S03.E03: Warrior's Fate

[maraleia]

King Ecbert visits the developing Viking settlement as the first harvest is sown.

[jnymph]

I wonder if the title is suggesting that Thorstein is off to Valhalla ?  :(   If so, his baby mama's may be forced to form an alliance in order to care for his brood. 

 

Edited March 2, 2015 by jnymph

[Expat]

The show can keep pushing Athelstan/Judith as much as they like, but I'm never gonna buy it. No chemistry imo. I'm not against Athelstan getting some (I shipped him and Thyri, after all), but why couldn't they have given him a non-married love interest? I don't care about her, like, at all.

 

The shots of the archers up on the wall in that armor was gorgeous.

 

Ragnar is a douche. Yeah, I actually agree with the things he said to Bjorn, but he didn't have to go about it the way he did. Ragnar has always been rather dickish with Bjorn though.

Is it evil that I hope Thorunn dies? I just don't see the point of her.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Gumdrops

[benteen]

Great episode, best of the season so far.

 

The way the show handles religion is both impressive and compelling.  Ecbert and Lagertha are adorable together but a blood sacrifice is good way to scare someone off!  I'm intrigued by this storyline and am interested in seeing it play out.

 

Ragnar is an ass but damn, Fimmel was amazing in that scene where he berated Bjorn.  Ragnar has always had a jealousy thing with Bjorn.  He loves his son but is bothered at the idea that one day Bjorn might be more famous than he is.

 

Always liked Kevin Durand and I like his character here.

[peridot]

I liked this episode.  I agreed with Siggy that Aslaug shouldn't have let the stranger know that all the warriors are gone.  I'm surprised that she let him see/touch her son.

 

Bjorn was foolish letting a pregnant, novice warrior join the fight, but Ragnar shouldn't have questioned if he was his son.  I'm glad the Rollo was able to provide some comfort for Bjorn.

 

Who knew Athelstan had such a hot bod!  Will definitely find some gifs of that.

[benteen]

The Ragnar/Floki scene was great too.

[Expat]

I liked this episode.  I agreed with Siggy that Aslaug shouldn't have let the stranger know that all the warriors are gone.  I'm surprised that she let him see/touch her son.

 

Siggy was the only one being discerning about him. Helga and Aslaug just seemed completely enamored/captivated by him. Not that I couldn't see why, but still, I'm glad that at least one of them wasn't totally blindly taken in.

 

I'm loving what's going on in Kattegat. It's definitely intriguing. Who would've thought that a storyline with Siggy/Aslaug/Helga and some random mystical dude would be my favorite on the show right now?

 

 

The Ragnar/Floki scene was great too.

Oh yeah. I loved seeing Floki get slapped down. haha

Edited March 6, 2015 by Gumdrops

[Straycat80]

I am intrigued by this Wanderer. Even the seer can't see what he is and can't foresee what will happen. And the two dead children, were their deaths somehow connected to him? I can't wait to see how this plays out.

Poor Bjorn. I have nothing against Gorunn, I hope she'll be ok. Ragnar did act like a dick to Bjorn. Rollo seems to have a better relationship with him than his father does.

I'm glad Lagertha finally got some with Ecgbert. It didn't look like he was turned on by that bloody ritual though.

RIP Thorstein.

[HorseyFace]

Cosigning AAAAAALLLLLLLL of this. 

 

Also:

 

[Pogojoco]

Thorstein's whole thing reminded me of that "It's only a flesh wound!" bit from Monty Python. Not that it wasn't totally well done. Him going over the hill and the fog and the archers. It's beautiful. That was Canadian-Inuk throat singer named Tanya Tagaq as the music during that fight. It's little things like that that remind me this is a Canadian co-production. 

 

It's nice that Lagertha can speak English now so Athelstan doesn't have to translate while she and Ecbert do it. And that giant bath is fantastic. Athelstan seems really young, but he's really well traveled for a simple monk. I can't care about Judith, but I'm trying. 

 

Aslaug, for all her baby making and prophecies, isn't all that bright. I've never been a fan of that character, but why are she telling a large, strange man that all the warriors are away? I loved all the storyteller stuff, though. "I am taaaaaking your pain, Ivar. Go to sleeeeep" 

 

"In the meantime, Floki, shut your face." 

Edited March 6, 2015 by Pogojoco

[thuganomics85]

Whoa!  I really didn't think Ecbert/Lagertha would happen this quickly.  But, I guess when you spend the episode talking about farming in the most sexual way possible ("Fertilizing."  "Planting seeds."  Real subtle there, Ecbert.) and already show her the hot tube, you might as well go all the way.  Then again, it might already be done. That blood sacrifice really seemed to unnerve him.   Yeah, Ecbert.  When you try and court a Viking badass, you should expect some craziness and violence, buddy.

 

So, now Thorstein is dead.  At least he went out helping the gang get an edge on the battle.  Doesn't seem to matter to Floki though.  Ragnar might be a dick, but in that scenario, I was glad he shut him down.  The stuff with Bjorn though, was a bit harsh.  It did remind me that their relationship isn't the best, due to him being raised by Lagertha throughout most of his teenage/adult life.  Have a things we might see more of this and more issues will arise.  And, Rollo being more supportive could end up being a factor as well.

 

The stuff with Aslaug/Helga/Siggy and The Wanderer is surprisingly intriguing.  I love that he is charming the first two, but Siggy totally seems to think something is up. Still not sure what to make of him.  He suddenly "takes" Ivan the Boneless pain away, and then two children are suddenly dead.  And, Siggy totally thinks he's involved.  At least The Seer is still around, but I still wonder if what they saw in their dreams is in store for him.

 

I will admit I totally loved Ragnar "forgiving" Kwenthrith's brother via head-butt.  Picked the absolute wrong time to ask for forgiveness.

 

The battle scene was great, but then again, the battle scenes usually are always pretty damn good.

 

I'm all for Athelstan potentially getting some, but I do wish he had a more interesting love interest.  Hell, I even take him and Kwenthrith, from a pure trainwreck perspective.  Or any Viking woman.  Having him fall for the wife of a prince just seems tame and obvious.

[Eriu]

Ugh, enough of this argument over whether or not a grown-ass woman is *allowed* to do what she wants. Yes, she's pregnant, and it wasn't the smartest of choices, but it should still be her choice to go raiding or not. And what was Bjorn gonna do to stop her? Tie her to a chair? Stand there and pout?

I also don't see why Ragnar was pissed. He said it himself: "we fight, we die, this is what we do".

[LittleIggy]

Lagertha and Ecbert got some hot tub magic! :-)

Could have been worse, Wessex folk. Could have been a human sacrifice...

It's weird. I can watch the graphic battle scenes, but when they went to kill the bull, I turned my head.

That seer is the freakiest looking thing. He looks like something out of Mordor. At least they've quit showing people licking his palm! :-p

Edited March 6, 2015 by LittleIggy

[BitterApple]

I was disappointed that Bjorn's girlfriend didn't die, she irks me to no end.

And yes, real smart move Aslaug in letting some random stranger know all the men are gone. I'll admit I'm dying to see how the Wanderer storyline plays out though.

I'm hoping Athelstan doesn't hook up with Judith. I think she's sneaky and trying to set him up.

[WatchrTina]

 

RIP Thorstein

He died in battle believing that that would guarantee him entry to Valhalla.  Much better way for him to go than languishing and dying of a suppurating wound.

 

I'm really wondering about Princess Crazypants' brother.  He's kind of an idiot.  First he was flabbergasted that the Vikings didn't split their forces to fight him and his father simultaneously on opposite shores of a river.  Then he hides half his troops in a bowl-shaped depression in the earth -- all the better to be slaughtered by the archers of a surrounding foe.  This guy is too stupid to live -- or at least too stupid to be allowed to lead troops. 

The way the show handles religion is both impressive and compelling.  Ecbert and Lagertha are adorable together but a blood sacrifice is good way to scare someone off!  I'm intrigued by this storyline and am interested in seeing it play out.

 

I had the opposite reaction. Wars fought over scarce resources are bad enough.  Wars fought over "religion" (which is usually just a convenient way of defining the "other" so that conquerors can excuse all the raping and pillaging) are the worst.  I love Athelstan's and Ragnar's curiosity about each other's religion and I don't like Floki when he gets all fundamentalist.  I'm really not looking forward to a religious war between the Vikings and Brits.

 

I wonder what Bjorn's girlfriend is going to look like now?  I wonder if the actress was warned about facial prosthetics in her future when she was cast.

 

I'm still worried about the seer.

[Expat]

I also don't see why Ragnar was pissed. He said it himself: "we fight, we die, this is what we do".

 

Ragnar just has issues with Bjorn. Didn't the seer (or some other prophecy) say that Ragnar's sons would be greater than him, and most of all, Bjorn?

[WatchrTina]

One interpretation is that Ragnar craves immortality via his descendants so he's pissed that he probably just lost a grandchild.  Another interpretation is more flattering to Ragnar -- that he views women's ability to bring forth new life to be precious and holy and as such you don't let a pregnant women fight in a battle -- at least not one where her own land and family are not at stake.  I love that this show embraces the notion of shield maidens but it makes sense to me that the culture would expect pregnant shield maidens to not volunteer to be mercenaries.

[HorseyFace]

Athelstan deserves better for what will presumably be his first time.

[WatchrTina]

Athelstan's first time was very nearly a 3-way with Ragnar and Lagertha.  He's probably still kicking himself for turning down that offer.

[Pogojoco]

Athelstan deserves better for what will presumably be his first time.

Especially when he could've had Ragnar and Lagertha that one time. That was actually one of my fav Ragnar moments like, "Try it! It's fun!" 

[Ravenya003]

Some interesting stuff...

 

This Wanderer is intriguing - the actor knows what he's doing when it comes to telling a captivating story, but I'm glad Siggy remains suspicious, especially when the two dead boys turn up. Were they some sort of universal "repayment" for the Wanderer taking Ivor's pain away? 

 

And *sigh*. Remember when Aslaug first showed up and she was characterized by her wit? What happened to that woman? I know she's not a favourite amongst the fans, but a little wisdom would go a LONG way when it comes to appreciating her character a little better. That said, I thought all three actresses looked lovely tonight, especially sitting around the fire together. 

 

Not sure what Athelstan is up to. I like that he's stuck with Lagertha at the farm instead of staying with Ecbert at the villa, but his interactions with Judith are a little bewildering. I mean, the guy is having a crisis of faith. Last week he was suffering from stigmata. Now he's apparently coming on to a very young and confused married woman/mother? I can't help but feel something else is going on in his head, though I can't think what. Like he's testing himself or something? To see how far he can withstand temptation? Maybe he's just intrigued by the fact that a pretty girl has the hots for him. All in all, I'm not sure (yet) what the point of this little subplot is. 

 

Still, I laughed my head off when he asks her "what is it?" in the hot-tub. Gee, I dunno - the girl is naked next to her crush in a giant bathtub while her (also naked) father-in-law makes out with a woman right in front of her. I'd be feeling a little weirded out myself. 

 

If they're setting up a theme for this season, it would appear to be that the Norse gods are on their way out. Despite his storytelling, I can't help but feel that maybe the Wanderer is a missionary of some sort, and Floki is rightfully paranoid that the "Christ God" will supplant his own. Ecbert's "oh crap" face at the sacrifice was rather amusing as well. He turned up for a cultural experience and got more than he bargained for, and I think that was his cue to let the Christians start putting pressure on the heathens to convert. 

 

Enjoy Valhalla, Torstein. 

Edited March 6, 2015 by Ravenya003

[bandella]

New to the forums but obsessed with this show since day one, and I need somewhere to rant/squeal about it. So hi!

 

I've been puzzling over who the wanderer is. Someone already suggested Heimdall in his human(ish) form, Ran, but I don't know. I immediately recognized his story as being when Thor and Loki, during one of their many ill-advised adventures, went to the hall of Utgard-Loki. I'm surprised Aslaug didn't catch on right away, too; in a scene last season, she was telling that same story to her kids when she was putting them to bed. Since we already have a Loki-like character in Floki, is Norse Blob* supposed to be Thor? 

 

*I know Kevin Durand from LOST, but after seeing the travesty that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I can never unsee him as the Blob. So. Yeah.

 

I'm generally pretty well versed in Norse mythology, but I'm coming up empty on the wanderer's connection to the drowned kids, if, in fact, there is one. I even tried poking around on Wiki, where I found that, like in most places, there are Germanic and Norse folklore legends of a siren-like creature. In this case, they're usually male, and they tend to lead women and children to drowning by playing beautiful songs, though not all of them are malicious. The wanderer's emphasis on his excellent storytelling abilities makes me wonder if that's what's going on here too. 

 

Dunno wtf Athelstan is doing. He knows this poor woman has a giant crush on him. Snaking his arm around her like that in the bath and then acting surprised when she gets flustered? Then chasing after her in a towel? Dude. (And for the record, she wouldn't be his first. In the uncut Blu-Ray version of the sacrifice episode in season one, he actually slept with Thyri after their little sponge bath scene.)

 

I like tricky, scheming, charming characters in general, so it's no surprise that I really like Ecbert. I have no doubt that he's running a long con to suit his own agenda, but I also can't help but feel he's genuinely taken with Lagertha, not just because she'd be an awesome prize. I mean, who can blame him, really? Though I'm very curious to see how the aftermath of tonight's sacrifice scene plays out. I couldn't figure out if he looked intrigued, disgusted, shocked, awed, or all of the above.

[mwell345]

 

This Wanderer is intriguing - the actor knows what he's doing when it comes to telling a captivating story, but I'm glad Siggy remains suspicious, especially when the two dead boys turn up. Were they some sort of universal "repayment" for the Wanderer taking Ivor's pain away?

 

I thought that they might be (some sort of "repayment") and that in some way he's involved.  This is by far one of the most interesting subplots they've had. 

 

Floki gets on my last nerve, but I understand where he was coming from with the religious discussion, because it's totally in his character.  He has issues with Athelstan too. I am not finding Athelstan's interesting at all this season - to me, his character works best when he is with Ragnar, because of their history and the mutual respect they seem to have for each other (totally aside from the fact that Ragnar wanted to sacrifice him a few seasons ago).

[Sakura12]

I like that Siggy's skeptical about the Wanderer. She's not a Shield Maiden but she knows the art of conning, that's why Ragnar included her in his ruse against King Horik. A stranger that they all dreamed about arrives and their Seer can't see what he will do. That raises some alarms, along with healing Baby Boneless and two kids drowning. Aslaug you don't tell a strange man that all your warriors are gone, unless you want to be murdered. I bet Siggy wishes Lagertha was around. 

 

Athelstan's story is boring and cliche, but he does seem to be fully on Team Viking. His face during the sacrifice compared to the rest of the Brits was completely different. But what happened with his Stigmata hands bleeding that they showed at the end of the last episode? Did they mention that?

 

I like that King Ecbert addresses Lagertha by her title, Earl Ingstad. 

 

Ragnar was harsh with Bjorn. I doubt he could've kept Lagerha home if she wanted to go raiding. She however might be smart enough to stay home because of the baby. So really it's all on Porunn. I am glad that Rollo was there to tell him the same thing in a nicer way. 

[nodorothyparker]

I didn't really expect to care all that much about the Wanderer and the real housewives of Kattegut, so kudos to everybody involved for really selling that and making it interesting.  I'm a little fuzzy on some of my Norse mythology, so my first thought when I saw the dead kids in the fishing net was that that was the price for taking Ivar's pain away.  It was obviously Siggy and then Helga was questioning it there at the end too.

 

Loved Ragnar more this week, first slapping Bjorn and basically calling him an idiot, headbutting Princess Crazypants' craven brother even as he forgave him, and finally FINALLY telling Floki to shut his face.  The whole Mercia campaign is not what he thought he signed up for when he sailed back to Wessex either and he's as frustrated as anybody at this point, but he's just over all the bitching about it.  The Lagertha discussion of Paris felt like a flare going up because you know that's going to be a conversation as soon as Ragnar gets back to ye palace of the Roman bath.

 

As much as I love Athelstan, even he can't save the Judith story.  The sacrifice for the crops, like a lot of things on this show, was as horribly terribly beautiful as it was alien, and I liked Ecbert's seeming realization that there's more to the pagan thing than the bemused condescension that he's been giving it.  From his earlier conversation with Lagertha about the Roman gods, it was apparent that he thought it was all just too quaint and she's brutally disabused him of that notion.  I did have a brief moment of wishing Athlestan had stepped up there to point out that it was only a cow and that he's known them to do far far worse, but that probably wouldn't have been very helpful to a crowd of already outraged onlookers.  I'm curious to see where it all goes now.

Edited March 6, 2015 by nodorothyparker

[nowornever]

The Wanderer is the Viking Rasputin.

Edited March 6, 2015 by nowornever

[WatchrTina]

 

I liked Ecbert's seeming realization that there's more to the pagan thing than the bemused condescension that he's been giving it.  From his earlier conversation with Lagertha about the Roman gods, it was apparent that he thought it was all just too quaint and she's brutally disabused him of that notion.

Based on my viewing of HBO's "Rome", the practice of animal sacrifice was not only well known to the Romans it was practiced with even more flair than demonstrated by the Vikings in this episode.  I distinctly recall a bull's throat being cut and the blood gushing down through a platform to drench the noble Roman lady who stood below (as played by the indomitable Polly Walker.)  Of course it was HBO so who knows if that was accurate or just dramatic license.  The thing that I think is interesting is, why did Christians get out of the habit of making blood sacrifices?  I'm a firm believer that the practice existed from time immemorial as a way for priests and priestesses to make a living (you know that bull in Rome was slaughtered and sold).  Early Christian priests needed to eat too, yet somehow the sacrifice of live animals fell out of favor in that church.  I wonder why.

 

 

The Wanderer is the Viking Rasputin.

I'm reading Neal Stephenson's "The Baroque Cycle" and I think the Wanderer might be the ageless Enoch the Red.  Or if you read the "Outlander" series, he may be an acquaintance of Master Raymond (he of the spookily blue-lit healing hands.)

Edited March 6, 2015 by WatchrTina

[green]

Ragnar was harsh with Bjorn. I doubt he could've kept Lagerha home if she wanted to go raiding.

 

But Ragnar did just that in Season 1.  Lagertha wanted to come on the first raid to the west and he asked her who was going to look after the kids if they were both away.  Also Earl Harldson had his eye on their farm.  And though he and Lagertha had a "discussion" that caused a young Bjorn to rush in and tell them to stop trying to kill each other already, Lagertha agreed at the end.

 

No way is the Wanderer a secret Christian.  He is anything but.  What his agenda is may remain a mystery but whatever it is centers around the Norse gods, not Christian theology.  (Floki would love his stories). 

 

This episode really showed the continuing parallel storylines of Ragnar and Ecbert down to both having to lecture their lieutenants (Floki and the Wessex nobles) to leave aside the religious differences for now and consider the long term benefits.  Ecbert for leading Wessex to grow and expand via a puppet ruler in Mecia to one day become the future united England.  Ragnar for his people to finally have rich land that can support their growing population and give their children a brighter future. 

 

Of course the slow learners under them are never going to understand.  They never do in history.  The emotional sphere always raises it's nasty head to overwhelm reason time and time again down the ages.  We humans seem to only learn after way too much blood has flowed then we promptly forget the lesson and repeat the same mistake when the next time this same identical problem arises.  Sometimes I think we are a "special needs" species.

 

As for both mens' "emotional sphere."  Well Ecbert was clearly having a better hair day then Ragnar.  Nothing like showing off his favorite place on earth (his bath) to Lagertha and reaping instant rewards as he did his bit for plowing and seeding.

 

Ragnar, on the other hand, loses a close companion, has to deal with Floki going all self-righteous on him and then has to deal with Bjorn screwing up royally by not protecting his wife and future child.  (Season 1, Episode 1:  Ragnar - "What does a man do."  Young Bjorn - "He protects his family."  Adult Bjorn sure forgot that lesson).  Then to cap it all off not only does he have to save the untrustworthy, weak and wishy-washy brother of the Princess but then he has to forgive him for getting Thorstein killed basically.  At least he got a good head butt in.

 

Meanwhile since when has Rollo the Jerk from past seasons become Rollo the Wise this season?  Getting Ragnar and Floki to work together going into the battle, counseling Bjorn afterwards and even helping Thorstein make a good death of it.

 

Also this episode marks the first mention this season of Paris.  It sure won't be the last.

[Sakura12]

Ragnar didn't keep Lagertha home, she decided to stay home because she knew he was right about the kids. She put her family first. That's why I also said it's all on Porunn for risking her unborn child's life. It was her decision of what she wanted to do more, fight or protect her child.

[green]

Based on my viewing of HBO's "Rome", the practice of animal sacrifice was not only well known to the Romans it was practiced with even more flair than demonstrated by the Vikings in this episode.  I distinctly recall a bull's throat being cut and the blood gushing down through a platform to drench the noble Roman lady who stood below (as played by the indomitable Polly Walker.)  Of course it was HBO so who knows if that was accurate or just dramatic license.  The thing that I think is interesting is, why did Christians get out of the habit of making blood sacrifices?  I'm a firm believer that the practice existed from time immemorial as a way for priests and priestesses to make a living (you know that bull in Rome was slaughtered and sold).  Early Christian priests needed to eat too, yet somehow the sacrifice of live animals fell out of favor in that church.  I wonder why.

 

OT:  Blood sacrifices were indeed part of not only Roman but Greek, Hebrew, Egyptian, Meso-American etc rituals.  It was a way to re-new life and was pretty universal in ancient times as far as I know except I don't believe it was part of ancient Hinduism except in a couple of rogue off-shoot cults.  But in the "West" it was pretty universal.  So it would have happened whether money was made or not.  And was.  But money could be made in most cultures too and I'm sure the priests were happy about that.  But the real money was selling live animals before they were sacrificed because a lot of these sacrifices were done for individuals. 

 

It never was in favor in Christianity.  Jesus overturned the moneychangers in the temple who were involved with the selling of live animals for sacrifice saying they had made it a den of thieves or something like that I think it was.  Christianity from the beginning embraced blood sacrifice in it's importance but not in the ongoing practice.  The core belief was that Jesus was the one and only blood sacrifice needed thus none other was ever needed and no ritual killings ever went on from the get go.  Just a communion ritual to remember the blood sacrifice that was made in the form of drinking wine as opposed to blood.  People hung up on modern Christianity's flaws tend to forget just how totally revolutionary it was in the West originally.

Edited March 6, 2015 by green

[Primetimer]

Apparently, pain relievers in ancient times came with really, really bad side effects.

Read the story

[Ohwell]

Because it can't be said enough:  Shut up, Floki!

 

The head butt on the stupid brother was awesome.

[patchwork]

Is Porunn really pregnant? Bjorn is insisting she is but I don't think we've had confirmation that it's true. 

Honestly it seems like he wants her to be because it gives him a reason to be protective and uncomfortable with her fighting. 

 

Kattegut is where the really interesting story is, this Wanderer seems to have somehow mystically bound the Seer to prevent interference and Siggy is the only one who's really suspicious. Aslaug has an impressive lineage and is a seer herself but Ragnar has always been the one to engaging in court intrigue while she looked after the children so with Ragnar away I guess it's up to Siggy, the former Jarl's wife, to pick up the slack.  

[mwell345]

 

The Wanderer is the Viking Rasputin.

 

Interesting observation. From an interview with the Kevin Durand (bold is mine)

 

TVLINE | Is the character as mysterious as you need to be during interviews?

"I think he’s definitely way more mysterious than I am in the interviews. Because even at this point, even in conversations with Michael, there are hints as to who he might be. While playing him, I’ve read a lot about Rasputin, because of “the mysterious wanderer coming into town and healing a powerful woman’s child,” so there are a lot of things to connect there. And there are a couple of other historical figures that I researched as well that I can’t mention, because… I’ll meddle everything up. But he’s definitely the kind of the guy that’s going to have a lot of people guessing."

 

http://tvline.com/2015/03/04/vikings-season-3-preview-kevin-durand-wanderer-siggy/

[caprice]

I liked this episode.  I agreed with Siggy that Aslaug shouldn't have let the stranger know that all the warriors are gone.  I'm surprised that she let him see/touch her son.

 

Bjorn was foolish letting a pregnant, novice warrior join the fight, but Ragnar shouldn't have questioned if he was his son.  I'm glad the Rollo was able to provide some comfort for Bjorn.

 

Who knew Athelstan had such a hot bod!  Will definitely find some gifs of that.

I loved that WTF??? face Siggy flashed when Aslaug dropped that Ragnar and the warriors were out raiding. That's as basic as parents telling their kids, "If you answer the phone while we're/I'm away, don't tell strangers you're home alone. Just say that I can't come to the phone right now and take a message."

 

I don't think Ragnar was questioning being Bjorn's father. He knows very well that he is. With everything else he was saying during his little lecture, it felt more like, "I know I taught you better than that."

 

The way I saw the whole Ragnar/Bjorn conversation was less father/son and more commander/private. Bjorn is useless as a fighter if he is so occupied by having to protect Porunn, who, if she's wanting to be seen as a Shield Maiden, shouldn't need protecting. Now, I know we've seen Rollo "protecting" Lagertha, and we've seen both Ragnar and Lagertha "protecting" Bjorn in battles, The difference was that in those cases Rollo, Lagertha and Ragnar were all seasoned enough to continue fighting, placing themselves so that all parties were able to offer help while still taking on the enemy.

 

Bjorn dropped everything to fret over his fallen woman.

 

Regarding Porunn's pregnancy, she's told Bjorn that she is and he believes her. It isn't like they can dash out to the corner CVS for a testing kit.

[Ohwell]

I have to say,  Lagertha's participation in the animal sacrifice really got to me--and not in a good way.  While she was at the human sacrifice, which was far worse of course, she was there as an observer, not a participant.  She was really into the animal sacrifice and it made Ecbert uneasy.   And Ecbert, with all the seduction and then finally the hot tub romp, I wonder what his feelings are for her now?  It'll be interesting to see if he will be doing any more plowing.

 

I'm also a bit disappointed in Athelstan because I don't understand why he doesn't just let the princess down nicely.  He knows how she feels about him, but he also knows she's a married woman.  While I can understand him being flattered by the attention, I think he should know that this won't end well for either of them if he continues with this flirtation.  

 

The way I saw the whole Ragnar/Bjorn conversation was less father/son and more commander/private. Bjorn is useless as a fighter if he is so occupied by having to protect Porunn, who, if she's wanting to be seen as a Shield Maiden, shouldn't need protecting. Now, I know we've seen Rollo "protecting" Lagertha, and we've seen both Ragnar and Lagertha "protecting" Bjorn in battles, The difference was that in those cases Rollo, Lagertha and Ragnar were all seasoned enough to continue fighting, placing themselves so that all parties were able to offer help while still taking on the enemy.

Yes.  And I think that Ragnar has seen enough of Porunn to know that she's careless, both on the field and regarding protecting herself and her unborn child.  She thinks she's a badass, but she's not experienced enough.  The last thing that Ragnar wants to see is Bjorn going down on a field of battle protecting Porunn, when it could have been avoided.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Ohwell

[Sakura12]

Lagertha wasn't an Earl during the human sacrifice. She is one now and therefore has to lead the bull sacrifice for her people on their new land. However I could see it from the English folks POV, it does look like witchcraft with them pouring blood on her and then on the land. Before Ecbert treated their Gods as silly pictures on a wall, he knew nothing about their ways. 

 

I still think he will want to use them as weapons to point at lands he wants to take over. The Vikings never give up in battle, they will succeed or die trying. 

[attica]

When I hear stories about heroes drinking the seas dry, my first thought is "ecch! Salt water: not hydrating!" And then I wonder if there are fresh water 'seas' in Scandinavia, making a note to google same later (yes, there are some freshwater lakes and fjords that might qualify as 'seas' in the context of a folk tale). So, on the one hand, it takes me out of the story. On the other hand, I learn new things! Thanks, TV!

 

Linus Roche has a def sexy 'drop dead' glare.

 

Yet another awesome battle scene. This show does them the best. Each one is different from the last.

 

That scene in camp as they're preparing for battle, where Floki is standing over Ragnar? With that backlighting and Skarsgard's posture, he looked just like a perching vulture. Very cool visual.

 

Not the smoothest edit of a baby swap I've ever seen, trading squalling infant for contented baby. Clearly two different children.

[Ohwell]

I understand that she had to do it given her position, but it still got to me.

[nodorothyparker]

I really hope now that the Mercia campaign is concluded that this means we'll see Ragnar reunited with Lagertha and Athelstan next week.  I realized after this episode that he's been in an entirely separate place and storyline for 2 1/2 episodes now and he's so much more interesting when he's playing off of them.  I didn't like it last season when he and Athelstan spent a good 4-5 episodes apart.  No good comes of it, as Athelstan of all people should know full well, and Ragnar really needs to be back in there to put whatever inroads Ecbert believes he's making in check.

 

Historically, the pagan sacrifice shouldn't have been that much of a complete shock for the Anglo-Saxons.  England had only been gradually turning away from its own pagan gods and moving toward Christianity over the last few generations.  Ecbert even said as much in the previous episode when he reminded his disgruntled nobles that they'd been pagans too not that long ago, but the show has consistently portrayed the court and clergy as not terribly interested in their own history (i.e. Ecbert and Athelstan's bonding over the "secret" Roman knowledge) so I suppose that's not really a surprise.  My read on Ecbert up to this point is that he was Christian mostly by default and as much for the political usefulness of it as anything else rather than any deep-seeded religious zeal.  Because of his fascination with first the Romans and then the well educated and well traveled Athelstan, who very clearly had been taken in by paganism, he thought himself more advanced and more erudite on the subject even as he treated all the various pagan gods as curiosities.   It'll be interesting to see how those attitudes now hold up since he's seen the object of his infatuation covered in sacrificial blood and knows it's not just a minor cultural difference.

Edited March 6, 2015 by nodorothyparker

[David T. Cole]

And *sigh*. Remember when Aslaug first showed up and she was characterized by her wit? What happened to that woman? I know she's not a favourite amongst the fans, but a little wisdom would go a LONG way when it comes to appreciating her character a little better.

 

Yes, it really bothers me when the creatives willingly ignore the traits they wrote into a character. See also Jon Hamm in 30 Rock who started out normal and suddenly wasn't smart enough to breathe. She also quite strong-willed when introduced too and that's faded away.

[attica]

Remember when Aslaug first showed up and she was characterized by her wit? What happened to that woman?

 

Kids! Kids happened! Kids do that to you! Kids are the worst! ;)

[Expat]

Nice to know I'm not the only one disappointed in Athelstan.

 

The whole eppie I was thinking that there was something a little off about his characterization. It bothered me because at times, I felt like I was watching a different person.

[nodorothyparker]

Like someone else said, I'm not at all bothered by the idea of Athelstan getting some.  He clearly doesn't really think of himself as any kind of monk or priest anymore despite the Christian characters continually trying to press the issue with him.  The whole Judith thing just doesn't make any sense for someone who's shown himself to be fairly astute and capable of surviving the political and social environments of two separate cultures.  

 

I mean, how does he see nailing the princess under her father-in-law's nose really playing out?  You'd think being crucified once by these people would be enough to want to avoid even the possible appearance of impropriety.

[ElizaD]

Another good battle scene, and the music on this show really adds to the mood. Vikings does "culture" scenes well - the human sacrifice, the blood eagle, the departure of the warriors, now the harvest.

 

I'm starting to get tired of Floki. He's a well-acted character but this season I haven't been able to view his hate-filled religious fanaticism from a distance the way I used to.

 

I wasn't a fan of the three women sharing the same dream (I like it when the magic on this show might be either real or delusion), but now that the wanderer is here Siggy's scepticism improved that storyline. He had a Rasputin vibe when he was charming Aslaug/Helga and healing Ivar. He's got to be connected to the dead children somehow, but I can't guess whether it's just ordinary murder or if the show is going to embrace magic and make their deaths a sacrifice that took Ivar's pain away.

[Ocean Chick]

If the two drowned boys were sacrificed for Ivor's pain, that's not going to go down well with the town folk.  "Oh look - foreign princess got our local boys killed to take away the pain from that deformed boy of hers who should have been killed at birth anyways!"

 

I, too, instantly thought of Rasputin when The Wanderer started in with Ivor.

[mwell345]

 

It's weird. I can watch the graphic battle scenes, but when they went to kill the bull, I turned my head.

 

You're not alone. As soon as I saw the bull standing there, I changed the channel for a few minutes.  I guess it has to do with animals being defenseless.

[Shermie]

They didn't even show the animal being cut.

It occurred to me that Siggy, Aslaug and Helga are the SAHs - Stay-At-Homes. Those also happen to be their initials.

Not sure I like the connection between the Wanderer healing one child and two others die, assuming there is one. That's a pretty unfair trade. Intrigued to see what it means.

[Expat]

Not sure I like the connection between the Wanderer healing one child and two others die, assuming there is one. That's a pretty unfair trade. Intrigued to see what it means.

 

Kinda reminds of Merlin. For Arthur to be conceived/born, Igraine's life was taken in return.

 

Edited March 6, 2015 by Gumdrops

[BitterApple]

It will be interesting to see how Bjorn deals with Porunn now that she's been disfigured. Doesn't the legend say he eventually marries a princess? Ragnar is clearly not a fan of her.

I'm also curious as to why Kwenthrith wanted her brother spared. I thought he was the one who molested her along with the uncle.