S03.E04: Scarred

[Ravenya003]

This show... I love the way it lets actors convey information without being too blunt about it. A lesser show would have had Siggy say "my daughter" when she spots Thyri on the frozen pond, but this one just lets her react. If the audience doesn't recognise Thyri, that's their problem.

 

Likewise the wonderful play of interactions between all the guests at Ecbert's house - though it wasn't spelt out, we know just from the way Ragnar and Lagertha speak that a) Ragnar knows she's been sleeping with Ecbert, and b) Lagertha was doing so at least partly for the sake of their people. 

 

And then of course, Ecbert making the obvious display of affection toward Lagertha and Athelstan by throwing his arms around both of them. As soon of the two of them glanced uneasily to the right, I KNEW Ragnar would be watching - and of course he is, sizing up the fact that Ecbert is hands-on with his two favourite people. 

 

I obviously watch the wrong shows, because I LOVE the fact that Vikings doesn't treat me like an idiot. 

 

Other fun scenes: Ecbert trolling the heck out of Judith, Ecbert clearly being more excited about seeing Ragnar again than seeing his own son, King Aelle yanking the poisoned cup out of Judith's hand, and of course, everyone's faces when Princess Kwenthrith poisons her brother. Such a hilarious mix of bemusement, exasperation and respect. 

 

Ecbert and Ragnar having a chat and staring down at the party guests was wonderful, though if it was meant to capture their similarities, it really only pin-pointed their fundamental difference: despite it all, Ecbert is self-serving (as Lagertha pointed out). Ragnar on the other hand, really is doing all this for his people. 

 

This Athelstan/Judith stuff just ain't working. What the heck happened to his stigmata? Where's his crisis of faith arc gone? That's infinitely more interesting than this. 

 

I can understand why some people would be stick of Flocki, but I appreciate the presence of a fundamentalist pagan. These days that role is usually filled by a Bible-banging hypocritical preacher, so it's nice to see a polytheist given the same treatment, as would have been the case in real life. 

 

I get the feeling Ragnar is becoming invested in Kwenthrith despite himself. 

 

And wow, Siggy's death scene. If you're going to leave a show, make sure you get a death scene like THAT. What really started the waterworks with me was not seeing Thyri, but the conscious decision that played across Siggy's face when she opted to leave her daughter and dive back down for the second boy. 

[LittleIggy]

 

As someone else said in this thread (was it you?), Lagertha and Ecbert managed to be 100 times sexier and more entertaining to watch than fully naked and in-the-act Athelstan and Judith. Maybe it's because I actually like Lagertha and Ecbert together, while Athelstan/Judith does nothing for me. Maybe it's because they actually have chemistry together. Then again, Katheryn Winnick seems to have chemistry with everyone. It's a little uncanny.

I said it! :-) And, yes, she does.

[green]

 I appreciate the presence of a fundamentalist pagan

 

Nice post but I got to really single this out.  Got a ring to it.  It sounds kind of like a lyric out of a Gilbert & Sullivan opera.

[cathy7304]

I hope Rollo notices that Siggy is even missing from the Hall when they return from Wessex. Hopefully they all see that Siggy sacrificed herself for Ragnar's children. I sort of feel guilty now because I always felt that Siggy had something to do with Lagertha losing her baby son earlier.

I guessed I missed the explanation of what happened between Siggy and Rollo. I know they were basically using each other, but I had always hoped there was an affection between them. What happened between the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3? There was clearly something different when the new season started.

[Expat]

I hope Rollo notices that Siggy is even missing from the Hall when they return from Wessex. Hopefully they all see that Siggy sacrificed herself for Ragnar's children. I sort of feel guilty now because I always felt that Siggy had something to do with Lagertha losing her baby son earlier.

I guessed I missed the explanation of what happened between Siggy and Rollo. I know they were basically using each other, but I had always hoped there was an affection between them. What happened between the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3? There was clearly something different when the new season started.

 

Siggy slept/was sleeping with King Horik. Rollo did NOT look happy when he found out about it at the end of last season.

[OriginalCyn]

Floki this episode managed to finally hit the status of annoying teenager at the family gathering who clearly doesn't want to be there and is going to punish everyone present for it, right down to the smeary eyeliner and blaming everyone else for his unhappiness.

 

Tonight I sat down with a notepad to jot down any thoughts, snarks, and descriptions I had while watching (instead of trying to remember them after the show ended.  Floki wasn't just annoying - he was full-on Jan-Brady-With-A-Raging-Case-Of-PMDD-Annoying.  

 

Fertile Myrtle getting pregnant would make sense and I actually wouldn't mind. I was almost annoyed at Aslaug over her 'not caring about her children' actions, but then I realized, Harbard was controlling her somehow. It was like she was in some kind of freaking trance. This whole 'Wanderer' storyline is so intriguing and I'm glad it's not over.

 

My thoughts were all over the map throughout this whole storyline.  

 

Between Siggy, Aslaug, and Helga having their identical dreams about The Wanderer, then having their 'dreams come true' (in the literal sense, lol) when Harbard showed up, and the fawning over him by Helga and Aslaug, it felt like I was watching the Norse version of The Witches of Eastwick -- we had the redhead, the blonde, and the brunette taking care of their families and the drudgery of daily life, all lonely for male companionship, when a mysterious, magical man shows up.  Two of the women are cool with this turn of events, with the brunette being skeptical and suspicious.

 

When Harbard healed Ivar, Kattegat kids started drowning, and then Aslaug and Harbard started doing the horizontal greased-weasel tango, the whole Harbard arc started turning very dark and taking on a creepy vibe. It was a little too much (eerily so) like what went on with Grigori Rasputin and the Romanovs.  He was a Strannik (def.: religious wanderer) that supposedly possessed a mysterious/magical ability to heal Tsarevich Alexei's hemophilia and the pain resulting from it (that often required his being carried everywhere).  Rasputin manipulated the shit out of Tsarina Alexandra, who was a bit of a kook herself, and she grew increasingly dependent on him to the point of obsession, often seeming to be under his hypnotic spell, and was allegedly taking the skin boat to Tuna Town with the dude.  I was relieved that the show didn't take the Harbard arc down that kind of dark, almost evil path - it was sad enough that we lost Siggy :( .

 

I know I'm in the minority on this but each episode makes me like Floki  less and less.  He's mean and he's creepy and I'm not at all convinced that he's even loyal.  Between the false voice when he speaks and wearing more guyliner than David Bowie in the '70s, he's one character whose death would entertain me.  Wouldn't miss him a bit.

 

May I come sit at your table?  I liked Floki well enough during the first season, and he was a total badass in the double-crossing of King Horik, but aside from that?  Ick.  Helga needs to steal his guyliner, kick his skinny arse to the curb, and hook up with Athelstan, which would give him a more interesting story arc (plus, it would piss Floki off to no end if his Helga started going heels to Jesus with his sworn enemy.

 

Travis Fimmel plays Ragnar like a squirrelly Jax Teller with a mild case of ergotism.

 

Love this description!

 

The Erlendur reveal was ridiculous because it was so obviously a bad decision to spare the adult mini-Joffrey heir while killing the girls and children. The storyline got even worse with that addition. Kalf already looked out of place as viking, but Erlendur is even less intimidating (Joffrey was a horrible character played by an excellent actor, Erlendur is pure get-off-my-screen). Borg's wife was lucky to leave Kattegat with her son, but they're doomed now.

 

The feast was great, ending with the surprise poisoning and great wordless reactions (my winners: Ragnar and Ecbert). Aelle looked disgusted, so Kwenthrith isn't safe yet.

 

From the first time Kalf was onscreen this season, he (physically) reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on who it was, and it was making me crazy.  I finally figured it out tonight -- he bears a striking resemblance to the dude in Braveheart that was Prince Edward's "military advisor" (code for lover) that Longshanks hurled out the tower window.

 

Hopefully Ragnar will eat Kalf's liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti, and then hook up with Lagertha (though I have to admit, she and Ecbert were steaming of the camera lens -- yowza!!

[Shermie]

Most of you have said what I was thinking, so I won't repeat it all.

I don't get the angst about the Wanderer being gone "already"; he's a wanderer, it's right there in his job description. And as has been confirmed, he will likely return.

I liked Siggy, but she got a righteous exit. I like when shows kill off their main players because I prefer that kind of unpredictability.

Loved the Ragnar-Ecbert discussion. There was so much said just with their eyes. "Are you a good man?/ Are you corrupt?" Because of course, both are both.

Travis Fimmel continues to be so magnetic, but I saw him on Live with Kelly and Michael a couple weeks ago and he came across as a disinterested halfwit, which pains me to say. He said he was hungover, so perhaps that coloured his ability to be articulate and engaged. Not very professional, though.

Fundamentalist Pagans sounds like a garage band.

[jnymph]

UNPOPULAR OPINION(s) ALERT!

I won't miss Siggy and I thought the death scene was cheesy. I won't elaborate much except that she was not essential to the story ever since Haraldsons death & I thought the character became boring.

I still like Floki, I think he's entertaining with his devout beliefs & quirky ways.

I actually like Athalstan / Judith affair. I'm not even sure why, I just do. Although I wish the focus would still come back to his faith struggles.

THUS CONCLUDES THE UNPOPULAR OPINIONS.

I ship the Lagertha/Ecbert affair, but I did enjoy her subsequent dumping of him. ( but she kept the lovely necklace, thank you very much.....which BTW I love the continuity of her wearing it in scenes)

Wanderer sure had an unexpected hot bod didn't he? I bought the whole sexual thing between him & Aslaug because I'd think a man that was good with your baby would be sexy. (Disclaimer - I'm not a Mom so I'm speculating )

I too enjoyed the Princess Krazypants poisoning scene. The looks on faces was priceless.

Ragnars 2 sons ( the ones that fell thru the ice) sure are adorable !!! They remind me of my cutie pie nephews.

I recall last episodes thread we were speculating on where was Horiks son. He's back! I like the actor so I'm happy.

A bad thing about Siggys death is that it broke up the Real Housewives of Kattegut.

Edited March 14, 2015 by jnymph

[pasdetrois]

I never liked Siggy so I'm not mourning her death. It was beautifully produced, but as I watched I wondered if it was a dream or a wanderer-induced bit of foolery.

 

I think the CGI-aspect of it distracted me. The two kids walking on the ice looked like bad special effects. But I appreciate that Siggy saved the children.

 

Too many characters now. The really good actors bring into sharp relief the lousy ones.

[Ohwell]

I finally figured it out tonight -- he bears a striking resemblance to the dude in Braveheart that was Prince Edward's "military advisor" (code for lover) that Longshanks hurled out the tower window.

I was trying to figure out who King Horik's son reminds me of, and it's Prince Edward.

[Captanne]

Did Siggy save the children?  The whole thing was a directorial muddle for me.  Oh well.  Also?  I was never wedded to Siggy or the actress so -- okay, sorry she's dead but I'm not sure why her death deserved such a production or so much airtime.

 

Could Lagertha (sp?) be more beautiful?  My, my.  She just glows with inner beauty.

 

Judith is still a nuthin' but I'll warm to her if Athelstan keeps insisting because he? -- is a thing of beauty himself and I lurve him.  

 

Ecbert and Ragnar together are fuckin' hilarious.  

 

Honestly, there is such a light-hearted feeling on the set right now that it's infectious with me in the audience.  I'm enjoying myself immensely.

 

Awful Viking Queen is still awful.  What's her name?  Flug?  Ugh is right.

 

Floki is, has been and continues to be a whiney, bratty asshole.  His antics are not cute and now, with the blending of cultures and his backward refusal to bend, he is bordering on the tragic.  It would be more tragic if he could make me feel sorry for him and sympathize with his loss.  Unfortunately, he's a Big Dick and I'd rather see him gone.  If he is supposed to represent the old ways, I say, "Good riddance."  He's never been likable. 

 

ETA:  She of the ridiculous battle-braids, Porunn, looks like she should be constantly screaming in agony when she isn't in a pain-induced coma.  Kissing her forehead should have sent her into paroxysms of pain.  Jesus God, she looks a mess.  The episode title is particularly apt.  Porunn is literally scarred, indeed.  And then some.  Is that skin flap the entire right side of her face?  GOD, I shudder just thinking of it.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Captanne

[green]

Fundamentalist Pagans sounds like a garage band.

 

You nailed it.  Floki and The Fundamentalist Pagans, a heavy metal goth garage band. 

 

Did Siggy save the children?  The whole thing was a directorial muddle for me.  Oh well.  Also?  I was never wedded to Siggy or the actress so -- okay, sorry she's dead but I'm not sure why her death deserved such a production or so much airtime.

 

Click on the link in the Media thread that I also transferred over here for the full details.  The actor had to leave the show for personal reasons and Michael Hirst gave her a great write-out where she has to choose between saving herself or saving the children instead thereby joining her daughter and family in death.  She chose the self-sacrifice and ended her life nobly as the former wife of an earl should.

 

I loved the brief scene before all this when she tells Aslaug (who is flying out the door to meet the Wanderer when people are lined up waiting to see her)  that she, Siggy, would never neglect the duties an earl's wife should perform and even sits down one last time in her old chair slowly stroking the arm of the other chair in remembrance.  Great exit for her in all ways.

[mwell345]

 

A bad thing about Siggys death is that it broke up the Real Housewives of Kattegut.

 

 

Oh please - someone call Andy Cohen!  This would be fabulous!

[Captanne]

I love all that behind the scenes information about why the production was so grand -- but it didn't come across to me on screen at all.  It was a muddle of CGI and a lot of cold water with three people.  And, frankly, while drowning, those boys were interchangeable so I wasn't certain which one we were looking at at any given moment.  

 

Without you telling me, I never would have understood that it was a choice by Siggy to save the children or herself.

 

Frankly, I was dwelling on the unbelievable coincidence of two other children drowning since the Wanderer had come into town.  Was this another example of children drowning -- was he the cause?  Were we going to see him luring them to the ice or a vision of him luring them to the ice?  

 

I was so busy thinking about that coincidence and the fact that nothing came of it that I got lost in the muddle.

Edited March 14, 2015 by Captanne

[Haleth]

Noooooooo! Not Siggy! Aww, I'm really bummed. She was the only thing that made Aslaug tolerable.

Loved the look Ragnar gave Ecbert when they toasted to the queen and poured out their wine. It was like "this is the crazypants puppet you want running Mercia? Well, whacha gonna do. <shrug>"

Floki, shut your face.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Haleth

[WatchrTina]

Frankly, I was dwelling on the unbelievable coincidence of two other children drowning since the Wanderer had come into town. Was this another example of children drowning -- was he the cause? Were we going to see him luring them to the ice or a vision of him luring them to the ice?

I assumed Siggy was lured onto the ice to her death by a false vision of the two boys. I don't think they actually went in the water. I think the boys, her daughter, and The Wanderer were all visions, created by the The Wanderer to cause Siggy to sacrifice herself because a death was required to pay for the pain-easing treatment he gave to Ivar. (Those two dead boys in the fishing net paid for the first treatment.) I don' know who he is -- Odin or Heimdall or some other Norse demi-god -- but it's clear to me from the way he appeared in the dreams of all three of the Real Housewives of Kattegat before his arrival; the way he disappeared in the mist at the end of his visit; and the way the seer couldn't "see" him that he was a supernatujral visitor.

Edited March 17, 2015 by WatchrTina

[Shermie]

I doubt I could worship a god that requires someone to die just to help another person. What makes Ivar more important than Siggy or those two random drowned boys? (I know his historical importance, but for now, he's just another kid in the village)

[WatchrTina]

I agree Shermie but think about how capricious the Greek and Roman gods were.  They ran around raping women and doing all sorts of awful things motivated by jealousy and yet they were still worshipped.  In modern times people struggle with the questions "why do bad things happen to good people?" or "If god lets bad things happen then s/he can't be benevolent and if s/he IS benevolent but cannot stop bad things from happening then s/he cannot be omnipotent, in which case how can we call him/her god?"  The ancient peoples (Norse, Greek, Roman) had a simpler explanation.  Their gods could sometimes be real dicks, just like people.

[Lugal]

I loved Kwenthrith's Big Moment when she claims Mercia for herself.  Ragnar and Ecbert and especially Rollo and Lagertha just pouring out the wine and tossing the cups, in an "Oh well, too bad about the wine" kind of way.  You may have your hands full with that one, Ecbert.  Loved Ecbert and Ragnar's interaction as well as Ecbert and Lagertha.  Just when you think she could not be more awesome.

 

The whole Athelstan/Judith thing is really neither here nor there for me, but I assume for historical reasons.

 

Floki just proved that fundamentalists of every stripe are buzzkills.  Erlender comes off as a little punk, although I'm curious to see him going up against Ragner and especially Rollo.

 

I will miss Siggy, even though her story ended a while back, but she added something, and her death was really touching, especially when she saw Thyri again.

[attica]

I doubt I could worship a god that requires someone to die just to help another person.

 

That kind of rules out all of them, doesn't it? Including Christianity, if you consider the crucifixion as human sacrifice (some don't, I understand, but that's a theological debate for another forum...).

[Captanne]

That knocks Christianity (based on one man dying for the remission of the whole world's sins) right out of the ballpark.  Don't most religions have a version of martyrdom?

[bandella]

I doubt I could worship a god that requires someone to die just to help another person. What makes Ivar more important than Siggy or those two random drowned boys? (I know his historical importance, but for now, he's just another kid in the village)

Assuming that the wanderer is a god (I mean, he has to be...right?), that's kind of more or less in line with Norse myth. It's not that the boys are more important than Siggy, necessarily, just that everything needs to be in balance. The Norse myths especially don't have such a vivid distinction between "good" and "evil." They were more concerned with "order" and "chaos," which is why Odin could be such a dick much of the time and Loki was an obnoxious troll, but no more "evil" than anyone else (at least not until the possibly Christian-influenced end of his story). In the older sources, Loki was always more of a chaos god, the achetypal trickster figure, rather than a malicious creature. 

 

All of this is a nerdy, long-winded way of saying that relieving pain without also inflicting it might well cause an upsetting of the balance between order and chaos. 

[SingleMaltBlonde]

Oh please - someone call Andy Cohen!  This would be fabulous!

Lisa Rinna is probably available.

[millennium]

For me, Vikings is the most satisfying show on television right now.  It never disappoints and frequently exceeds all expectations.   I just watched Warrior's Fate and Scarred back to back on DVR.   It occurred to me I could spend $17.50 on a movie ticket and not get anything close to the two hours of entertainment Vikings gave me. 

 

I enjoyed the Wanderer storyline and don't necessarily need the show to explain everything to me.   Mystery was the very essence of the character; to try to parse his nature and motivations seems like folly.    It was wonderfully mystical.   How ironic that Floki is in England pouting over the twilight of the gods, meanwhile back home in Kattegat the gods are stopping by for supper.

 

It surprised me Siggy should die in the frigid water.   I would think Nordic people of that era would be far more acclimated to it than people today.   Falling through ice has always been one of my greatest fears.   Rarely will I walk upon a frozen lake or pond.   Despite my caution,  I have fallen through twice in my life (fortunately never in water deeper than my chest).   It's not how I'd want to go.

[LiveenLetLive]

I can't believe the quality of VIKINGS which became especially clear to me when I tried to watch "Sons of Liberty," which was dramatized miniseries about the American Revolution that aired on the History Channel, it just looked cheap in comparison. re Travis Fimmel, he is so terrific as Ragnar, and if he is a disinterested dimwit in true life, more the kudos to him as an actor.

[millennium]

Clues to Harbard's identity?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1rbar%C3%B0slj%C3%B3%C3%B0

Edited March 19, 2015 by millennium

[millennium]

Am I the only one who thought that when Ragnar came into the hall holding his white cup he had found the first Starbucks in Wessex?

 

I thought "beer can" and wondered if he'd run into Jarl Tuborg.

[FallenAngelBrass]

Like many others, I think that Siggy looked gorgeous as she was dying, but the full on glamor make up was a bit much.