I think Floki's story will pick up with when he gets back to Scandinavia to get settlers. There may be some play up with Pagan and Christian beliefs at odds among the Vikings as the show goes forward. Floki wants followers of the Norse Gods while Rollo had invited settlers himself to his lands which might entice those that were Christian. A lot of the Vikings often swore to both since it was good for trade and commerce. The Saxons are going to keep losing until Alfred takes charge. Losing Linus Roache was just a big hit to that story line. Ecbert was such great character and Linus was outstanding playing someone as multifaceted as Ragnar's character was. At the moment, none of the Saxons fill the room the way Ecbert did. I really want more with Bjorn. The Harald,Lagertha,Ivar war just doesn't interest me much more than the English stuff. He, Halfdane, and the Wanderer guy make a pretty funny team. I guess Kassia will play a growing role between them all, too. I assume she is based on the Byzantine poet and Abbess Kassiani? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassiani
Damn, that was a hell of a cliffhanger. Falling swords and impending sandstorm. How is Bjorn going to get out of that one? Floki has always been very devoted to the gods, but he's achieved a whole new level of obsession with gods-anointed colony. Lagertha is not going to be happy when he runs off with her villagers. Still don't give two shits about Ivor and the bishop and the Saxons. At least we didn't have to suffer Harald this episode, but with Ivor seeking an alliance with him, he'll be back soon enough. Oh, joy, my two least favorite characters teaming up. Is it too much to hope for Lagertha and Ubbe to kill two birds with one stone?
I'm guessing the Emir might call a halt to it since it looks like Kassia is the one trying to kill them. I'm not sure what the point was to the Hannibal Lector buffet was but Euphemius (spelling?) was clearly on the outs going back to the Emperor. I assume Kassia wants nothing to do with him, either, if she is based on the historical woman. I don't know why they are pissed off at Bjorn and company unless they think all the Norsemen are supporting the Byzantines? It's funny how much that story parallels Ragnar's ambition to go west against the orders of the old Earl. Time will tell. I'm not sold on Lagertha's turn to the dark side so I wouldn't be surprised if she eventually abdicated and went west to Iceland. I do wonder if she is behind letting Astrid get caught and up in Harald's escape in order to put someone on the inside in his camp like Ragnar and Floki did with the old king?[/QUOTE]
That sounds about right. I was also a little confused why they were upset at Bjorn and Halfdan. Damn, I hadn't thought that, but you're right, which is clearly deliberate considering Floki name-checked him upon his return. Yeah, I've been thinking the same about Astrid, even if she's not on in it. That might ultimately bite Lagertha in the ass, but that does seem like the kind of thing she would do.
I suspect that Ubbe will bite it before Ivar does. The commercials: Anyone have any idea why History is using a song from 1967 to promote a show about 2017?
Well...that was a mostly meh episode. Lots of scheming and betrayals...and gang raping (but at least we were spared from seeing it). Plus, the resolution to last week's cliffhanger was far too easy. Overcoming the execution was one thing (and was properly set up with Bjorn palming the shard of wood), but to escape so easily from the sandstorm on camels? Bjorn and Halfdan have never been in a desert before, nor ever experienced a sandstorm but we're to believe they overcame all of those guards and captured three camels while being blinded by sand? Worse, the show doesn't even show them doing it, just a smash cut to them escaping. And then by the end of the episode, they're already back on their boats and sailing...where exactly? Looked more Nordic than Mediterranean. Funny how one man's paradise is another's hell. I guess we'll see how far these people will go with their devotion to Floki but it's not looking too good for him, even with his silver tongue. One thing I did like about this episode was the contrast of responses to Lagertha's kindness to Floki and the wisdom of her decision to him and those people go with him. On the one hand, we have Margrethe spitting vile at Ubbe about how cowardly Lagertha appears, but on the other hand, one of the women following Floki defends Lagertha's actions to a man (husband?) about Lagertha's patience and wisdom.
I know their Dragonships are equipped with Warp drives but still, the hell? Now they are just continent hopping within one episode? Made the disappointing journey to Iceland feel like trying a new restaurant, only to see it's a dump and now having to wait 15 minutes for the next bus home. Still some good stuff, just wanted more of Björn in the Mediterranean tough.
Yeah, I think that's the most disappointing part of the episode: I was really enjoying his travels in the Mediterranean as a refreshing break from the slog of the rest of the stories (aside from Floki) and now he's heading right back into it. Plus, I've actually enjoyed Halfdan as a character since he parted from his brother's side, but that may now change.
I had hoped for more from the Bjorn and Halfdan arc especially the way Kassia and the Arab leader were built up. that was very anticlimactic. I am guessing Bjorn shows up the two months later to show up just in time for the battle? I liked seeing Ketil Flatnose, Edge. His saga had him going with many other folks leaving Norway after Harald Finehair is taking over Norway. There are a lot of story possibilities for the Icelanders and the conquest of the outer British Isles and Ireland by the Norse if only we could get past the internecine feuding of Auslaug's spawn.
Treason-planning sex, hot springs sex, and reindeer-ball chewing sex! Ohhhh mmmyyy! This episode is the quiet before the storm, so not much happened, but I did love Alfred's visit to Athelstan's old stomping grounds, particularly how Alfred freely admitted his association to Ragnar and admonished the head monk for using Latin instead of English in the same beat.
I'm slightly behind due to being out of town for the holidays, so I haven't seen the most recent episode. But I agree about the prior one being kind of silly and anticlimactic. I'd have preferred to see more of the Mediterranean as well.