Vikings (TV series)

[REBerg]

Spoiler: 6.03 Ghosts, Gods and Running Dogs

Holy depravity! Ivar is no match for Oleg, which Ivar seems to be realizing as he observes what Oleg has done to another brother.
Bjorn has discovered, in his attempt to rescue King Harald, that King Olaf is a more formidable tactician than he had anticipated. Nothing like a nighttime swim in a burning ring of fire under a rain of arrows to begin an invasion. I don't think Bjorn arrived for battle with a plan B.
I suspect that Lagertha will not be with series much longer. Her reclaimed sword may be as deadly as ever, but she is not the shield maiden she once was.
Bjorn's kingly choice of war over commerce may lead to sacrificing both Kattegat and his mother.

 

[ctg]

Spoiler

Holy depravity! Ivar is no match for Oleg, which Ivar seems to be realizing as he observes what Oleg has done to another brother.

I think they are on bar as both has done equally horrible things. That brother is not going to last long, if those facial wounds get infected. If he lives, there is a chance that he will commit a revenge killing. But I feel there is also a small chance that Igor will change his mind and allow him to live.

Bjorn has discovered, in his attempt to rescue King Harald, that King Olaf is a more formidable tactician than he had anticipated. Nothing like a nighttime swim in a burning ring of fire under a rain of arrows to begin an invasion. I don't think Bjorn arrived for battle with a plan B.

He is not his father, but then again, Ragnar was never a great tacticians. I don't understand why he didn't used scouts, when hunting played such a huge role in our past. It is a basic strategy, and it could have warned about the trap. But most of all, he should have used diplomacy first if he really wants to make Kattagat a great trading city. That too requires scouting, and making deals through diplomacy.

It's like he needs Olaf to teach him a few things. Murder without knowledge is not a good thing. I hope he'll survive with just a single sauna trip. It's just I'm afraid that it won't be enough.

I suspect that Lagertha will not be with series much longer. Her reclaimed sword may be as deadly as ever, but she is not the shield maiden she once was.

We see. My money is on Lagatha. She will show those outriders the reason for why she's called Queen Lagatha.

 

[REBerg]

He is not his father, but then again, Ragnar was never a great tacticians.

True. Ragnar had his problems with Paris.

Spoiler

He had to fake conversion to Christianity and his death to get inside the city in a coffin. One of the best moments of the series.

 

[ctg]

Spoiler

He had to fake conversion to Christianity and his death to get inside the city in a coffin. One of the best moments of the series.

True but he had so many failings before hand. Winning one or two battles isn't a victory. Raiding Paris was poorly executed and he couldn't hold the land. Then again, he didn't use scouts either. It's like none of them have understood the value on intelligence. The outrider boss however is doing it correctly.

 

[svalbard]

I liked Ubbe's speech. He has all the characteristics to make a good king.

 

[REBerg]

Spoiler: 6.04 All the Prisoners

Wow! I suppose butchering all ages in a village raid was standard operating procedure for Vikings, but the killing of small children was hard to watch.
Also getting hard to watch is Hvitserk's tortured madness. I thought Ubbe was going to put his brother out his misery when he blew his latest chance for redemption.

 

[ctg]

Spoiler: 6.05 The Key

Naga Ivar!

It's quite unbelivable that a naga made a way into the Vikings series, even though the presentation fits picture. He is a serpent, and there is no bone in his body that is good. I am certain that even though he helped the Russian to escape it was a certain death. I cannot figure out how he managed to bring that woman in the town and then set her free in the winter wonderland. How did he communicate and organise the group to commit to the plan?

Everything that he's doing against the Prophet is just aiding scandinavia, and therefore his family, instead of him. He might get close to Igor, but it's not like Ivar is holding any power or have I completely misunderstood the plot?

I regards of the plot, Olaf was so disappointed, when they suggested for a vote, instead of just appointing Björn to the throne. I was even more surprised when they brought in the context Sweden and Denmark. Back then, Sweden just occupied a bit of land at the South and it mostly remained so until fifteen hundreds, when they started to invade Finnish tribal areas. Denmark was a bit larger than what it is today.

What surprised me was that the vote was cast between the Yarls and Kings, without much of backstabbing involved. If I compare them to England, they look almost civilised in their ways. I'm certain that there is going to be some sort of hand-to-hand challenge from the other king. He sounded a bit too dodgy with his English accent and pleasentries for letting Björn to rule just like that.

Olaf said that the sack has to be empty for the King to take place. If one vote is cast from a different sack then what happens?

 

[ctg]

Holy Smoke. The best episode in this season!

Spoiler: 6.06 The Death and The Serpent

I am shocked and I'm also sure that at some point they did tell us about Lagatha's prophesy. None of us remembered it, even though we should have. But that's the thing. This series is so brilliant, and in some way so predictable. Like for example I knew she was going to die as soon as I saw the wound on her side, and her sticking a finger in it.

What I couldn't guess was the way she was going to go down, because I was so certain that blood poisoning was going to put her down. There's no way they could have handled that infection and as she was an elder person, her system would have been weak. But then again, she was cursed. In fact, i feel they are all jinxed by the gods. They all have a role to play.

Including that Eric in the boat. I believe that Björn is going to take them to Iceland and then to mystical Vineland. The reason is Eric.

History channel had another viking document about the Oak Island mystery and in them, they mentioned Eric making the settlement. For the story to work, Harold is going to earn his reputation as the folk hero king, Björn sails to North and then West, and Ubbe to East. At some point though Hivtserk is going to end back in the England as part of the Great Heathen army.

It is interesting that Olaf the Smiling Buddha didn't see things turning against his wishes. In some other reality Björn would have followed his wishes and become the King of Norway. Now, he has his own destiny to make. Especially as mum is going to receive a honorary burial.

Oh, what a glorious season this has been!

About the fight in the village. I wondered in the last episode what they were building, and I never guessed it was going to be a murder castle. The Outlaws really fell for it. There was nothing that could have saved them. Well, nothing other than running.

 

[REBerg]

Spoiler

Shocked is the right word! I was expecting Lagertha's story to end this season, but I didn't expect her to go out like that.

She barely survives her heroic battle with White Hair, bleeds her way back to Kattegat, only to be finished by Hvitserk, who is under the delusion that he his knifing a serpentine Ivar. Lagertha deserved a more honorable ending than that. I vaguely remember the prophesy that she would be killed by a son of Ragnar Lothbrok. I naturally assumed that son would be Ivar.

I see a just balance in the situations faced by the brothers. Hvitserk has been driven mad by the ghost of Thora, the girlfriend Ivar burned alive. Ivar is facing a living ghost in Oleg's new bride, Katya who he believes to be Freydis, the wife Ivar revenge-strangled (both played by Alicia Agneson). Ivar's questionable grip on sanity was not improved by Oleg's insistence that Ivar witness his marriage consummation. Katya's beaming smile for Ivar during the act indicated that she's in on the torturous joke.

I was surprised that making false political promises to get elected goes all the way back to Viking times. Harald Finehair (how did such a ratty-haired guy get a name like that?) was clearly a more skilled politician than Bjorn. I was not surprised that the seemingly amicable transition of power so quickly reverted back to murderous Viking norms. I would imagine that King Harald would also want to kill off King Olaf as much as Bjorn, the outgoing king's hand-picked successor.

 

[ctg]

Amazing episode! Especially the valkyrie scene.

Spoiler: S06E07 - The Ice Maiden

Farewell Fair Queen Lagatha. You serve a good long life, and you were a champion at the end. A true maiden from ice and fire. With her passing we say goodbye to the oldest cast member still in the roster. I cannot think anyone who has been there for longer, as she showed up in the episode 1. Everyone else has gone to Valhalla.

Personally I don't accept the human sacrifice, but it was their way of life. It's what they believed. I am however intrigued by Hel coming to deliver death to the Chosen One. It is one of the rare visitations by the gods. So far we have seen Odin, the seer, Freya and now Hel. And then there is the Christ.

It is kind of ironic that Ivar is now being temped by the Christ healing, even though he's firmly believing in himself. He doesn't have the seed of faith. But somehow he is on that road, and even though he could have perished on his way to Kiev, he survived. And he prospered, got a position in the court, and he's doing absolutely wonderfully. Maybe even better than he had things going for him the Kattagat.

This episode feels in many ways like it's a turning point, or an end of a chapter. So many things have ended, and yet the life goes on despite Olaf feeling cheated. Thing is Vikings were smart and they couldn't help themselves, because with that intelligence comes all the other things. It enables you to survive, where some others would whine and die.

The winter is harsh in the north. It does not forgive. It takes you to darkness and won't let go until a first light of spring start melt snow away. And so the life goes on, with new beginning. The problem with the Winter and Björn losing his position to Harald is that he cannot really cross the Sea of Norway at this point. It would a suicide.

He has no choice but to wait and hunt for mother's murderer. Am I only one who's feeling that Harald is not going to wait for him to leave?

 

[REBerg]

Spoiler

What an incredibly emotional and much-deserved sendoff for Lagertha.
The grief came in waves, as each of the key characters said their farewells. The only relief from the sorrow were the scenes advancing the stories of Ivar and Harald.
The departure of Katheryn Winnick from the cast leaves as another gaping hole in the show, perhaps even bigger than that left by Travis Fimmel when his character, Ragnar Lothbrok, was killed in season 4. The surviving cast will have to pick up the slack in the remaining 13 episodes of the series.

Personally I don't accept the human sacrifice

Where was the body of the poor girl they sacrificed to accompany Lagertha to Valhalla? Shouldn't she have been aboard the funeral ship to fulfill her next life duties?

 

[svalbard]

The last two episodes have being some of the finest in the whole series. Incredible payoff on the earlier prophecies.

 

[ctg]

The last two episodes have being some of the finest in the whole series. Incredible payoff on the earlier prophecies.

I couldn't remember any of them. It's amazing that the Seer still appears to Ironside family. He's like that bad penny. Every time he appears something bad is about to happen. There is never good news.

 

[REBerg]

 

[-K2-]

Wow... Go Uber! Such restraint and such aim. That was some...

Watching the next episode as I type this. Missed it last night. Whoops, back at it!

K2

 

[REBerg]

Spoiler: 6.08 Valhalla Can Wait

I did not expect the last-second reprieve for Hvitserk. Bjorn apparently decided that his half-brother was enjoying being an "instrument of the Gods" a little too much. Banishing Hvitsek to the wilderness to suffer may not work out any better than Bjorn's outlawing Ivar's ex-henchmen.
I wonder how much of Bjorn's rage is derived from Hvitsek's killing of Lagertha and how much from losing the King of All Norway election to Harald. His mood didn't seem much improved by Gunnhild's declaration that he will now have two wives after she caught him in flagrante delicto with Ingrid.
On top of all this, poor Bjorn got the bad news that the new King of Norway will be coming for Kattegat. The only good news was that his followers are ready to go down with him.
I don't understand why Oleg sent raiding parties to murder and pillage in Vikings territory. Wouldn't it have been better to secretly scout for strengths and weaknesses instead of warn them of a threat? Harald's border patrol didn't look very formidable, even it had arrived at the village a few minutes ahead of the Cossacks. I mean, just look at those hats!
I suspect that Ubbe and family decided to go to Iceland because both he had gotten comfortable on the Kattegat throne while Bjorn was on his quest. With Bjorn back, Ubbe was jobless and Iceland might need a king. I can see why Flatnose might not be OK with that.
Will anyone discover what happened to Floki?
The high point of this episode for me came when Oleg stomped Igor's creepy little puppet to pieces. Both the kid and the puppet have long had it coming. Ivar is definitely a bad influence on the boy.

 

[ctg]

Spoiler

I wonder how much of Bjorn's rage is derived from Hvitsek's killing of Lagertha and how much from losing the King of All Norway election to Harald.

He is hurting, that is certain. Losing his kingdom, his title, his mother, his son and then his wife is certain to drive man into the bottle. But he is not his father or any of his brothers. So far he has been kind of good king, and horribly lost in his job. The important thing is that he has a golden heart and I doubt he would have been able to watch Hvitsek dying in fire, but at the same time he cannot lose his face. Somehow he has to remain in his seat and find a way to get on Harald's good side.

On top of all this, poor Bjorn got the bad news that the new King of Norway will be coming for Kattegat.

He is assuming it. He didn't get the news, but it is safe to assume that the seat of power will remain in Kattegat?

I don't understand why Oleg sent raiding parties to murder and pillage in Vikings territory. Wouldn't it have been better to secretly scout for strengths and weaknesses instead of warn them of a threat? Harald's border patrol didn't look very formidable, even it had arrived at the village a few minutes ahead of the Cossacks. I mean, just look at those hats!

I don't think it was Olag who sent the raiders. They were certainly coming from Russia or rather Kiev, Ukraine and to get to Norway, they would have had to ride all the way up to Finnish Lapland, then through Sweden, climb the mountains and then finally commit to the raid. It would be much easier if they would have boats. The problem is I don't know if the raid was historical.

Will anyone discover what happened to Floki?

I don't think so. He will be lost forever.

 

[svalbard]

Spoiler

He is hurting, that is certain. Losing his kingdom, his title, his mother, his son and then his wife is certain to drive man into the bottle. But he is not his father or any of his brothers. So far he has been kind of good king, and horribly lost in his job. The important thing is that he has a golden heart and I doubt he would have been able to watch Hvitsek dying in fire, but at the same time he cannot lose his face. Somehow he has to remain in his seat and find a way to get on Harald's good side.



He is assuming it. He didn't get the news, but it is safe to assume that the seat of power will remain in Kattegat?



I don't think it was Olag who sent the raiders. They were certainly coming from Russia or rather Kiev, Ukraine and to get to Norway, they would have had to ride all the way up to Finnish Lapland, then through Sweden, climb the mountains and then finally commit to the raid. It would be much easier if they would have boats. The problem is I don't know if the raid was historical.



I don't think so. He will be lost forever.

The geography is all over the place as are the timeframes. It is a bit like AGOTS that way. It is like clicking your heels and your there. However this is a cracking season. Much better than what I was expecting. For the first time in the whole series we are seeing proper character development for the Sons of Ragnar.

 

[REBerg]

Spoiler: 6.09 Resurrection

Hah! I thought that Oleg had announced he was sending raiding parties into Viking territory. Consequently, the Vikings are on high alert, and Harald and Bjorn are being pushed into what is certain to be an uneasy alliance.

As ferocious as the Vikings may be, they don’t look like much of a force compared to that partial army Oleg put on display. Holy Unsullied!

The reunion of Ivar and Hvitserk seemed improbable and anticlimactic. Has Hvitserk forgotten that Ivar burned his girlfriend alive and drove him into Cuckoosville, or is he now content to taunt Ivar with the fact that he killed Lagertha?

 

[-K2-]

Spoiler: 6.09 Resurrection

Hah! I thought that Oleg had announced he was sending raiding parties into Viking territory. Consequently, the Vikings are on high alert, and Harald and Bjorn are being pushed into what is certain to be an uneasy alliance.

As ferocious as the Vikings may be, they don’t look like much of a force compared to that partial army Oleg put on display. Holy Unsullied!

The reunion of Ivar and Hvitserk seemed improbable and anticlimactic. Has Hvitserk forgotten that Ivar burned his girlfriend alive and drove him into Cuckoosville, or is he now content to taunt Ivar with the fact that he killed Lagertha?

Spoiler: How soon we forget...

It is a little surprising how at ease Hvitserk suddenly is after all of his drama.

K2