Floki: Viking Mad Dog Murdock

[David T. Cole]

Norse gods bless him, that skinny weirdo.

[lawless]

In random trivia, did y'all know that Gustav Skarsgard, the actor who plays Floki, is one of the many Swedish Skarsgard brothers, who include Alexander Skarsgard, the tall, lean dude who plays Eric Northman on True Blood? 

Incidentally, from what I've seen on the two shows, Floki may actually kill more humans in a given year than Vampire Eric. 

[Babalooie]

First-time poster here.  Just read something interesting in TV Guide magazine.   Gustaf Skarsgard (Floki) is dating Maud Hirst (Helga) in real life.  It was interesting to find out that she is the daughter of Vikings creator, Michael Hirst.  Gustaf has moved  from Stockholm to LA, where his brother Alexander is based.  To me, Floki and Athelstan are the most compelling characters.

[lawless]

I did not know this, thank you!  Also, wow, universe of difference between LA and Stockholm.  Hope he doesn't mind all the sun.

[Orphan Cat]

Does anyone feel a sense of foreboding about Floki and Helga's impending nuptials? (Flolga? Helki?) I get a strong "plot device" vibe...I like Helga and don't want to see her die but I feel it might happen to move things along for Floki. Give him something to focus on.

[David T. Cole]

"We're gonna need a smaller boat."

[GreyBunny]

Ah, thank you for the thread title!  I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out who Floki reminds me of but couldn't quite put my finger on it.  It's definitely Mad Dog Murdock.

[Zalyn]

Awesome heading choice.  Murdock was my favorite character on The A-Team when I was wee, and it totally works!  Floki has a great balance of religious zealotry, being just a bit "off", but also having a clear moral compass. 

And anyone who can do such an awesome line reading of "No." ("Unforgiven") deserves even more adulation.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Zalyn

[Babalooie]

Beating a dead horse here.  The majority of comments on various sites lean toward Floki working with Ragnar to spy on Horick.  If that is true, he's DEEP undercover.

[PatsyandEddie]

So deep that even he doesn't realize it. 

[green]

Beating a dead horse here.  The majority of comments on various sites lean toward Floki working with Ragnar to spy on Horick.  If that is true, he's DEEP undercover.

 

Then in all due respect I think the majority of these other boards are wrong.  Floki has been drifting further and further away from Ragner even in Season 1.  Tons of foreshadowing.  Deeply upset over Rollo even getting "fake" baptized.  Extremely upset at and hating Athelstan (and hoping aloud he was dead when Horik arrived back right after Borg was captured) for both his personal friendship with Ragnar that pretty much pushed aside Floki's place as closest confident and friend in Ragnar's affection.  And especially of course in Athelstan's Christianity which threatens Floki's entire ground of being. 

 

He may well not be able to go through with a final betrayal but not because he and Ragnar are working together.  I mean he even jumped ship and came ashore separate from the rest when Ragnar came back to take care of Jarl Borg.  He was met by Helga on the coastline and told her flat out the gods were deeply displeased with them mentioning the ships that had sunk in the storm.  Then he tells Helga he doesn't want Ragnar at this wedding.  None of this was done in front of Horik to put on some deceptive show.  Most was done before Horik even came into the picture.

 

Now in the latest episode (Ep 9) Ragnar even called out his trustworthiness while the inner group of the Viking party were riding to Ecbert's to begin negotiations.  Floki got visibly upset and emotionally proclaimed he was the most trustworthy of men.  Ragnar shot Horik and glance then back to Floki.  His look at Floki was like a dagger plunging in.

 

I honestly don't see how some unbalanced person who flat-out told Siggy he couldn't keep a secret in that delightful reading of the line "No" could possibly be keeping super deep secrets and working with Ragnar on some master plan.  It does not compute for me.

 

I can see that Horik has lead the Floki horse to water but whether that Floki horse drinks or shies away ... well  I guess we will see Thursday.  Floki may well flip over to Ragnar at the last moment, that is entirely possible I grant you.  But I don't see it as some super secret plot that was planned all along.  More out of past loyalty, history and friendship if it happens.  But even then moving forward he is still estranged from the path Ragnar has chosen to walk.  His world he lives in is not Ragnar's envisioned world and it never will be again.

Edited April 27, 2014 by green

[heyerchick]

Given that the title of the next episode is "The Lord's Prayer" and there are photos that

show Athelstan seemingly praying with Ragnar,I'm expecting Floki to go batshit crazy.

Because I adore Athelstan, and because of the wider theme of the clash of old/new cultures/faiths as well as the questioning of Athelstan/Ragnar/Ecbert respectively this season, I worry that he's going to be specifically targetted by Floki.

Edited April 27, 2014 by heyerchick

[PatsyandEddie]

^^IA. Horik's comment to Floki to "kill someone who counts" means to me that Athelstan's days just might be numbered. I can't see Siggy going along with murdering any of Ragnar's children because of the murder of her own two sons but the priest is a different story. 

[Babalooie]

Green, excellent post.  I think that it is wishful thinking on the part of his fans that Floki will not turn out to be a traitor.  He was such an endearing character in Epsode 1 of Season 1, which I rewatched last night.  You present a good argument, especially the fact that he admittedly cannot keep a secret.

[CommodusMad1]

Green good post. However Floki not keeping a secret, it all depends on the situation. He was in the secret master plan to raid West in season 1 and built the ship for Ragnar all that in secret. I think he is now upset with Ragnar because their paths seem different, but regarding the secrecy, he can hold it just like he can spill it.

[PityFree]

Now, I am imagining a twist where Floki killing someone who counts means killing Siggy. She counts... to Horik! 

[atomationage]

And anyone who can do such an awesome line reading of "No." ("Unforgiven") deserves even more adulation.

 

I thought that was his best line in the series so far.  Siggy:  Can you keep a secret?   Floki:  (makes a strange noise) No!  I thought it was the noise he made that sold it. 

 

Floki is a shipbuilder, so without him, nobody goes anywhere. 

[Blue501]

I was certainly surprised by the ending. I was braced for the worst.

[lawless]

Me too. It was the way he behaved with Helga in private that convinced me. What a relief, sorry I misjudged you Floki. Heh, I was so pissed when (I thought) he killed Thorstein and Rollo. Phew!

[Babalooie]

Happy ending for me.  I'm so glad that Floki came through and I can continue to be a "Pollyana",  I love those Skarsgards.

[PatsyandEddie]

I was completely impressed at the whole show!  Floki had me totally fooled and I apologize  to his character profusely.  I started to think that something was up when Siggy left Rollo his axe and told him to never give up. I didn't think she would murder Ragnar's children as her own sons were murdered.She would never inflict that kind of pain on another mother.

[David T. Cole]

I wanted to see that Rollo fight though. I imagine it like Drunken Master II but with an axe.

[Ohwell]

I swear, he reminds me of some animal but I can't think of what it is.

 

I'm glad he came through on the "right" side of things.  I still want Athelstan to kick his arse though.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

 I still want Athelstan to kick his arse though.

 

 

There is so many other things I would rather see Athelstan do.

[Zalyn]

That first scene with Floki meeting his daughter was beautiful; he captured the joy and adoration and utter terror at losing her all in one awesome Floki package.  I love that he's an evil giantess fanboy; it makes sense that he would choose the most badass woman in Loki's life for a namesake.  XD

[Babalooie]

OHWELL, my husband says that he moves like Gollum, but I think he slithers like a snake or a panther.  Either way, I LOVE him.  And...I guess he could keep a secret after all.

Edited May 3, 2014 by Babalooie

[Zalyn]

Even when he's standing still, he's fluid.  Although it's highly unlikely that he actually is an embodiment of Loki, if it turned out that he in fact is, I'd totally buy it because he just is so Other in how he moves.

[SingleMaltBlonde]

Think more shark...no bones just all cartilage.

[lawless]

A ferret? Cause of the long slim body, fluid movements and small kinda pointy features?

[PatsyandEddie]

Think more shark...no bones just all cartilage.

 

Jaws with eyeliner.

[atomationage]

I guess Floki can actually keep a secret.  The magic mushrooms must have made Thorsteen and Rollo stronger.

[green]

OHWELL, my husband says that he moves like Gollum, but I think he slithers like a snake or a panther.  Either way, I LOVE him.  And...I guess he could keep a secret after all.

 

I agree with you both.  From the first time I saw him I have thought Gollum and still do.  Every single scene.  And he is indeed slither-like and slightly feline.  So Gollum as a slithering, feline-like, half-crazed Viking.  Yep, that's Floki.

Edited May 4, 2014 by green

[Babalooie]

The speculation on whether Floki was torn between Horick and Ragnar is now clarified by the show's writer and creator Michael Hirst.

 

http://www.history.com/shows/vikings/videos/inside-look-ep-210-the-lords-prayer?m=5189719baf036&s=All&f=1&free=false

[Orphan Cat]

I loved the long con. Brilliant. Hope Helga understands that he was trying to protect her. (Hate that trope, though, by the way. Yet it was necessary here, I think)

[David T. Cole]

Floki moves like Axl Rose at half-speed.

[Ohwell]

A ferret? Cause of the long slim body, fluid movements and small kinda pointy features?

 

Yes, that's it.  It's the "small kinds pointy features" that stand out.  He's a sneaky little bastard who scurries around like a ferret.

 

I do like him for the most part, but I just want him to leave Athelstan alone.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Ohwell