S04.E08: Portage

[BitterApple]

Thank you, green. It makes sense now. I'd forgotten about the survivor that Ragnar killed.

[maraleia]

 

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. 

Me too. With this election campaign being so sexist and the amount of female character death's I'm feeling very vulnerable. I brought this up in the AV Club recap thread and men kept on mansplaining things to me. It's so irritating.

My question is why isn't Ragnar dead yet? Shouldn't he be based on what we know of the history of the time.

Why does this show kill off so many female kids? I've been bothered by this ever since they killed off Ragnar's daughter.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

It Turns Out Even Godlike Vikings Knew The Fine Art Of Douchebaggery
WTF, Harbard, seriously.

[Jenkins]

Have to say thank you to green! I watch so many shows, the whole Wessex thing was a bit confusing to me as well and you cleared it right up.

[Ohwell]

Thanks, Green!

[Ravenya003]

Me too. With this election campaign being so sexist and the amount of female character death's I'm feeling very vulnerable. I brought this up in the AV Club recap thread and men kept on mansplaining things to me. It's so irritating.

My question is why isn't Ragnar dead yet? Shouldn't he be based on what we know of the history of the time.

Why does this show kill off so many female kids? I've been bothered by this ever since they killed off Ragnar's daughter.

 

And now we can add Sleepy Hollow to the list. It's exhausting, as it's easy to get attached to fictional characters, and when they're all violently murdered in the space of a few weeks, it takes its toll. 

[slf]

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.

 

Well, to be fair to Ragnar, I think he assumed that because he actually owned her like she was a piece of property that he was safe. Also, I think that's what the writers thought would make her sympathetic. You know, that she was abducted, sold, used for labor, etc. And lol, I think a slave trying to dope up her master so she can escape is less a "true sign of bad character" so much as a good start.

 

Me too. With this election campaign being so sexist and the amount of female character death's I'm feeling very vulnerable. I brought this up in the AV Club recap thread and men kept on mansplaining things to me. It's so irritating.

My question is why isn't Ragnar dead yet? Shouldn't he be based on what we know of the history of the time.

Why does this show kill off so many female kids? I've been bothered by this ever since they killed off Ragnar's daughter.

I know, it's like watching The Walking Dead, which never met a female child it didn't kill.

Edited April 12, 2016 by slf

[Captanne]

I thought we cleared up that the whole reason he took the drugs was because he was in so much pain from the injuries at the Paris siege?  

 

From a narrative perspective, he would take anything that would alleviate the pain -- and by "would" I don't mean "had to" -- I mean it makes sense that he'd look for pain relief.

 

From a writer's perspective, it makes sense because they needed some way to not completely ignore the damage Ragnar incurred and then, magically, managed to remain functional as king.  Those injuries needed time to heal -- and by using the drug addiction as a plot device, they were able to avoid a lot of narrative pitfalls.  I thought it was very clever, overall.

[dmc]

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.  :)

I am not saying she couldn't be pregnant.  I am saying I don't think she is.  Look at the delivery in that scene.  I think she realizes her father is making a choice between Odo and Rollo and she helps the choice along.  Her news about being pregnant makes her father bet on Rollo.  Gisla is pretty calculating and she probably figures by the time her father is the wiser she will be pregnant.

[jnymph]

So Ecbert only has 1 guard ?  That seemed unlikely to me.  Poor little Magnus is going to miss him Mum.  : (  Me as well.... Queen Cray Cray was interesting.

 

Aethulwolf's return to Wessex should be very interesting.

 

Still waiting for the return of the bath house.  Hmpf.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

So Ecbert only has 1 guard ?  That seemed unlikely to me.  Poor little Magnus is going to miss him Mum.  : (  Me as well.... Queen Cray Cray was interesting.

 

In a castle/palace?  Right outside his bedroom?  I don't see having too many guards....I also don't understand not locking the wacky girl up.

 

I am not saying she couldn't be pregnant.  I am saying I don't think she is.  

 

Back in the day people were frequently pregnant after the honeymoon (remember little to no birth control).  In the early 60's my mother wasn't pregnant after 6 months and the busy bodies in her small town were already wondering what was wrong....

[dmc]

In a castle/palace?  Right outside his bedroom?  I don't see having too many guards....I also don't understand not locking the wacky girl up.

 

 

Back in the day people were frequently pregnant after the honeymoon (remember little to no birth control).  In the early 60's my mother wasn't pregnant after 6 months and the busy bodies in her small town were already wondering what was wrong....

Yes agreed.