while f***ing him? I'm just sorry she didn't get away with it.

Floki is majorly shook that he's become the sane one. And I noticed that his rapport with the little girl was (presumably) a parallel to Athelwulf's scene with Alfred. The two fundamentalists are the gentlest with children (at least these children).

And the brothers are working together to defeat the Saxons, though not without a little bit of tension. We'll see how this evolves, as I feel that Ivar has inherited his father's battle smarts, but Bjorn his leadership qualities. Yet neither has the charisma that made Ragnar so beloved: Ivar is too creepy and Bjorn too stoic.

Great review! I was worried about Lagertha. She's  my favorite character, and since I know Harald Finehair was ultimately king, I was afraid there was a possibility she was going to get killed. I loved E19. I admit to a sneaking fondness for Aethelwulf ever since he showed up in the tower to rescue Queen Kwenthrth and she asked what took him so long.

Lol. Ivar truly gives me the creeps. I also don't get why Helga took Flokis refusal to have more kids as the final word. It's not like he could really stop her. I doubt if they were abstaining from sex. Her adoption of the girl just seemed so out of character and contrived. I am also crossing my fingers for Torvi's recovery.

[S04.E19: On the Eve]

15 hours ago, Kalliste said:

I thought "aww poor Torvi" and then she blinked and started to breathe. Given it looked like she only had an arrow in the shoulder I'm assuming she's ok. I can't see her being killed off without Lagertha mentioning it while roasting that guy.

Poor Athelwulf seemed so confused this episode"My wife is saying nice things to me, the army is cheering for me, Alfred thinks I'm amazing.. what is life". I was glad someone finally showed him some kindness after all this time.

I wonder if Ivar will be even more insufferable with his "but Daddy chose me!" whining and ranting now that his plan worked. Hopefully they'll just realise if they work together maybe they can get somewhere.

I wonder if next episode will be our last of Ecbert/Wessex and co.

I just don't understand why Ivar thinks Ragnar chose him. Ragnar asked everybody else first and they all said no. He took Ivar because that was all that was available. I also don't understand why somebody who was there (like the brothers who refused to go with Ragnar ) don't point out that Ragnar didn't choose Ivar. Ragnar got stuck with Ivar.