S04.E08: Portage

[formerlyfreedom]

Defeat for the Vikings calls Ragnar's leadership into question as they evacuate their camp and move back down river. Ragnar remains inscrutable until he orders the fleet to beach at a cliff face and unveils an ingenious plan. Rollo and Gisla have news that strengthens Rollo's position at the French Court whilst Count Odo fails to identify his true enemies, with fatal consequences.

[Babalooie]

So...according to the definition of PORTAGE, they will be carrying boats???  Not a spoiler, just asking.

[green]

^  Well the write-up does say Ragnar beaches the fleet and comes up with "an Ingenious plan."  Couple that with the title and not being at all spoiled myself that is all I can come up with putting 2 + 2 together.

 

I kind of wish the write-up wasn't so detailed cause I can't help but click on the link.  I just can't.  Better if it was more like "Another person is voted off the island" or the Viking equivalent like "This week, more blood is shed".

Edited April 2, 2016 by green

[ElizaD]

Sound like Gisla is pregnant and Odo either gets himself killed or kills the wrong person.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Well damn, mofos were droppin like flies tonight.

Last one didn't surprise me, knew ole girl was going to betray Queen K.

[peridot]

Well, there goes Yidu!

It's good to know that even in the throes of addiction, Ragnar can think outside the box.

 

I'm kind of surprised about Aslaug's reaction to the Wanderer.  Wasn't she smiling at him last week kissing all of those women?  It was really childish to be throwing a scene in front of her people.

 

I felt bad for Kwentrith(sp?).  The line about being born a man was everything.  I hope nothing bad happens to Magnus.

[EighteenTwelve]

After Ragnar made a point of telling Helga she had suffered enough, and given how she looked last week, I was afraid Ragnar was drowning her in this week's preview.  I'm glad I was wrong.

[Straycat80]

Whoa! A couple people bit it this week and I for one was somewhat surprised . I didn't expect Ragnar to off his drug dealer. I didn't think Judith had it in her to put down Ex-Queen K. My heart went into my mouth when Erlandr shot an arrow into Bjorn's neck but...it was only a premonition I guess? I'm glad Odo went out the way he did. Sicko.

Those Vikings sure work fast! Lifting those big ships and cutting all those trees down is a huge amount of work!

Happy to see Helga has recovered.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Queen K got screwed over by men her entire life.

Then met a violent end, by a woman's hand.

At the behest, of a Man

Who clearly had NFTG, about his unborn grandchild dying as well.

SMDH....

[magdalene]

The deconstruction of Ragnar continues.  Right from the beginning he was always kept apart from the worst excesses of his Viking brethren. Other characters were seen slaughtering helpless monks, killing children, having forced sex with thralls, etc.  Yet we could look at Ragnar as the wily but noble Viking. Well, there was nothing noble about him murdering his pusher/lover.  He is pathetic.

 

I'll miss Kwenthrith. I liked her crazy self. 

 

Ecbert is such a ruthless son of a bitch and Judith - not so blah and milquetoasty now, is she?

Edited April 8, 2016 by magdalene

[LOA-maker]

wtf was that? another stunner...two in a row!! lol.

 

The ending was epic, i thought Ecbert would get his comeuppance, but then his new lover Judith stepped in at the nick of time, and she realised his evilness is rubbing off on her. lol.

 

And then Ragnar drowned Yidu??  He needs NA, pronto. feel sorry for Yidu,, she didn't do anything and didn't deserve to die :(

 

I didn't know northern France had mountains, unless they're in the Massif Central....or there are cliffs like that near Paris i don't know.

 

Count Odo had it coming, but it was good to see his proto-BDSM whilst it lasted. haha

 

I'm not sure why King Charles is apprehensive, if anything he should get overthrown, he's weak, he needs others' counsel to succeed. Rollo won't go, and will defend Paris to the death since he wants power. Once Ragnar is gone, he'll be Duke and raise his child with Ms. Gisla in peace lol.

 

Harbard is interesting, but then he clearly is some sex doc, literally. I hate Aslaug, she adds nothing, but then don't get why she was upset since for him he was shagging to take away pain, not cos he loved her lol. Little Sigurd and Ivar have something to tell King Dad when he comes back. lol.

 

The scene with Torvi imagining Bjorn is shot was cool....and I feel for Ubba and Hvitserk seeing their dad turn into an addict. Surely we're seeing the end of Ragnar now, since his military decisions would be affected by this. 

[Babalooie]

Maybe killing Yidu was Ragnar's way of going cold turkey.

[TobinAlbers]

RIP Queen Kwenthrith. Poor thing. Poor Aethelwulf. Finally found someone who didn't detest him and wanted to have his kid and they're both offed. This will be the second conspiracy Judith and Ecbert will have against Aethelwulf. Wonder if he'll dole out any repercussions. Can't drop wee Alfred off a cliff so I'm guessing he'll suffer in anguished silence. Although if he just staged a walkout and the combined forces of Mercia and Wessex went with him in solidarity, that'd be kind of awesome.

In any case the actress that played Kwen is a freakin' warrior. Apparently she was 6 mos pregnant with twins when filming this season and between the two fight scenes and her big belly they had to do some fancy shooting until finally they had to write her out.

If this is what we got with 2 episodes left, the mid season finale ought to be epic.

[Expat]

.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Expat

[Silverglitter]

Ecbert has gone from a fave to someone I loathe. This show really knows how to ruin characters for me in just a matter of a few episodes. Happened with Athelstan last season.

 

Surprisingly, I'm starting to enjoy Ragnar again. I still don't like him, but I'm enjoying the downward spiral. Let him be an unrepentant loose cannon and I might stop rooting for his death. I hope Yidu is really dead.

 

R.I.P. Kwenthrith. I knew that stupid b**ch Judith was gonna ruin things. Ugh.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Silverglitter

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Count Lacefront's Sub is looking for a come up.

Gisla's father, you ain't slick girl!

[Auntie Anxiety]

Ragnar needs an intervention, stat.  Calling Jeff Vanvonderen.  "Ragnar, Bjorn and Lagertha are going to say a few things, then you get to say a few things and that's it.  But you should know that they love you like crazy."

 

Aslaug, you're an idiot (not to mention the antithesis of Lagertha).   If they'll do it with you, they'll do it to you.  At least Ivar benefited.

[Primetimer]

WTF, Harbard, seriously.

Read the story

[Knuckles]

Things are moving right along...Odo goes out screaming, Kwentrith hits the floor. And Yudu washes out. 

 

Lagertha gave Ragnar quite a look when he announced his portage plan...but after a short hesitation, those Vikings got to work, showing an admirable work ethic.

She knows something is up with him, but I suspect not what. 

 

And Habard is working overtime in Kattegat. The homegirls seem to be crazy about him, and a bumper crop should soon be on the way...interesting to see the explanations offered when the team returns from the Paris raid.

[green]

This episode should so have been titled "The Culling of the Cast."

 

I had no idea so many semi-major characters could be killed off in just one episode.  Battlestar Galactica pales in comparison.

 

Sorry to see Queen Crazypants gone as well as the nice, loyal red shirt lieutenant of Ecbert's she killed when he tried to bar the way.  He had some possibilities and she added so much great loco zest.  Things will be duller in England without her around.  And she was right.  She would have had a shot at power if she had been born a man.  But then going after power is a stupid goal in life for any gender.

 

Sorry for Judith having to get her hands dirty with Kwen's blood.  And sad to see her realize she has been pulled down into the muck too.  But Wigstin (sp?) was right last episode.  Ecbert has the best chance to hold things together and prevent endless bloodbaths among the Saxons which would make them a weak and wounded walkover when Ragnar returns.  There would be anarchy and civil war had Crazy actually killed Ecbert because no one would accept Crazy in his place and King Alle would move into the vacuum and he is dumber than a bag of rocks and would soon be overthrown himself.

 

Glad both Odo and Yidu are both gone though only Odo "deserved it".  With Yidu her character simply never worked for me ever.  But Ragnar will regret what he did to her.  Not much left in her stash for him to use either.  Withdrawal will be ugly and maybe even guilt-ridden since he just basically killed a helpless human being for her last handful of betel nuts.

 

If it weren't for history I would have freaked over the Bjorn's being shot fake out ... and still did for a half second.  Looks like Torvi will have to make a move soon.

 

You see how Floki just glowed when Ragnar asked if he could trust him to pull off that engineering feat and gave him the positive feedback look?  Floki was right when he basically said all he ever did was for Ragnar because in his mind he needed to save Ragnar from Athelstan and his God.  Too bad that was totally wrong and that desire twisted him into an insanely jealous and murderous man regards Athelstan.  But nice to see Helga recovering and Floki, if nothing else, does really love Helga in his way as well.

Edited April 8, 2016 by green

[lawless]

Yidu seemed to be playing things pretty smart if she was attempting to slowly make her way home, but cutting Ragnar off AND threatening to reveal his secret about what happened to the settlers in Wessex was a foolish misstep that sealed her doom -- I was so disappointed in her. She initially seemed an unrealistic character, and also not very interesting, but she got a lot more interesting when it started to look like she was manuvering Ragnar to gain her freedom and go "home," whatever that means to her. Addicting Ragnar to drugs and using her knowledge of Frankish to get out of Kattegat and into Frankia was clever. But I guess she got impatient and underestimated Ragnar, to her sorrow. I think the real reason he killed her was because she reminded him she knew his secret and vaguely threatened to tell. If she had better understood Ragnar she might have managed to get away, either by sneaking away once the Warriors left or by playing on his sympathies. Bad move, disappointing.

Though he can be awful, I really do pity Aethlewulf the loss of Kwenthrith. He always seemed so unhappy until they hooked up. A shame Ecbert didn't offer Kwenthrith something more to placate her, and remind her that Aethlewulf would return, to calm her down. Oh well.

Edited April 8, 2016 by lawless

[Ravenya003]

Well, it finally happened: Ragnar murdered an unarmed woman. He's on a downward spiral now, especially since he's still addicted with no means of replenishing. Seems ironic that after all the complaining about her, Yidu gets unceremoniously drowned in a river. (It's rather amusing really: Tumblr spent the first seven weeks outraged over her presence and calling her an Athelstan knock-off, now it's wholly indignant on her behalf). 

 

And poor Kwenthrith - what a terrible life she had, and after all the abuse she suffered it's at the hands of another woman that she dies. 

 

Looks like Therese is planning on hooking up with the Emperor - you have to give her credit, she played that nicely. So long Odo, you won't be missed. 

 

So the Wanderer is off again, still without giving any clear answers as to who he really is. A true holy man, or a guy who just likes to screw around while the men are away? Ivor certainly took to him, but Sigurd had his number. Interesting that two of Aslaug's children had such extremely different reactions to him. 

 

There's potential to be mined in the rivalry between Rollo/Ragnar: Rollo knows his brother won't quit, but he doesn't yet know about his addiction. 

 

A good episode, though between The 100 and Arrow, I'm feeling very fatigued at the amount of brutal female deaths on television at the moment (especially of female characters that I enjoyed). I'm not saying female characters should be exempt from death or anything silly like that, only that it's been a wearying couple of months. 

[Advance35]

Awesome episode. 

 

This is why I watch period pieces, the fates and fortunes of the characters I love and love to hate playing out like grand opera.

 

The worm certainly turned for Count Odo didn't it?  I've never been especially interested in Paris but I have to admit the latest checkmate in that storyline was good.  I thought Count Odo did have the run of the place and I never expected him to be outmanuevered.   I didn't think he'd ever get his hands on the Princess but I didn't think he'd be outplayed by a (seemingly) common courtier either.   Well played Therese.  And it looks like she's not done yet.   "Why hello there Mr. Emperor."

 

Wessex.  Well who didn't think there would be some bloodshed at some point.   Echbert, Judith, Aestewolf and Kwenthrith, mixed with Alfred, Magnus, and whatever Aestewolf's legitament son's name is, with Wessex and Mercia thrown in the balance.  Echbert was smart to get his son out of town before making his moves.  I have know doubt Kwenthrith would have eventually geared up to pit son against Father and given the relationship, she might have suceeded.   I also think Judith made the wise decision.   Kwenthrith managed to pit Aestewolf against Echbert and their side came out ahead, how long would Judith or her son Alfred last?  Whether it was that reason or an attachment to King Echbert is something I'm not sure of yet.   I knew she wouldn't remain an ingenue (with questionable "virtue") for long.   She loved Athelstan, Ragnar, Echbert and herself,  only the cold-hearted fall in love with Athelstan. lol 

 

I didn't have the aversion to Kwenthrith that I once did, but I didn't like her either.  I still think she had a solid character arc in terms of how far her ambition could take her.   She was ruthless but without the necessary level of guile.

 

Love Bjorn but for some reason, I don't like Tovi.  She's never done anything wrong IMO, maybe it's the actress.

 

Ragnar.  There's the coldy pragmatic cut-throat leader I've always been so intrigued by.   The minute Yidu went on about how she would tell everyone what happened in the Wessex Settlement she was dead.   I credited her with more cunning.   Did she think she carried enough emotional momentum with Ragnar to actually threaten him?  Fatal miscalculation my dear.  Can't say I'll miss her though.   And his murder of Yidu didn't shock me in the least.   He killed that helpless old man in Season 3 because he was the only one left alive that could expose what happened.  Man or Woman, if your not someone Ragnar has taken  to heart and your a threat to him, his position or anything that matters, if it's up to him, your fate is sealed.

 

Can't wait to see next week.

[benteen]

So we lose Queen Crazypants and we keep Judith.  That’s a victory why?  Stopping trying to make the void that is Judith work, show.

 

Way too much time was spent outside of the Vikings (again) but the episode was good.  Anything with the Vikings and the boats worked and even seemed to  bring out a more entertaining Floki again.  Ragnar killing Yidu is a real low point for him but seeing Ragnar as a mess is interesting for the charater.

 

I felt bad for Yidu but good lord, don’t be dumb enough to bring that up when you’re standing right next to Ragnar, especially in his junkie state.  Withholding from him was stupid too.

 

I admit I did laugh when 50 Shades of Odo got whipped to death. 

 

Ragnar trying to act like everything was normal with the kids after the drowning was kind of funny too.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Things are moving right along...Odo goes out screaming, Kwentrith hits the floor. And Yudu washes out.

:DEAD:

This had me cackling here at work, for about 10 mins.

[Silverglitter]

So we lose Queen Crazypants and we keep Judith.  That’s a victory why?  Stopping trying to make the void that is Judith work, show.

I know right? They should've gotten a better actress if they wanted Judith to be believable as a major player. She's got no range. Her reactions and expressions are the same no matter what's going on. She basically defaults to that whole 'purse your lips and bug out your eyes' thing for everything. 

 

Torvi's actress is weak too. She's got this borderline monotone thing going on. She's Hirst's daughter though so I know that's why she got hired. But then, so is Helga and I never have a quibble with her acting.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Had Queen K lived, I think her and Aestewolf had romantic potential.

Unlike her brother and uncle, he fought to protect her.

Maybe they could've been happy, as one could hope to be in Illicit Sex Village.

Ooops I meant, Wessex.

[PatsyandEddie]

I loved Lagertha's not so veiled threat when Harald and BadHair were talking smack about Ragnar. She knows something is off,doesn't know what but isn't going to let anyone diss her former hubby.

Yidu was stupid to to bring up the settlers' massacre. I don't know why she kept hanging around anyway. She should have jumped ship in the confusion at the forts and gotten lost n the streets of Paris. Did she think Ragnar was going to take her back to China?

I have to admire the Vikings' determination. Hauling those ships up the cliffs and dragging them overland is no small feat.

[benteen]

I know right? They should've gotten a better actress if they wanted Judith to be believable as a major player. She's got no range. Her reactions and expressions are the same no matter what's going on. She basically defaults to that whole 'purse your lips and bug out your eyes' thing for everything. 

 

Torvi's actress is weak too. She's got this borderline monotone thing going on. She's Hirst's daughter though so I know that's why she got hired. But then, so is Helga and I never have a quibble with her acting.

 

A better actress would definitely help out the Judith character.  I think the actress is very pretty but she's a complete void as far as acting ability and charisma goes.  She sucks all the interest out of the show when she's onscreen.

[Curious5]

Torvi (Georgia Hirst) has this as her only acting credit.  She definitely lucked out with a first role in such a popular series. 

[Ohwell]

I'm glad Yidu and Crazypants are gone because they annoyed me to no end, especially Yidu.  I guess Odo got what he deserved but for some reason, I'll miss him.

 

I don't understand why Aslaug went crazy over Habard's sex romps, when in the past she seemed to be ok with it.  However, when he was yammering on and on about why he does what he does--a playah's gotta play--I wanted her to grab a knife and gut him like a fish. 

 

Things are really heating up now and I can't wait to see the next episode.  However, whenever I see Aella in the previews I get worried for Ragnar, given history.

[TaurusRose]

Well, there goes Yidu!

And not a moment too soon. She never worked for me as a character and the actress wasn't interesting enough to pull off cunning and manipulative. She really had no clue as to who she was dealing with, if she thought threatening Ragnor was the way to go. Adios, bitch. I won't miss you.

 

(1)I felt bad for Kwentrith(sp?). (2)And poor Kwenthrith...after all the abuse she suffered it's at the hands of another woman that she dies.

(1) Another one who wore out her welcome. Sadly, I was hoping she would knock off Judith rather than the other way around, but I have a feeling Judith won't have a happy ending either, so it's all good. LOL (2) Not surprising at all. Women can be far more treacherous (and deadly) than men. Before anyone calls me sexist, I am a woman and have seen my fair share of evidence to prove it.

 

I'm glad Odo went out the way he did. Sicko.

That was brutal. I don't know...I think being whipped to death was even worse than the blood eagle. YMMV, of course, but he was a slimy douche, so I'm not shedding any tears for him either.

 

...Judith - not so blah and milquetoasty now, is she?

Even with murder and adultery under her belt, she's still uninteresting to me. She's also a fool who is still being manipulated by Ecbert. By all the gods, I wish he would die.

 

feel sorry for Yidu,, she didn't do anything and didn't deserve to die

Well, Ragnar didn't deserve to be hooked on drugs either, so...there's that. But all knocks aside, everyone is doing whatever they can to survive, some players are just better at it than others.

 

Aslaug, you're an idiot (not to mention the antithesis of Lagertha).

I've got nothing to add.

 

Love Bjorn but for some reason, I don't like Tovi.

I am warming up to Bjorn, but I do agree about Tovi. The character is beyond weak and dull, not to mention, a repetition of Helga. Neither one is terribly necessary, IMO, but I'll take Helga over Tovi any day.

 

Ragnar. There's the coldy pragmatic cut-throat leader I've always been so intrigued by. The minute Yidu went on about how she would tell everyone what happened in the Wessex Settlement she was dead. I credited her with more cunning. Did she think she carried enough emotional momentum with Ragnar to actually threaten him? Fatal miscalculation my dear. Can't say I'll miss her though. And his murder of Yidu didn't shock me in the least. He killed that helpless old man in Season 3 because he was the only one left alive that could expose what happened. Man or Woman, if your not someone Ragnar has taken to heart and your a threat to him, his position or anything that matters, if it's up to him, your fate is sealed.

All of THIS.

 

I loved Lagertha's not so veiled threat when Harald and BadHair were talking smack about Ragnar.

The affection between R&L is real. If Harald and BadHair don't know it, they should ask around. Lagertha is a TOTAL badass and will put them down without hesitation.

 

I have to admire the Vikings' determination. Hauling those ships up the cliffs and dragging them overland is no small feat.

I was totally impressed by this. Loki has earned his keep again. Overall, an excellent episode.

Edited April 8, 2016 by taurusrose

[Granny58]

"Once Ragnar is gone, he'll be Duke and raise his child with Ms. Gisla in peace lol.."   I don't know...I'm waiting for them to work in him being the founder of Normandy...not ruler of Paris. 

[Nukester]

The deconstruction of Ragnar continues.  Right from the beginning he was always kept apart from the worst excesses of his Viking brethren. Other characters were seen slaughtering helpless monks, killing children, having forced sex with thralls, etc.  Yet we could look at Ragnar as the wily but noble Viking. Well, there was nothing noble about him murdering his pusher/lover.  He is pathetic.

 

I'll miss Kwenthrith. I liked her crazy self. 

 

Ecbert is such a ruthless son of a bitch and Judith - not so blah and milquetoasty now, is she?

 

You are right.  Vikings are pigs, but this series is fun (from an action/drama standpoint) and keeps me watching.  First I must say that this episode was perfect.  Nothing lame in it to critique for a change.  

 

• Still tired of Ragnor being a "stoner".  lol.  Glad the Chinese chick is fish food.
• I really thought Bjorn was toast!  Nice job with that shock in the episode.  Had me fooled for that short period.
• They really killed the feeling of time/reality with how fast those people chopped down a forest of trees and build all of that stuff to move the boats.  Yeah right!!!  that's is a year of endless labor there, yet it seems they did it in about a month (judging by Floki's wife and how she has healed.
• I've hated the Floki character from day one, but for once I liked him?  Didn't seem like a mental weirdo this episode. Enjoyed it.
• King Ecbert.  Oh how he's fun.  I never liked that queen lady.  She was a "Black Widow", killing everything in her path.  A pure psychopath.  Not that she didn't get worked over as a kid, but 2 wrongs don't make a right.  The King's ambition and deal with the Devil will not end well.
• Rollo.  This one has to play out.  I'm not sure where they are taking this story.  One thing I do feel coming is another bad ending for Paris.  After all, the show is called Vikings for a reason.  
• Hubbard... SIGH.  Someone kill that guy off, please.

 

All in all, they opened up the story for a lot of bad endings for a lot of characters.  This is going to get good!

Edited April 8, 2016 by Nukester

[dmc]

I got the feeling Gisla isn't actually pregnant but spoke up because she wanted to help Rollo's position

[Nukester]

I got the feeling Gisla isn't actually pregnant but spoke up because she wanted to help Rollo's position

 

After her last few months of being in heat for Rollo, she's probably pregnant.  I don't think a fake one there, unless Rollo's been wearing underwear that is too tight.  Judging by his lose wearing pimp garb, I would say he's fine too.  :)

[benteen]

Yidu was a disappointing character to me.  I liked the idea of Ragnar learning about distant cultures.  One of the things this show does so well is showing how these various people became increasingly exposed to the great unknown of these new cultures.  I was hoping the Yidu stuff would be more interesting and it wasn't.

Edited April 9, 2016 by benteen

[LOA-maker]

And not a moment too soon. She never worked for me as a character and the actress wasn't interesting enough to pull off cunning and manipulative. She really had no clue as to who she was dealing with, if she thought threatening Ragnor was the way to go. Adios, bitch. I won't miss you.

 

(1) Another one who wore out her welcome. Sadly, I was hoping she would knock off Judith rather than the other way around, but I have a feeling Judith won't have a happy ending either, so it's all good. LOL (2) Not surprising at all. Women can be far more treacherous (and deadly) than men. Before anyone calls me sexist, I am a woman and have seen my fair share of evidence to prove it.

 

That was brutal. I don't know...I think being whipped to death was even worse than the blood eagle. YMMV, of course, but he was a slimy douche, so I'm not shedding any tears for him either.

 

Even with murder and adultery under her belt, she's still uninteresting to me. She's also a fool who is still being manipulated by Ecbert. By all the gods, I wish he would die.

 

Well, Ragnar didn't deserve to be hooked on drugs either, so...there's that. But all knocks aside, everyone is doing whatever they can to survive, some players are just better at it than others.

 

I've got nothing to add.

 

I am warming up to Bjorn, but I do agree about Tovi. The character is beyond weak and dull, not to mention, a repetition of Helga. Neither one is terribly necessary, IMO, but I'll take Helga over Tovi any day.

 

All of THIS.

 

The affection between R&L is real. If Harald and BadHair don't know it, they should ask around. Lagertha is a TOTAL badass and will put them down without hesitation.

 

I was totally impressed by this. Loki has earned his keep again. Overall, an excellent episode.

 

he had a choice and he didn't force her. 

[green]

So the Wanderer is off again, still without giving any clear answers as to who he really is. A true holy man, or a guy who just likes to screw around while the men are away? Ivor certainly took to him, but Sigurd had his number. Interesting that two of Aslaug's children had such extremely different reactions to him. 

 

Yeah Snake Eye had him made.  And though the Wanderer has a lot to do with Norse mythology tales I still always see Rasputin on my screen.  Exact same MO regards a so-called holy man mesmerizing females.  Add in that guy from Waco, Texas massacre, Jim Jones and the Kool-Aide suicide one, Charles Manson and that current weird old guy in the off-shoot Mormon group in Arizona and yeah, same old same old.  Of course our dude here prefers just waiting until the men are gone to do his mesmerizing.  Which is why I favor Rasputin as the stand-in mentally for me.

 

I agree with others in that I don't know what Aslaug is so upset about.  He was trying to mess with the women the last time he passed through.  Only Helga and Siggy would have nothing to do with him back then despite their "visions" at the time.  But then his mesmerizing skills only work on the weak-willed it seems.  Oh yeah.  Aslaug thinks she is all that and has a rather high opinion of herself what to speak of her so-called legendary, mythic father she believes she has.

 

Yeah I don't like the character plus the person playing her is the one actor in the show that seems sub-par to me.  Love the actors playing Judith and Torvi OTOH.  So got to stick up for them here.

 

• They really killed the feeling of time/reality with how fast those people chopped down a forest of trees and build all of that stuff to move the boats.  Yeah right!!!  that's is a year of endless labor there, yet it seems they did it in about a month (judging by Floki's wife and

 

I think a month would be too long myself.  You have at least close to a thousand strong dudes with axes that well know how to use them.  They should be felling trees at a much faster rate than that. 

 

All the stuff you read about in history from the ancients onward make it clear this is just another day at work for our ancestors.  The Romans would have built a road halfway from Rome to the German frontier in that time if they really had to.  And there are endless stories throughout history of building wilderness roads in record time by felling trees right and left.  We are the ones who would struggle to get this done in a month what with our sedentary lifestyles where a mere paper-cut will fell a worker.

Edited April 9, 2016 by green

[TaurusRose]

he had a choice and he didn't force her.

Not sure who you are talking about, if it's Ragnar and Yidu, she had a choice as well.

[LittleIggy]

I was cheering when Ragnar drowned Yidu. Her character was a waste of screen time.

I look forward to Therese playing Emperor Salvador Dali!

Sigurd is my hero for providing his mom with that peep show. I too thought of Rasputin.

Why is Torvi scared of Erlanger when he is there, hundreds of miles for her son? It's not as if he can pull out a smart phone and call someone back in Lagertha's village and say "Do it"!

STFU, Judith. Ecbert didn't turn you to evil. You went down that path on your own.

Princess Bitch Face looks so stupid with her modern haircut. OTOH, I adore Lagertha's hair.

[Ohwell]

I was  meh on Judith until last night when she broke bad on Crazypants.  Now I'm interested to see where her character goes and how it will change her relationship with Ecbert.

[BitterApple]

I knew Yidu was a goner the second she mentioned the failed settlement. I think the timing is good because a) there was really nowhere else for this character to go and b) we get to see Ragnar really lose his shit during what's going to be the most crucial stage of the attack on Paris. How long will Bjorn stay silent if it's clear Ragnar isn't up to the task?

I didn't see Kwenthrith's death coming, especially at the hands of Judith. I figured Judith would betray her escape plans, but I'd never imagined she'd kill her.

The Vikings hauling those boats up the cliffs was impressive.

Edited April 9, 2016 by BitterApple

[Curious5]

Ragnar still has it!  Even  with drugs he sensed the danger and possible attack path.  Even after he described the plan the others did not have the imagination to visualize it.  Withdrawal will be b*tch though.

[thuganomics85]

Man, they really were cleaning house on the secondary characters this episode, huh?  Yidu, Odo, and Kwenthrith all get sent off to their various afterlives, I see!

 

I will miss Kwenthrith and the craziness she brings, but it was probably only a matter of time, and while I enjoyed her, I know she is an acquired taste and there might have been a point where she even overstayed her welcome with me.  And between her and Ecbert, I rather she go, because I just love Ecbert and all of his diabolical, manipulating, glory.  I guess I'm curious to see how this effects Judith going forward, even if I find the actress to be one of the weakest of the cast.

 

Poor Odo had it rough!  There was just no way he was going get out of this, once Charles found out.  I'm guessing that final bit with Charles and Therese means she's going to attempt to make a play at him now.  At least she can take solace that it's doubtful Charles has a sex dungeon and a collection of whips.

 

Yidu though, was just being an idiot.  Trying to threaten Ragnar is already bad enough.  But to threaten a Ragnar who is addicted to the drug you provide and he's currently freaking out because he doesn't have a fix?  Yeah, there was no way she was going to survive that.  Ragnar trying to play off like it was no big deal in front of his sons, was so Ragnar.

 

Ragnar's idea with the boats was inventive.  That's something I don't see Rollo predicting.

 

Is Torvi having visions of Erlender killing Bjorn because she's worried, or she can actually see the future?

 

I had thought Aslaug knew about Harbard's horndog ways, so her reaction was weird to me.  Although, I did love all of Harbard's excuses and how he really didn't seem to care.  The Wanderer's got to do what a Wanderer's got to do, and for this one, it's wandering into as many women's pants as possible.

 

Little of Lagertha again (boo!), but I did love her shutting down Harald and Halfdan's trash-talking of Ragnar.  Hey, he might have been her ex who foolishly dumped her for Aslaug, but dammit, Lagertha ain't going to let those two talk shit about him!

Edited April 9, 2016 by thuganomics85

[Granny58]

"We are the ones who would struggle to get this done in a month what with our sedentary lifestyles where a mere paper-cut will fell a worker."  Plus, Ragnar didn't have years of paperwork and regulations to wade through first. 

[Babalooie]

Moved to Spoilers.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Babalooie

[SuzieBee]

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.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

Am I the only one who thinks Yidu might be back next week,

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Am I the only one who thinks Yidu might be back next week,

Ragnar cast her adrift like an empty rowboat.

I think Yidu is dead.