S04.E17: The Great Army

[formerlyfreedom]

The Viking army begins to gather in Kattegat; Lagertha must remain vigilant in the absence of her son, Bjorn.

 

[Babalooie]

Just posted a sweet scene from this episode on the Speculation With Spoilers    page.

[Primetimer]

And more questions sparked by 'The Great Army'!

View the full article

[LittleIggy]

Bjorn and Astrid? WTF? 

Who is the guy with the messed up face supposed to be? Harald and his brother look dirty all the time with those tats on their faces.

Princess Froggy called Rollo a "son of a whore" among other things. Begs the question, if she was cursing him in French what language was she speaking to him and the servants before that? 

Lagertha is still a badass!

[wlk68]

What the fuck was that between Bjorn and Astrid? Seriously.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

Bjorn and Torvi have always been good. Where is this coming from?

Edited January 12, 2017 by wlk68

[magdalene]

Astrid is still not dead. And now she has polluted Bjorn.

Edited January 12, 2017 by magdalene

[peridot]

I guess Vikings don't have a problem sharing!  Hvitserk still expects to have Marguerite after her marriage to his brother, and Bjorn feels free to sleep with his mom's girlfriend.  I was half expecting to find Ubbe in Lagertha's bed.

I laughed at Ivar's expression on seeing Floki's new houseguest.  Bjorn's smart, he's keeping an eye on the known dissenters Floki and Ivar.

[benteen]

I'm not exactly sure what they're trying to get out of a Bjorn and Astrid relationship.  Astrid has been a mistake as a character from day one.  But it was clear they had an attraction to each other based on their body language when they see each other in episode 2, especially on Bjorn's part.

I very much enjoyed the episode again.  The Ivar/Floki scenes were great, with Ivar also getting his "legs."  Helga has really gone off into crazy cat lady territory.  Ecbert and Alfred had a fun scene together.  Rollo really has some balls to offer the Vikings land...we know what he did to the last Vikings that settled on his land.  I think Lagertha has a thing for Ubbe.  I enjoyed the confrontation with Lagertha.

Why does Ivar have a pompadour haircut now?

[Babalooie]

Two things that stood out to me:

1.  Can't help but love the scenes between Floki and Ivar.  He's always been a sort of father figure.

2.  Bjorn really doesn't care much for his kids, does he?  Remember little Siggy?  Compared to Rollo's reunion with his son, , he sure wasn't overjoyed seeing them when he returned.

Also, regarding Ivar's hair, just prior to joining Vikings he played a soldier with very short hair.  They've been waiting for it to grow out.  The bowl cut was to make him look young.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Babalooie

[Straycat80]

Torvi and Bjorn are not married ? Bjorn and Astrid? WTF?

Lagertha lives to see another episode. Thank the gods! Did no one see Bjorn and that large fleet of ships coming back? 

Overall another good episode. 

[FlowerofCarnage]

So did Bjorn know about Lagertha's plan all along. I didn't quite catch what he said to Lagertha but it sounded like he said "So you have your revenge" and then Lagertha smirked. 

I hated how Bjorn saved the day just in time...so cliché. I was hoping that Lagertha had already knew what was going to happen and was in cahoots with the men Ubbe summoned. That would have been awesome and to see the look on Ivar and Ubbe's faces would have been priceless. Loved that she was ready to take them on.

Interesting that 2 of Auslaug's sons could give a shit that she is dead and Ubbe was on the fence about revenge until Lagertha declined to go to England. 

Bjorn and Astrid...really? Or maybe he is being protective of his mother by showing that her lover  will so easily hop into bed with anyone who is powerful. But then again, what is with his sudden annoyance with Torvi and you mean after all of this time and two kids later, they aren't married.

[Silverglitter]

Ivar really does something for me with that longer hair. Mmmmm

Heh, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought Lagertha was low key (very low key mind ya) almost hitting on Ubbe. I'd be on board. It'd get him away from monotone blondie at least. 

Why Bjorn and Astrid? Just why? They had to destroy Bjorn/Torvi, and make Torvi all weird and whiny all of a sudden just to toss more Astrid at us? Ugh.

Looks like the brothers are gonna be divided on Lagertha. Sigurd and Hvitserk vs. Ivar and Ubbe. I'd put my money on the latter.

[green]

34 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

3.  Regarding Ivar's hair, just prior to joining Vikings he played a soldier with very short hair.  They've been waiting for it to grow out.  The bowl cut was to make him look young.

I really think he looked cooler with the hair combed forward.  Far far more menacing and even more historic looking.  Hate the pompadour look.  It is too 1950's.  Is this Ivar or Elvis now?

What is the name of the guy who is the sneaky rat that H&H have taken aboard?  (H&H = Harald & Halfdan).  I don't know if he is a Viking or a Moor even.  Someone the Bastard, the (bastard) son of some earl. 

Well obviously he should be a Viking of course but it was right after the raid on the Moorish town that he popped up so it was confusing.  Also he was neatly shaved (hard to do on one side of his face too) and his hair wasn't like some patchwork quilt of ragged straw and tattoos so he seems really weird for a Viking.

Another "who was".  Who was the Viking guy who came from a far distance and offered Lagertha the fancy sword?

Way to make Bjorn make no sense all of a sudden.  He won't find a better woman than Torvi and he won't find a worse one than Astrid.

The Muslim girl got the correct vibe off of Ivar.  Hope she can stay far away from him but it seemed a little like foreshadowing alas.

Loved the scene with Ecbert teaching Alfred how to be a king.  Maybe the best scene of the episode.

Edited January 12, 2017 by green

[Babalooie]

The new guy is Egil.   http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6829672/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t20

[bluvelvet]

Hands down favorite part of the episode was Lagertha showing she is still a badass. The way she walked over to Ubbe and Ivan, sword drawn ready to do battle and not even flinching.  

Yeah Bjorn and Astrid are kinda wierd and I am surprised he would do that to this mother. Especially after he had that awesome scene where he told Ubbe and Ivar the consequences of killing Lagertha. It was also obvious he is the leader of that sons of Ragnar. 

Also loved how Hvitserk was like "yeah and we almost drowned because of her"...so not really angry...

[LisaMarie]

I do not think Lagertha was flirting with Ubbe when she said he reminded her of a young Ragnar when she knew him, I believe she was subtly reminding Ubbe that she was married to Ragnar first, before his mother stole him away. She also dropped that hint during the fortifications building when she stated she remembers Kattegat as a few small huts. She is reminding him that she was Queen first, long before Aslaug, hence she had reason for revenge on the woman who stole her husband and usurped her throne. I also think that both Ivar and Ubbe would be dead if Bjorn had not showed up. You could see her sizing up Ubbe's position out of her peripheral while she advanced on Ivar. The boys may be skilled, but they have yet to see battle. Lagertha has seen many a battle and is very seasoned. As for Bjorn, what's his deal? I like Torvi, she's loyal, fearless, and she's got brains. Seriously, he falls for Astrid? Wtf? Torvi was a Queen and is a way better catch than Astrid. I hope Torvi finds someone that will treat her right one day, she's certainly had too many jerks to last a lifetime. My take on which of Ragnar's sons will kill Lagertha is Magnus (Queen Crazy-Pants Kwentrieth's kid) I actually think he is the son of Ragnar but Ragnar denied him being his son, knowing that Ecbert would set him free, seeing no further use for the boy. Very clever of Ragnar actually. Magnus will probably meet Lagertha in battle one day, and prove the Seer right once again, but hopefully that will be a way long off into the future. 

[magdalene]

Producer's pet Lagertha saved rather conveniently by Deux Ex Machina Bjorn. 

The guy who plays Ubbe is growing on me, obviously the character he plays isn't flashy like Ivar, but he has.....something, and it isn't just that of all the sons he looks a lot like young Ragnar.

I had to laugh at Floki grumbling and spitting about Rollo's fame, future or otherwise, while Rollo was holding his little son William Longsword. You don't know the half of it, Floki...

Speaking of Floki, his scene with Ivar was lovely, their giddy delight in each other, and that was a great gift Floki gave Ivar.

I am liking Judith these days. She is trying to be more than decoration for the men in her life. I like her earnest belief in the power of reading. And like her husband Aethelwulf last week she is more astute about the threat the Vikings represent than the powerful rulers in her orbit. Plus, she showed respect for the place of Ragnar's death.

Ecbert is schooling Alfred in the art of being king, playing the dodderer one minute and really crazy as a fox.

I can't stand the two Vikings who are always the most brutal during the raids, Halfdan and Finehair. Not only are they sadistic, they come across as very sneaky. 

[BitterApple]

I feel like this episode was one big wtf? moment for me. Bjorn and Astrid?! Why, Hirst, why? This is the love affair that literally no one was begging to see. I'm guessing that means slave girl is out, but Bjorn is definitely taking on a lot of Ragnar's dickish traits. Actually, I take that back because Ragnar was at least fond of his first set of kids, plus Ivar. 

I loved Lagertha's "bring it, bitches" demeanor when Ubbe and Ivar challenged her at the party. She totally would've kicked both their asses even if Bjorn hadn't showed up. And that Girl Squad needs better training, they got overtaken way too easily for the Vikings equivalent of the Secret Service.

Princess Mushmouth continues to grate. Somebody please poison her escargot and put us out of our misery. Oddly enough I didn't mind Judith in this episode. 

I'm not understanding who Finehair's new crony is. He's the son of an Earl, but he looked more Spanish than Scandinavian.

Not a bad episode, but a strange one indeed.

[DHDancer]

I loved the Gisla/Rollo reunion!  She just loves that man with a passion (ah, so do I Gisla, so do I).  I roared when she punched him in the nose!  I presume the language of the formal court is Latin, and so the use of French for the personal interaction was for contrast.

All the Vikings are starting to merge together for me.  Apart from our original characters, I'm losing my way with the others.  No matter, the gist is still there and still enjoyable.

[Ravenya003]

This was a good transitional episodes, with all the pieces being set up for the final three episodes. Lots of good character beats - though a few inexplicable ones as well. The Alfred/Ecbert and Floki/Ivar scenes were gold, as were most of the scenes between the brothers that explore their dynamic. 

The brothers aren't quite on the same page yet, with Ubbe trying to get everyone organized, Ivar bent on revenge and Sigurd completely indifferent to his brother's death. I was disappointed that the threat they posed to Lagertha was resolved with Bjorn's timely arrival - it gives the impression that she's in way over her head without any sort of plan whatsoever. At this point, it would have been a wiser option to let Aslaug live, leaving her sons to avenge Ragnar instead of being torn between their two parents.

I wonder if Harbard is ever going to show up again. They keep name-dropping him, and Hvitserk even mentioned going out on the ice because of Aslaug's affair with him. I hope he does return, if not just so we can get a greater understanding of who he is and what he's capable of. I always found the mystery of him interesting, right from Siggy/Helga/Aslaug's shared dream about his arrival. 

Some pretty messy writing with Bjorn suddenly being short-tempered with Torvi for no particular reason other than to push him towards Astrid. It didn't come completely out of the blue since the two were exchanging significant glances a few episodes back, but perhaps there's more to it than just an affair. If Lagertha knows about it, maybe she's pushing Astrid toward her son in an attempt to keep tabs on him. If not, Lagertha once again looks unprepared and undermined. 

Loved Rollo and Gisla's reunion - I knew it would play out like that, as did Rollo. Also, Helga's little "goodbye Rollo". You could tell he was touched by that. 

Judith had a good episode, but isn't she meant to have two sons? One with Athelwulf and one with Athelstan? What happened to the elder, or did I just imagine him? And I know this is old news, but I really wish Hirst hadn't written a Judith/Ecbert love affair. It seems so unnecessary. 

[The Kings Foot]

More Season 4 weirdness. "Significant looks Moorish harem girl" disappears and not Bjorn and Astrid are having an affair ?  And Floki's back to being hardcore Viking.  Im getting the feeling the plot was rewritten but they didnt have time to reshoot certain scenes.

I was expecting when Bjorn stormed off we would find him going to the harem girl and we would find something more than sex was going on the journey back to Kattegut. THAT would make sense.

5 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I feel like this episode was one big wtf? moment for me. Bjorn and Astrid?! Why, Hirst, why? This is the love affair that literally no one was begging to see. I'm guessing that means slave girl is out, but Bjorn is definitely taking on a lot of Ragnar's dickish traits. Actually, I take that back because Ragnar was at least fond of his first set of kids, plus Ivar. 

I loved Lagertha's "bring it, bitches" demeanor when Ubbe and Ivar challenged her at the party. She totally would've kicked both their asses even if Bjorn hadn't showed up. And that Girl Squad needs better training, they got overtaken way too easily for the Vikings equivalent of the Secret Service.

Princess Mushmouth continues to grate. Somebody please poison her escargot and put us out of our misery. Oddly enough I didn't mind Judith in this episode. 

I'm not understanding who Finehair's new crony is. He's the son of an Earl, but he looked more Spanish than Scandinavian.

Not a bad episode, but a strange one indeed.

Agreed . The pairing noone was asking for. Here's how extreme that is--- We'd  prefer Bjorn and Lagertha or Floki and Ivar over Astrid.   Seriously why are they trying to make her happen.  At least her hair seemed to be a little better now.

Edited January 12, 2017 by The Kings Foot

[Haleth]

I missed the first 20 mins so I'll have to go back and watch today.  I did come in just in time to see Gisela punch Rollo in the nose.  It was so unexpected I burst out laughing. 

Even though it was pretty obvious Bjorn would arrive at that precise moment the tension leading up to it with Lagertha slowly approaching Ivar and Ubbe with a sword was palpable.  Hard to say how that would have turned out, but thankfully no blood was shed.  I did notice that Sigurd had a knife to his throat along with Lagertha's people, so Ubbe and Ivar think he's Team Lagertha.  

Best thing all those boys can do is go on a bonding trip, which puts me in mind of this:

6 hours ago, LisaMarie said:

As for Bjorn, what's his deal? I like Torvi, she's loyal, fearless, and she's got brains. Seriously, he falls for Astrid? Wtf? Torvi was a Queen and is a way better catch than Astrid. I hope Torvi finds someone that will treat her right one day, she's certainly had too many jerks to last a lifetime.

Replace Bjorn with Ragnar, Torvi with Lagertha, and Astrid with Aslaug.  Same old story.

[benteen]

Bjorn is as terrible a husband as he is a father.  At least Ragnar loved his children though he wasn't father of the year himself.

[ghoulina]

Bjorn and Astrid was just wrong on so many levels. I know she had a new hairdo, but damn. She has kissed (and more) your mother! She is good friends with your "companion". And your "companion" is freaking awesome and sitting there back at home with all the kids, feeling like shit because you yelled at her for having justifiable concerns. WTF Bjorn????

I also thought Lagertha had the hots for Ubbe. This show is getting a bit too incestuous. 

Am I the only one who feels like they're really propelling things forward? I figured they'd spend more time in the Med. We're ALREADY ready to head back to England? 

Also, it's The Great HEATHEN Army. 

I was sad to see Rollo have to go back home, and the send off he got was deserving....but still sad. If it weren't for those kids, I'd tell him to hightail it out of there. Fucking Gisling SUCKS. 

Helga is still insane and I'm kind of pissed at the writers for giving her this storyline, because she's always been my favorite female character. And while I've hated Loki since Athlestan, I do enjoy his relationship with Ivar. 

LOVED the scene with Ecbert and young Alfred. It's fun seeing little slices of the lessons that will turn him into the great leader he becomes. 

Although they're the more "boring" of the brothers, I'm with Sigurd and Hvitserk - I will never forget Auslag for that moment when they almost drowned. I also love the sibling rivalry over the knife. We have 2 boys close in age and my husband and I both looked at each other in that moment and laughed. Brothers never change!

 

22 hours ago, magdalene said:

he guy who plays Ubbe is growing on me, obviously the character he plays isn't flashy like Ivar, but he has.....something, and it isn't just that of all the sons he looks a lot like young Ragnar.

It's crazy to me how much he looks like him, more and more each episode. He does something with his eye that reminds me of the expressions Ragnar would make. Casting hit it out of the park with that one. 

 

22 hours ago, magdalene said:

I am liking Judith these days. She is trying to be more than decoration for the men in her life. I like her earnest belief in the power of reading. And like her husband Aethelwulf last week she is more astute about the threat the Vikings represent than the powerful rulers in her orbit. Plus, she showed respect for the place of Ragnar's death.

I've never had a problem with Judith, but I really liked the way she handled her family this episode. Life could really suck for noblewomen back then. Forced into marriages, used as pawns and property. I'm glad she's found some way to be happy in her situation. And she really did not have to go and try and properly warn AElla, but she did. 

[ChromaKelly]

Count me in as another who was WTF about Bjorn being a dick for no reason to Torvi and the kids. It felt very manufactured. I thought it was so he would be ripe for an affair with the harem girl. Didn't see him running to Astrid. Yuck! 
Sigrid is growing on me. He's not just Mullet Son anymore. Ivar is looking HOT but the Elvis hair is weird. All I keep thinking is he must have amazing upper body strength.
 

[AzureOwl]

I'll confess to being a little disappointing that we didn't see more of Bjorn's trip to the Mediterranean. I was hoping they'd show Sicily at least. 

11 hours ago, FlowerofCarnage said:

So did Bjorn know about Lagertha's plan all along. I didn't quite catch what he said to Lagertha but it sounded like he said "So you have your revenge" and then Lagertha smirked. 

It sounded to me like he suspected she would pull something like this but had been hoping she wouldn't.

Quote

Interesting that 2 of Auslaug's sons could give a shit that she is dead and Ubbe was on the fence about revenge until Lagertha declined to go to England.

10 hours ago, bluvelvet said:

Also loved how Hvitserk was like "yeah and we almost drowned because of her"...so not really angry...

11 hours ago, Silverglitter said:

Looks like the brothers are gonna be divided on Lagertha. Sigurd and Hvitserk vs. Ivar and Ubbe. I'd put my money on the latter.

Yeah, the only one of her children that had any sort of close relationship with their mother was Ivar. She never demonstrated any sort of warmth toward the others.

Even Ubbe, after the initial emotional outburst, seems to only be in the revenge bandwagon out of filial obligation. 

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

I did notice that Sigurd had a knife to his throat along with Lagertha's people, so Ubbe and Ivar think he's Team Lagertha.  

Sigurd has always hated his mother. Truly loathed her guts. If she hadn't received a viking funeral I'd bet he would pissing on her grave on the regular. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by AzureOwl

[Ohwell]

What I hope is that Bjorn is setting Astrid up because he doesn't trust her.  

I guess the harem girl that he was looking at was sold off into slavery?

Question:  Is Aethelwulf aware that Judith is sleeping with his father?  I don't remember.

[ghoulina]

3 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

What I hope is that Bjorn is setting Astrid up because he doesn't trust her.  

Ooooh, I hadn't considered that. But yes, please. That's the only way I can reconcile what he did. 

 

3 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Question:  Is Aethelwulf aware that Judith is sleeping with his father?  I don't remember.

I'm fairly certain he knows. Judith kind of rubbed it in his face last episode. I mean, if AElla and her mother know, I don't see how Aethelwulf could not. 

[Ohwell]

2 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

I'm fairly certain he knows. Judith kind of rubbed it in his face last episode. I mean, if AElla and her mother know, I don't see how Aethelwulf could not. 

Thanks.  I figured he should know, but I just couldn't believe he'd be ok with it.  

[benteen]

Quote

Helga is still insane and I'm kind of pissed at the writers for giving her this storyline, because she's always been my favorite female character. And while I've hated Loki since Athlestan, I do enjoy his relationship with Ivar. 

Floki's looks to Ivar when he realized that Helga had brought home a "new daughter" were also great.  Like I said, Helga has gone into crazy cat lady territory but I did like that she was the only one to say good-bye to Rollo.  Floki probably hated that more than she did the kid.

Interesting how the old generation is going through various midlife crisis.  Rollo, Floki, Helga, Lagertha...even throw Bjorn into it.

I've often called King Aelle "Not Robert Baratheon" because of how much the actor looks like the character of King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones.  Robert was a drunken asshole and Aelle is a pious asshole.

Edited January 12, 2017 by benteen

[ghoulina]

7 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Thanks.  I figured he should know, but I just couldn't believe he'd be ok with it.

I don't think he's okay with it. I do think he's incredibly scared (maybe scared isn't the right word?) by his father. If it was anyone but Ecbert, I'm sure he wouldn't take it so well. 

 

3 minutes ago, benteen said:

I've often called King Aelle "Not Robert Baratheon" because of how much the actor looks like the character of King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones.  Robert was a drunken asshole and Aelle is a pious asshole.

Oh my gosh, now I can't unsee it. Perfect comparison. 

[attica]

12 hours ago, benteen said:

Why does Ivar have a pompadour haircut now?

Well, shoot: you need a bitchin' new 'do when your uncle turns over the keys to that sweet vintage Trans Am! Gotta be styling when you're cruising the boulevards! Seriously, all they needed was a Bob Seger song on the soundtrack.

 

8 hours ago, magdalene said:

Producer's pet Lagertha

You say this like it's a bad thing! Nuh-uh!

[Lady Iris]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

It's crazy to me how much he looks like him, more and more each episode. He does something with his eye that reminds me of the expressions Ragnar would make. Casting hit it out of the park with that one. 

Big time! Last night Ubbe totally gave us the Ragnar/TF eyeball look.

 

Not really liking this Bjorn. Its like he turned into a jerk overnight. When he stormed out on Torvi and the kids, I was hoping he'd at least be nicer to the kids. Ragnar and Lagertha were very loving parents.

 

Loved the scenes with Floki and Ivar. Not sure how that chariot is gonna work in battle for Ivar but its better than nothing.

[AzureOwl]

12 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

And more questions sparked by 'The Great Army'!

View the full article

About this bit...

Quote

How does the gossip about Judith and Ecbert cross kingdoms when the closest thing these people have to social media is some guy on a horse?

You have to remember that the affair has been going on for well over a decade. More than enough time for the gossip to reach Northumbria. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by AzureOwl

[ghoulina]

20 minutes ago, Lady Iris said:

Loved the scenes with Floki and Ivar. Not sure how that chariot is gonna work in battle for Ivar but its better than nothing.

The chariot thing was pretty cool and really unheard of in that part of the world. Not the right terrain for it. But Ivar never looked so happy. 

[LilWharveyGal]

1 hour ago, benteen said:

I've often called King Aelle "Not Robert Baratheon" because of how much the actor looks like the character of King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones.  Robert was a drunken asshole and Aelle is a pious asshole.

Heh, I mentally refer to Aelle as King John Rhys Davies, but that's pretty good.  I thought of the new guy as Earl Greyscale, so GoT is still represented.

[patty1h]

We are all waiting for one of Ragnar's sons with Aslaug to kill Lagetha, but it would be a mindfuck twist for Bjorn to fulfill the Seer's prophecy.  I was sure that Bjorn was going to kill his mother when he showed up when Ragnar's sons were making a move in the Great Hall.  He approached her with this really intent look, which put this scenario in my head:  he would kill her because felt it would be an honor to send her Valhalla himself instead of being murdered. I still think it may happen - he may even kill his mother by accident, as another twist.

Edited January 12, 2017 by patty1h

[PatsyandEddie]

7 hours ago, ghoulina said:

The chariot thing was pretty cool and really unheard of in that part of the world. Not the right terrain for it. But Ivar never looked so happy. 

One of the boys ( Hvitserk ? ) used to pull little Ivar around in a wagon when they were playing so perhaps this is where Floki got the idea. Floki  would have also have had exposure to the Roman art at Ecbert's palace where there may have been paintings of their chariots. I love the idea of Ivar using a chariot in battle. He's going to be a dangerously crazy mofo. 

I didn't see anything but pride between Björn and his mother when he quietly mentioned her revenge. They are extremely close and he would simply know that his mother would bide her time until it was perfect. 

As for ASStrid and Björn. I have no words. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by PatsyandEddie
Typo

[nowornever]

This one left me questioning everyone's motivations.  

Is Lagertha really interested in protecting Kattegat over going on a grudge raid?  Why did she go back to Hedeby?  Has Ivar really resigned himself to waiting for revenge on her?  Ubbe was all over the map with his plans- let's wait to kill her, no, let's do it now.  We have friends who are willing to help stage an assassination, but no, never mind, someone needs to watch Kattegat.

I, too, have been wondering what happened to Judith and Aethelwolf's child.  What was his name?  He, Alfred and Magnus are probably close in age, so should have been interacting for for all those years.  He would have the bloodline, yet Ecbert seems to be preparing Alfred to be king.  What is he playing at, being so nonchalant about Ragnar's sons coming for them?  

Judith was fascinating this episode.  I was surprised that she went to see her family and warn them, but maybe she's trying to secure a safe place for herself when the inevitable attack happens.  

I'm also hoping that Bjorn's attraction to Astrid/ desertion of Torvi ends up being part of a long con, but I can't see how.  That was weird.  Lagertha and Ubbe seemed a little weird too, but maybe she was just trying to flatter him.  

Huh.

[Paradigm14]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

  RE: Judith and Athelstan: Thanks.  I figured he should know, but I just couldn't believe he'd be ok with it.  

That's how Judith lost her ear and was going to lose her other ear and nose, for betraying her husband. Those English folks are pretty nuts about the adultery thing.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Paradigm14

[AzureOwl]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Thanks.  I figured he should know, but I just couldn't believe he'd be ok with it.  

What's he going to do about it? Denounce his father as an adulterer? Stage a coup?

When the guy banging your wife is the king, your options are kind of limited. And that goes double when said king is also your father, because regicide becomes even less of an option. 

[Silverglitter]

15 minutes ago, AzureOwl said:

What's he going to do about it? Denounce his father as an adulterer? Stage a coup?

When the guy banging your wife is the king, your options are kind of limited. And that goes double when said king is also your father, because regicide becomes even less of an option. 

Yeah, Aethewulf is basically in a no win situation there.

And yes, Aethelred is older than Alfred. But, who cares about him? He's not precious Athelstan's son. The show might've Chuck Cunninghamed him though at this point. Might as well. He's Aethelwulf's which means he's worthless by the show's standards.

Quote

I thought it was so he would be ripe for an affair with the harem girl.

I know, right? Given that prolonged eye contact, I thought they were setting her up to be Bjorn's new woman.

Bjorn's whole Mediterranean trip just seems like it got gutted almost immediately after conception though. It's like, what was even the point considering how very little we got.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Silverglitter

[EighteenTwelve]

I thought they would take a third (or is it fourth?  I lost count of how many factions Ragnar's sons are) option and Lagertha would go to England and somehow get killed by Magnus. 

[BitterApple]

18 minutes ago, Silverglitter said:

 

Bjorn's whole Mediterranean trip just seems like it got gutted almost immediately after conception though. It's like, what was even the point considering how very little we got.

That's my feeling as well. Why even bother if they're not going do it right? Floki was on the verge of buying a Koran and a prayer rug, and now he's back to being full throttle Viking. The Club Med trip was a complete waste of time and it feels like Hirst just ticked off the box so the history purists wouldn't get angry if it wasn't covered. I guess Helga got a new pet out of it, but that's a storyline nobody cares about.

I wish the sons of Ragnar 2.0 would get their shit together and make up their minds. What's it gonna be, avenge Mom or avenge Dad? They weren't really close to either parent (with the exception of Ivar) so flip a coin and be done with it.

[Avalanche]

While I enjoyed seeing Floki's gift of the chariot to Ivar, I'm a bit confused as to why nobody has ever thought to put him on a horse (à la Bran Stark) as opposed to the horsedrawn chariot.  Horseback would give him more freedom to navigate in wooded areas as well as other terrain.

[ennui]

4 hours ago, attica said:

 

16 hours ago, benteen said:

Why does Ivar have a pompadour haircut now?

Well, shoot: you need a bitchin' new 'do

 

 

6 hours ago, ghoulina said:

Bjorn and Astrid was just wrong on so many levels. I know she had a new hairdo, but damn.

And I was distracted by that elaborate crown of hair on Lagertha (yes, wig, I know). I guess in those long northern nights there's not much else to do besides play with each other's hair. Just one big slumber party. 

I don't think Ubbe is naturally ruthless. He will need to develop that in order to survive.

[green]

6 hours ago, ghoulina said:

Also, it's The Great HEATHEN Army. 

I think it is a "great army" to the Vikings.  It is the Saxons that added the "heathen" bit to it.  I'm sure we will hear that phrase from them once the Vikings land in England.

5 hours ago, AzureOwl said:

I'll confess to being a little disappointing that we didn't see more of Bjorn's trip to the Mediterranean. I was hoping they'd show Sicily at least. 

Don't worry. 

Spoiler

Bjorn made 3 trips to the Med.  This was just the smallest and earliest one.  He needed to be back, like in real history, to be part of the revenge on King Aelle.  The two other trips were a number of years later and clumped somewhat together and they were the really big deal trips.  I'm sure they will show up either next season, or given the England storyline may well take a lot of time, the season after.

5 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Question:  Is Aethelwulf aware that Judith is sleeping with his father?  I don't remember.

Yes and she was aware he was sleeping with Queen Crazypants.

1 hour ago, nowornever said:

I, too, have been wondering what happened to Judith and Aethelwolf's child.  What was his name? 

Aethelred.  Aethel-whatevers was a popular name in the day, hah.  Also

Spoiler

there are pictures on the "Speculation with Spoilers" thread of Aethelred and Alfred together in battle dress so he will appear in Season 5 at least.

 

1 hour ago, Silverglitter said:

Bjorn's whole Mediterranean trip just seems like it got gutted almost immediately after conception though. It's like, what was even the point considering how very little we got.

Again

Spoiler

Hirst didn't gut it.  He is following history and Bjorn will indeed return with an even bigger fleet to the Med later in time.  Think of this trip as the mere overture to the whole major Med storyline.  Also a way to cross edit in other stuff to have two storylines going at once like a lot of shows like to do.  Also a way to keep Rollo in the show even if that was a completely fictional way.  But a good way to cushion the loss of Ragnar to keep Rollo around doing something as well as Floki.

I do think that it would have been better if there was a brief scene where Bjorn tells the group they need to return to revenge Ragnar but clearly vows that one day he will return to his "destiny" in the Med.

Wow this post you need a secret decoder ring for it looks like, hah.

Edited January 12, 2017 by green

[ghoulina]

17 minutes ago, green said:

I think it is a "great army" to the Vikings.  It is the Saxons that added the "heathen" bit to it.  I'm sure we will hear that phrase from them once the Vikings land in England.

You are correct. Fair point. I'm just so used to calling it that. 

 

18 minutes ago, green said:

Wow this post you need a secret decoder ring for it looks like, hah.

As long as it doesn't tell me to be sure to drink my Ovaltine. 

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, Paradigm14 said:

5 hours ago, Ohwell said:

  RE: Judith and Athelstan: Thanks.  I figured he should know, but I just couldn't believe he'd be ok with it.  

That's how Judith lost her ear and was going to lose her other ear and nose, for betraying her husband. Those English folks are pretty nuts about the adultery thing.

I believe you added the "RE: Judith and Athelstan" part, but I was referring to Judith and Ecbert.

Anyway, I realize his options are limited, but he just looks so.....ok with it.  I guess he's gotten used to his father banging his wife.  

[The Kings Foot]

This show has had some missed opportunities.  Like Aethelwulf and Kwentrith being thier own conspiracy. That was one diversion from history that the fan base seemed to love.