This week, Vikings has its calm before the battle for Kattegat. More of Floki’s followers have their doubts about their new home. Bjorn finally returns home to Torvi, only to divorce her. Ivar feels out Heahmund’s loyalty. And Lagertha enlists Laplanders to help fight Ivar.
Lagertha questions Halfdan’s loyalty to Bjorn. Halfdan has no beef with his brother, but he won’t fight for Harald because Bjorn saved his life. It’s as simple as that. Eh, his brother Harald expected Halfdan to help him with no reward, simply because of blood. It’s kind of ironic, since Bjorn hates Uncle Rollo for the same behavior.
Some of Floki’s pilgrims think they’re in the land of the giants, not the gods. Hey guys, his name is F-Loki and you chose to follow him anyway – drunken Scooby giggle and all.
Floki wants to build a community where everyone shares, there’s no king, and no capital punishment. And everyone will pay what they can in taxes, so basically modern Scandinavian society. Kris Holden-Reid’s character (I haven’t figured out if he’ll live long enough to bother learning his name) believes Floki really wants to be King. I think Kris Holden-Reid’s character wants to be King and thought a newly forged settlement was an easier route than killing Lagertha, all Ragnar’s sons and King Harald.
Floki asks the gods to show the faithful a sign. The camera cuts to a couple in the hot springs. The woman’s child will be the first born in this new land. But pregnant women shouldn’t be in hot tubs, so maybe this baby won’t be the sign Floki’s seeking.
Even though he’s tired of Torvi, Bjorn promises to always take care of her and the children. He ends the relationship the same way he started it, by handing her jewelry. Just a reminder, this is Torvi’s third attempt at a husband.
Bjorn falls for the Sami King’s daughter on the same night he kicks Torvi to the curb. The Seer said Bjorn would marry a princess – here she is, finally. Lagertha is rather dismissive of her son’s attitude about marriage considering her own issues with men, don’t ya think? How will this play out since Torvi is Lagertha’s right hand woman? And Torvi’s son, Guthrum, is actually Jarl Borg’s son. Jarl Borg had control of Kattegat for a short time. And Lagertha’s husband Ragnar, actually her EX-HUSBAND Ragnar, killed Jarl Borg.
Bjorn’s new wife is physically bound pretty tightly in public, completely composed and her hair covered. That repression disappears in private, where Bjorn gets bound tightly. She tells him how Sami woman castrate reindeer, by crushing their testicles with their teeth. Maybe Bjorn will be more cautious about sleeping around on this wife.
I looked it up. The Sami ACTUALLY castrate reindeer this way. What went on in Hirst’s mind, to think of writing a B&D scene after learning this information? Click here if you want to see a quick documentary on it, with footage.
As soon as Bjorn drops Torvi, Ubbe picks her up, kissing her. He tells his insane wife that he just feels sorry for Torvi. Sure, sure. Margrethe, aka Lady MacBeth, wants Ubbe to betray Lagertha and kill Bjorn. She wants to be queen.
Our Favorite moments:
Free Will
Heahmund insists he fights for Ivar of his own free will because it’s part of God’s plan. Ivar disagrees that people have free will. If people did have free will, would Ivar feel bad about his choices?
Hvitserk wanders if his decision to stay with Ivar was fate or free will. But when Hvitserk says “free will,” I think he actually means “a mistake.” Especially now that Ivar treats Heahmund with more respect than this brother.
Something to believe
Ivar wants to trust Heahmund. He wants to believe in nobility in this world, as he goes to attack his brothers. Or is Ivar preying on Heahmund’s desire for redemption so he won’t betray him?
Legacy
Poor Astrid tells Harald that she’s pregnant. He’s over the moon happy. She doesn’t mention that any number of whalers may be the father. Poor Harald, despite kidnapping his wife, I really like him now.
In a subtle scene, Harald tells Ivar he’s going to be a father. It distracts Ivar enough that Heahmund beats him at chess. Is Ivar still worried about having children and a legacy?
Alfred
Alfred gives a lesson in critical thinking to the head monk at Lindisfarne, who calls Athelstan an apostate. “The world is not simple. We are none of us, all good or all bad.” Then he points out that the church’s hypocrisy of holding mass only in Latin and hiding all the ancient knowledge from people. It keeps people from truly understanding God and makes them believe the priests are superior beings.
Ragnarok Moon
At the beginning of the episode, the moon is Ivar’s signal for the end of their world.
Bjorn jokes to Lagertha that Ivar will tear the sky apart in the fight. It reminds viewers that Fenrir the wolf shallows the moon at Ragnarok in Norse mythology.
It all reminds of the moon’s imagine in Ecbert’s pining over the future.
The episode ends with the full moon.
Next week the battle starts. Which strategy will Ivar use? Will Heahmund or Halfdan betray their side? Will the world really be ripped apart?
Picture source: History & Vikings
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