S04.E09: Death All 'Round

[formerlyfreedom]

The labors of the Vikings eventually bear fruit as, within sight of Paris, they re-launch their boats but this time along with some interesting structures that Floki has built. Aethelwulf and Alfred eventually arrive in Rome and honors are conferred by Pope Leo but relations are not so cordial in Wessex between King Ecbert and the disgruntled King Aelle.

[green]

Death All 'Round is the title?  Really?  How generic.  I mean couldn't that be the title for at least half the episodes in this series if not more?

[LittleIggy]

Little Alfred is so cute!

[Primetimer]

Liane Bonin Starr is more than ready for Vikings to give Ragnar an intervention.

Read the story

[peridot]

Rollo really is a simpleton, good thing Gisla can think for him.

I wasn't expecting the actual bedmate of Charles, though.

 

Aslaug and Ivar are part of a horror story now.  Now that I'm thinking back, Sigurd is creepy too.  He was way too calm on seeing the body of his niece.

 

Torvi looked badass in her new Viking gear, glad she finally got rid of that coward husband.

 

I don't like that every show now has a mid-season finale.  It better not end on a cliffhanger.

[magdalene]

"Our heroes" slaughtering that farm family was chilling. I am not rooting for junkie Ragnar and his brethren to take Paris and kill more Franks.

[Nukester]

"Our heroes" slaughtering that farm family was chilling. I am not rooting for junkie Ragnar and his brethren to take Paris and kill more Franks.

Me neither. as I've stated, I think Vikings are cowards. No honor, none. I hope the Frank's win. Kind of like a mid evil super bowl. :-)

[Straycat80]

I'm guessing Rollo will get a mistress now since Gisla won't put out until after the baby's born.

Poor little Siggy. Aslaug and Ivar are evil.

I was surprised by Charles' choice of 'mistress'.

I was also surprised by Torvi killing Erlandr. But Somebody had to do it and Bjorn was taking too long. These Viking women are so badass. And look at Lagertha pulling ships, having a miscarriage, and then lifting barrels shortly afterwards.

Ragnar is a hot mess. Hope he pulls himself together and if he does starts a Viking version of a say no to drugs campaign.

[LilyoftheValley]

Poor little Siggy.  Auslag has finally hit bottom and Ragnar will ditch her ass as soon as he gets back home.  I wonder if he will put Lagertha back where she belongs on the throne as queen (though I doubt Lagertha can swallow that much pride).  

[whoknowswho]

"Our heroes" slaughtering that farm family was chilling. I am not rooting for junkie Ragnar and his brethren to take Paris and kill more Franks.

Those two- Harold Finehair and brother Halfdan--aren't my heroes.  I doubt they are anyone's who watch this series seriously. They aren't likable in the least--they make Ragnar look all warm and fuzzy in comparison.

 

Nukester--was your family slaughtered by Vikings 1000 years ago? Because you surely do seem to hate them-- as a species, like hating cats or snakes.  

 

Speaking of snakes--Did Aslaug kill Siggy, or just ignore her to death? The look she gave Ivar when Seigert told her Siggy was dead...it was a bit chilling.

 

edited because spelling matters.

Edited April 15, 2016 by whoknowswho

[LiveenLetLive]

Let's see, big handsome Bjorn, or puny little Erlander, er no choice, IMO, lol. So "mid season finale" next week eh? pulling a Dr Who on us I see.

[Mrs Shibbles]

It was neat to see that they are giving John Kavanagh, who plays the seer the role of the Pope.

[Knuckles]

Ragnar was right about one thing...Ivar should have been left outside to die...he is truly an evil creature. And Aslaug with her drinking and smirking is utterly repulsive.

She's giving Cersei Lannister a run for her money as evil mother who nurtures monstrous child, with bottomless wine glass. Both Siggy and her namesake both died because of the vile Aslaug. 

 

The torture and murder of the Francia farm family was intolerable, and difficult to watch, but it was true to the Vikings. They were merciless towards anyone not in the tribe. It's hard not to root for Ragnar, Bjorn and Lagertha, and now Torvi...but you would not want them within a hundred miles of you. Clear from the visuals that they did not just kill the family but engaged in sadism as sport killing.

 

Gisla is right, and Rollo needs to watch his back with Roland. I still want to know how Therese is going to explain the deep scars on her back courtesy of Odo.

And Aelle is not pleased with Ecbert. Silly to make an enemy of the man when the Vikings might return and notice the missing Norse settlement. Could cause some hard feelings, and Ecbert might need Aelle's help. Maybe Ecbert isn't so clever...better to have shared something with his fellow king than to make him an outright enemy.

[whoknowswho]

It was neat to see that they are giving John Kavanagh, who plays the seer the role of the Pope.

Oh, cool--now I get why his voice was so recognizable, yet I didn't recognize his face! The eyes, it's in the eyes. Or lack thereof. That part just had me bored, the kid's cute if you like kids--I don't get the cowboy hat (guess it's a pilgrim thing but I swear I saw a concho on it!) but Frankia and Wessex leave me wanting more Vikings, and less everyone else. And yay--Erlandur 's gone. I was getting tired of looking at his snarly little pissed off boy face. 

[SuzieBee]

 

 

Gisla is right, and Rollo needs to watch his back with Roland. I still want to know how Therese is going to explain the deep scars on her back courtesy of Odo.

 

 

Therese could always lie, and say that she is devout and engages in self-scourging as a form of deep penitence (the same way that Aethelwulf does).  Only trouble is, I doubt that would leave scars quite so deep, but perhaps the story is semi-plausible.

[SuzieBee]

Most impressive were the scenes of the Ecbert coronation and the presentation of the sword to Alfred in Rome.  Michael Hirst seems able to do excellent and stirring scenes of this kind, and I am reminded of scenes in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, movies that he co-wrote.  I loved the way they intercut scenes between the two.

 

Heck, it's not every little kid of age 4 who gets to own a memory like that.  From what I remember of Alfred the Great, it likely had special significance.  Bravo, well done!  That little actor is cute as a button.

 

Lagertha and Ragnar and Bjorn.  Fantastic scenes, not much dialog needed.  Just looks and body language carrying the day.  With the way Aslaug is behaving back in Kattegat, Ragnar and Lagertha should get back together.  Even if they didn't end up together, though, the fans of Vikings would like to see any kind of tender love scene between the two.  It would be a compensation of some kind, for the less than stellar writing given over to the Yidu/Ragnar alliance.

 

No sex for Rollo?  Hmmm.....  Well, I have heard it said that top NFL players perform better in important title games when they don't have sex the night before.  Therefore, Rollo should be good to go in the next day's boat battle with the Vikings!

 

I have a feeling that Rollo won't die yet.  The Gisla/Rollo bedroom scene is setting up another plot point, to be explored later in the script; that is, if they don't time-jump so far in the second half of the season as to make tying up loose ends a little sloppy.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

The poor family, that was brutal.

[green]

It was neat to see that they are giving John Kavanagh, who plays the seer the role of the Pope.

 

Cool.  I didn't realize it was him.  I saw him live in Dublin as Thenardier the innkeeper in Les Mis and he was fantastic in that too.

 

Well Aslaug I see you are batting a thousand in offing Siggys by your neglectful behavior.  You so deserve to have Lil' Psycho Ivar boss you around.  Snake Eye seems an okay kid so far but he seems to be a little frightened of his younger brother which is probably a wise thing.

 

And Alfred is awesome.   I liked how Athelwulf was beaming when Alfred had his moment.  We all know Alfred isn't his biological son and yet it was clear he really cares for him now.  Athelwulf has been getting a better, more likeable makeover this season.

 

Meanwhile back in England King Aelle "suddenly" realizes Ecbert is ambitious and cunning and three moves ahead of him?  Good old Aelle, dumbest Saxon of them all.

 

I liked where Lagertha ordered Ragnar and Bjorn out saying she wanted to be alone but they didn't really leave.  Just backed up behind her to give her space and quietly sat with her.

 

Guess Erlunder died without knowing the Wessex settlement is gone after all.  I so wanted to see him pissed at Ragnar over that.  But I'll happily settle for Torvi's solution to his threatening her kid back home.

 

Didn't see Charles' bed partner as Roland coming at all.  And Charles still wants Therese as his mistress as well?  Charles is one greedy bastard.  And I find him the creepiest character on a show where there have been many.  He makes my skin crawl.

 

If we didn't know which faction of Vikings are suppose to wear the black hats before they begin to square off against each other we do now after the farm visit.  Kind of anvils falling since obviously we have been with Team Ragnar from the start and Bjorn is becoming more and more powerful a figure ready to take Dad's place eventually.

Edited April 15, 2016 by green

[millennium]

 

 

Speaking of snakes--Did Aslaug kill Siggy, or just ignore her to death? The look she gave Ivar when Seigert told her Siggy was dead...it was a bit chilling.

 

 

Harbard's departure always seems to be attended by a death.   The original Siggy died last time.

 

Bjorn is the de facto hero of this show now.  I loved the shot of him from the dying Erlander's perspective. 

Edited April 15, 2016 by millennium

[benteen]

Lagartha’s miscarriage was sad as hell but Ragnar and Bjorn staying was easily the best scene tonight.  It reminded me how rare it is to see all three of them together in a scene like that.

 

Poor little Siggy.  No one seemed to care about that kid, even her own parents.  I hope this convinces Ragnar to get rid of Aslaug, along with that piece of shit Earl and his brother.  Though I have a feeling Floki is going to have a say in the eventual fate of Aslaug.

 

Way too much time is being spent in Wessex though the look on King Not Robert Baratheon’s face when Ecbert was being crowned was hilarious.

Glad to see Torvi take care of that other little shit Erlander.   Erlander’s over-the-top sneakiness was kind of funny too.

 

I did like the trip to Rome and the show is always good at introducing new “worlds”.  It’s when they linger in these new worlds that causes a problem.

 

It's really fascinating to watch just how far Ragnar is falling.

Can’t wait for next week’s episode!

Edited April 15, 2016 by benteen

[Babalooie]

OK, I could see Rollo taking Therese as his mistress, which could be interesting. 

Could someone please decipher what Floki was saying in the promo for next week? 

[LOA-maker]

odd ep imho.. 

 

but King Charles is bi?? that weirded me out.....lol.  was he top or bottom, or I guess as Emperor he had to be top.. :D

 

the Rome/Pope/Alfred thing was dull, but then I guess it's true to history.

 

King Ecbert is a supreme shit, and I hope he dies soon lol.. 

 

Ragnar is a sorry sight, but then despite his addiction issues, he still has it. Plus he has a plan to get Rollo it seems. Norse men special ops?? lol. well if he's out just to get Rollo, he shouldn't need a large force of men.

 

Floki looks like he's becoming a seer, and poor Lagertha. Seems she must be reaching menopause now. 

 

Aslaug is dull, ,and how can she let Bjorn's daughter die like that?? Ivar, you sociopath shit saying you don't give a fuck about your niece's death, or calling your mother stupid? I hope when Ragnar comes back, both he AND Bjorn fuck her up..

 

Irlander had it coming, but i don't get what he was so hurt about. Didn't his father betray Ragnar? All Ragnar did was protect his own itnerests in good faith, not skive, ally, and scamp like King Horik did.

 

Oh, and King Harald/Halfdan are far more roughneck Norsemen than Ragnar. Ragnar never raided little homestead, chopped up the inhabitants and most likely raped the women, and dug out the eyes of the men..lol. 

 

Weak episode, but then i guess it needs to be paced since next week looks big. 

 

Oh, and Princess Gisla, if your daddy the Emperor can betray the Bible and have sex with Roland, then you can too and bang Rollo whilst your pregnant...nothign will happen to the baby..;)

[LOA-maker]

Me neither. as I've stated, I think Vikings are cowards. No honor, none. I hope the Frank's win. Kind of like a mid evil super bowl. :-)

lol. you do realise that this is how Norse behaved? nay, all Europeans in that period? Franks used to raid on others nearby and did the same things. It was the moral norm, so some 21st century morality doesn't cut it for 9th century TV historical fiction..lol.

Harbard's departure always seems to be attended by a death.   The original Siggy died last time.

 

Bjorn is the de facto hero of this show now.  I loved the shot of him from the dying Erlander's perspective. 

it's just me maybe, but Bjorn is almost 30 and defers to his dad too much. their dynamic still reminds me of young Bjorn and Ragnar. 

[ArizonaGrown]

Maybe Charles is only wanting to use Therese like a beard not to really sleep with her? To cover for himself and Roland?

[ArizonaGrown]

I will be sitting on the edge of my chair next week then standing I'm sure as the battle takes place between Ragnar and Rollo - hoping that Rollo gets the sh-t beat out of him for his betrayal.

[SuzieBee]

OK, I could see Rollo taking Therese as his mistress, which could be interesting. 

 

I guess that would be the French way?  If we must go there, can't it be some good-hearted girl, not that completely amoral Therese person?  She is repugnant.

[Ohwell]

I hope those two thug brothers who terrorized and then killed that poor family get a Frankian hot oil bath.  Other than those two, I'm still Team Ragnar over traitorous Rollo though.  

 

I went "awwwww" when Ragnar and Bjorn refused to leave Lagertha's side; they just sat there silently, as if to say, I'm not leaving no matter what you say.

 

I hope Little Evil Shit Ivar is the one who finally kills Aslaug.  It would be most fitting.

[MrsR]

Alfred had a circular straw hat which is the typical hat worn by pilgrims and it was adorned by a scallop shell which symbolizes the completion of a pilgrimage. *history nerd*

 

I wonder if the slaughter of the villagers had to do with the creeps being an advance group who killed all witnesses who might alert the Franks that the Vikings were coming overland. Smart move on the Vikings part but of course the creeps liked their job WAY too much.

 

Way to go Torvi! Good choice.

 

Aslaug and Ivar are disgusting. Glad to see Aslaug become an alkie.

[Ohwell]

I wonder if the slaughter of the villagers had to do with the creeps being an advance group who killed all witnesses who might alert the Franks that the Vikings were coming overland. Smart move on the Vikings part but of course the creeps liked their job WAY too much.

 

Good point.  I think the creeps were an advance group, but Ragnar & Co. have no idea just how brutal they were.  (Yeah, I know, dead is dead, but they could have just killed them quickly instead of raping, brutalizing and torturing them.)

[benteen]

I forgot to mention but Charles's whispered and accented "I want permission to sleep with your sister" made me laugh.

[Mars477]

The torture and murder of the Francia farm family was intolerable, and difficult to watch, but it was true to the Vikings. They were merciless towards anyone not in the tribe. It's hard not to root for Ragnar, Bjorn and Lagertha, and now Torvi...but you would not want them within a hundred miles of you. Clear from the visuals that they did not just kill the family but engaged in sadism as sport killing.

In fairness to the Vikings, this was basically SOP for all armies at the time.  What historians call "foraging" was very much a rape, pillage, and burn kind of affair.

[Nukester]

Some good points about violence in that time period, it wasn't just the Vikings, it was everyone.  

 

Some of you are really into these series and are up to snuff on where things are going.  Do you think Rome will come into play?

 

Some here ask why I watch Vikings, since I don't like Vikings.  Well, I like seeing them beaten, I also like the other stories they are digging into.  Paris, Wessex, and possibly Rome?  

 

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

[Knuckles]

Mars477, absolutely true, the unarmed and largely undefended common folk were savaged without mercy. Still true, as Boko Haram and Isis make clear. And in WW2, invading German armies systematically burned and killed village after village in Operation Barbarossa. 

Still watching Finehair and Bad Haircut take such sadistic glee in their killing remains deeply disturbing.

On the other hand, I hope Aslaug and Ivar get theirs, so it does not reflect well on me either.

[MaggieG]

Good Lord, Aslaug and Ivar were creepy as hell. I hope someone smacks that smirk right off her face.

Bjorn and Ragnar staying with Lagertha was very sweet.

Alfred with his hat was so adorable.

Torvi sure has a lot of time to create some elaborate braid hairstyles.

[Granny58]

"Charles' bed partner as Roland coming at all".  Wait....WHAT?  I must have not heard this.  He said this?

[LittleIggy]

We have seen English (Wessex), Vikings, and Franks slaughter defenseless people. As others have noted, it was what was done.

I've always loathed Aslaug, but her behavior towards poor little Siggy's death was the icing on the hate cake. And Ivar is another Joffrey Lannister. I like how Sigurd is quietly watching everything.

Ragnar and Lagertha together after her miscarriage brought a tear to my eye.

Wow, Rollo is so domesticated he wears a fancy nightshirt to bed!

I'm Glad Torvi realized she had the upper hand not Erlanger.

[nowornever]

Erlandur proved that he was too stupid to live.  You don't piss off your viking ex-wife, threaten her child, and then hand her a weapon.  Duh- pretty much EVERYONE knew what was going to happen, but no one really seemed to care that he was shot, either.  Torvi has seemed pretty bland up until this point (not the wild, lawless woman that Bjorn described post-coitus) but she had some serious confidence pointing that arrow into the crowd and firing it at Erlandur.  

 

The King Charles/Rolande liason caught me off guard.  And Rollo's not getting any, but my guess is that Gisla will give up and sleep with him before her sacred condition is over. 

 

Sigurd will have a lot to tell Daddy when they return.  And Bjorn, who might have been ready to be a family man now, will no longer have a daughter.  That poor child wasn't loved at all in her life.  I didn't even recognize her in the water, and for a moment was trying to figure out how Yidu floated all the way back to Kattegat.

 

Anxiously awaiting the big battle...

[Marianne]

In fairness to the Vikings, this was basically SOP for all armies at the time.  What historians call "foraging" was very much a rape, pillage, and burn kind of affair.

As I recall, this was also SOP a little later for the Crusaders on their way to, and in, the "Holy Land."

[BitterApple]

So did Siggy drown in the river? I couldn't tell if she died accidentally or if Norma Bates, oops, Aslaug, killed her and dumped her body. Speaking of Aslaug it's fabulous watching her fall apart.

Charles/Roland threw me for one hell of a loop. Regarding Rollo, I'm guessing he'll hook up with Therese.

The slaughter of the farm family was brutal. It makes me glad I wasn't alive back then.

The pilgrimage kind of bored me, but the actor who plays Alfred is adorable.

[Ohwell]

That poor child wasn't loved at all in her life.  I didn't even recognize her in the water, and for a moment was trying to figure out how Yidu floated all the way back to Kattegat.

 

At first I thought it was Yidu, too.  But yeah, poor little Siggy.  

[whoknowswho]

"Charles' bed partner as Roland coming at all".  Wait....WHAT?  I must have not heard this.  He said this?

I completely missed it too. I saw Therese leave Roland's bed, and I thought she went to the king's. Creepy as fuck that she sleeps with her brother. I sense close eyed kids and nasty STDs in her destiny.

[magdalene]

I doubt that the average raping and pillaging army/soldier would have done what these two sadists did to that family. 

[thuganomics85]

Ha, oh, Erelendur.  Talk about a deserving death.  Can't believe it didn't even occur to him that trying to make Torvi kill Bjorn would backfire on him in the worst way possible.  Especially after he kept threatening to kill their son, if she refused.  Farewell, you big dummy!  I loved how all the Vikings seemed a bit startled at first, but really were indifferent by the end.  It's like they knew it was only a matter of time.  If there is an afterlife for him, I'm sure even Horik will be greeting with a head shake and "You are an idiot, son!"

 

On the other hand, poor Siggy and Lagertha's baby.  Aslaug and Ivar's reaction to the former was disturbing as hell.  Aslaug really is turning into Cersei Lannister, and that is not a compliment.  Nor is Ivar becoming the next Joffrery, which is where he is heading at his rate.  Lagertha losing her baby was just sad, although I liked Ragnar and Bjorn being supportive; even when she asked them to leave, they just simply sat back, but still remained there for her.  Their whole relationship so messed up now, but I really like how their bond will never be broken on some levels.

 

Did not see Charles and Roland becoming a thing.  I wonder if Therese knows about this and cares that her brother gets the honor of sleeping in the Emperor's bed instead of her.  I kind of wonder if she's being set-up to try something with Rollo, since it seems like sex is off the table for him and Gisela, since she's now pregnant.

 

Ecbert is now the King of Everything now!  Loved Aelle's face throughout the entire ceremony.

 

Knew Harald and Halfdan were going to destroy that poor family.

 

Thought the Cardinal sounded familiar; that was John Kavanagh a.k.a. the Seer?!  Pretty cool of them.  And I'm sure he enjoyed the break from all the prosthetics.

 

Well, Ragnar looks like complete shit, but his plan work, so it looks like Ragnar vs. Rollo will be happening next week, hopefully.  That should be fun.  You've got Rollo, with all his pint-up sexual frustration.  Ragnar, who will no doubt take his last hit and be on drug power going in.  I'm sure blood will be spilt!

[jnymph]

Great casting for little Alfred, so cute & he looks like his dear departed Daddy. Aethlwulf has been getting the sympathetic edit hasn't he? So kind to little Alfie.:)

Other the other hand: what a dark episode.

The poor family slaughtered .... Gah! So brutal !

And poor lil Siggy!

Didn't see the Roland in bed with the Emporer coming. I didn't quite understand why though - was he just a fill in for Therse ? Where was she?

So the bath house makes an appearance in unseen footage next week. I feel cheated. I want it in SEEN footage.

Phooey : /

[Nukester]

I doubt that the average raping and pillaging army/soldier would have done what these two sadists did to that family.

Just look at how common a practice this was for the Vikings. The assumed rapes were brutal with blood running down the girls legs. It wasn't a pleasant scene by any means. Some here call it SOP but I think not. This type of violence normally is performed by a rogue squad of people. Condoned from above. To the Vikings this was absolutely standard practice. Even King eckbert claimed the kingdom without bloodshed.

It's sometimes disturbing to watch these shows, but as long as they give some "what comes around goes around" it's good. It is a tv show and good entertainment.

I'm enjoying the Wessex and pilgrimage storyline very well.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Nukester

[hincandenza]

I'm still completely puzzled by Erlander's entire plan, it was so profoundly stupid.  So his entire leverage is to threaten Torvi's child... who is all the way back in Kattegat.  Meanwhile, the ruler of Kattegat- Lagertha, who already killed Erlander's co-conspirator Kalf- is right there, as are Ragnar and Bjorn.  That's three very powerful people who wouldn't blink at dispatching Erlander for his repeated attempts to exact his half-brained revenge plot. I didn't understand Torvi's conflict either; why didn't Torvi just tell Bjorn ages ago about his attempt blackmail scheme?  "Yeah, that dude keeps threatening my kid, saying if I don't murder you that he'll hurt Guthrum".  They'd kill the little shit without breaking a sweat and be done with it.  No one is back in Kattegat to hurt her child, except a few dozen shieldmaidens who are sworn to Lagertha, and it's not like he can pull out his satellite phone and call in a hit while they're in Paris.

 

I haven't been spoiled, but I'm curious if/when they'll kill off Ragnar.  He's been falling apart for the whole season at the same time Bjorn has been getting a "Manhood Achievement Unlocked" storyline, and despite Ragnar's obsessive desire to kill Rollo, 

Rollo does have about a thousand freakin' years of plot armor

.  The show runners know that Travis Fimmel is a huge reason for people tuning in, but they also ultimately want to continue past his own story, into that of Bjorn and the others.  It seems like a surprise "Game of Thrones" style death in the midseason finale, when there will be more episodes in just a few months, would be the time to write Ragnar off while hopefully retaining audience interest in "Vikings: TNG".

[WatchrTina]

Well damn, that episode was all kinds of depressing.  The rape and pillaging of that family was depressing.  The profound indifference to little Siggy's death was depressing. Withdrawal-wracked, hallucinating, puking Ragnar was depressing.  Laegertha losing her baby was depressing. Creepy Frankish King was depressing.  Rollo not getting any was depressing.

 

The only thing that saved this episode was Torvi going bad-ass and finally taking out her asshole ex-husband, Bjorn & Ragnar rushing to Laegertha's side, and both of them, without discussion, quietly refusing to leave her alone when she orders them out of her tent.  I just LOVED that quiet moment.  I miss that family unit.

 

Poor little Siggy.  Auslaug needs to die in a fire.

[formerlyfreedom]

Just a reminder, there are a number of other threads in the forum to discuss actual history, the show's story lines, and totally real spoilers. Please be careful about posting in here beyond the actual episode. Thanks!

[LittleIggy]

Just look at how common a practice this was for the Vikings. The assumed rapes were brutal with blood running down the girls legs. It wasn't a pleasant scene by any means. Some here call it SOP but I think not. This type of violence normally is performed by a rogue squad of people. Condoned from above. To the Vikings this was absolutely standard practice. Even King eckbert claimed the kingdom without bloodshed.

Um, King Ecbert had every Viking man, woman and child who were left in Wessex to peaceably farm the land slaughtered. Don't be giving him any medals for civility.

[Ravenya003]

Another visit from Harbard, another dead Siggy left in his wake. Ragnar ain't gonna be pleased with Aslaug when he gets back.

 

And for some reason, Floki is still having visions of her. I have to admit, this stumps me, mainly because there's never been much interaction between Floki/Aslaug before. 

 

My gaydar must be rusty, because I did NOT expect the bed reveal between the Emperor and Roland. That said, I can't figure out the relationship between Theresa and Roland: they're publicly known as siblings, but we've also seen them in bed together. So is it incest or are they just pretending to be brother/sister?

 

Laughed my head off at that final shot of Torvi, having ditched the dressed, put war-paint around her eyes, and taken her husband's bow for herself. Nothing like a little murder to upgrade yourself to badass. 

 

Dang it, this episode actually made me like Aethelwulf. He seemed so proud of his not-son.

 

Looking forward to the deaths of the Tattoo Brothers, though I get the feeling we'll be stuck with them for a while.