Will premiere Thursday, February 27 on History and Monday, March 3 on A&E respectively. I eagerly anticipate both. The character arc for Athelstan the beleaguered former monk in season two looks incredible, and mamma Norma is as entertainingly crazy as ever.
I find it hard to believe that any man would cheat on Lagertha. One, because she's insanely gorgeous, and two, because she can kill six men in a fair fight.
Bates Motel is must see veiwing in our household. Thanks on the heads up that it will back on the TV Monday! Q2
The first season of the Vikings was a very pleasant surprise and I loved every single second of it. The second will be even better.
He must have been pretty busy with that battle scene beginning the episode. Yowza. Aslaug is not as pretty as Lagertha, no doubt.
haven't seen Vikings but i am looking forward to the second season of Bates Motel. and hey, the second season of Hannibal starts tonight.
So what's with Aslaug? Is she crazy, pretentious, or what? This is assuming the writers aren't taking the myth at face value: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aslaug (Warning: 800-year-old potential spoilers.)
But they're also being fairly naturalistic. I don't get the impression that we're supposed to take her background at her word. I'm wondering if she's even really a princess. (Did they verify that last season?)
Well, let's see how Ivar the Boneless works out. Great first episode, Rollo looks to be on a hell of a ride this season.
Now, now....I'm sure "the boneless" just means he's flexible and double jointed....right? Historically, (as far as scholars conjecture since there's not much contemporary written history) wasn't it Ivar that really ended up hating Ragnar? Be careful for that male offspring you wish for, Ragnar. I didn't get the idea that he ever wanted to leave Lagertha. He was a man living in a time when men had all the leeway. He wanted a one night stand with a hot chick and he got caught. I just laughed that Ragnar didn't look at all uncomfortable during the bloody battle with Rollo's men but he looked like a turkey at Thanksgiving when Aslaug showed up and she and Lagertha were talking to each other at the banquet. Honey.....heh.....are you mad?
Why is he so on about having a son? He has one. I was cringing big time for Ragnar when he was suggesting the open relationship...he's lucky he can still have sons after that one....
There's a lot of competition but I'm not sure of the hatred between the sons and Ragnar (and he's got a bevy of them having had three wives according to the various sagas concerning him). Some of the sons are involved in The Great Heathen Army invasion of Britain and the capture of York. They also want vengeance on King Aella. Indiana Jones and Ragnar have one thing in common, I expect. The show does play fast and loose with the time frames of the characters. Lindesfarne is 793, yet King Aella is mid 9th century. In interviews, it seems Rollo is meant to be the Rollo who founds Normandy but that's the outset of the 10th century. So, I'd expect a lot more sway from the sagas than any straight up following of them.
I remember reading about a Rollo who, with his men, invaded Normandy about a century before the Norman invasion of England. Rollo and his men ended up blending into Norman society and changing it significantly after a local king signed a peace treaty with them. Still, you're right about the time frame. A century before the Norman invasion would be 966 AD and last night's episode was dated 796 AD. Michael Hirst states that he based Athelstan on an actual historical figure who was captured by the Vikings, adopted their ways, and then was crucified as an apostate upon returning to England. There was an Anglo Saxon king Athelstan, as well, before the Norman invasion, but he was Alfred the Great's grandson so that also dates him in the 10th century AD, too late for our intrepid band. As for fictional Athelstan, (who supposedly becomes a much closer confidant of Ragnar now that Rollo is on his shit list) I'm thinking there has got to be some serious Stockholm Syndrome going on for him to admire Ragnar. His mind is allowing him to doubt his Christian God and to (attempt to) embrace the Norse gods so he can survive mentally and make sense of his fate. Who knows? Hirst might allow Athelstan to suffer the same fate at the end of the series. I doubt that 8th century Anglo Saxons had any conception of Stockholm Syndrome or post traumatic stress.
That would be the Rollo who founded Normandy, which didn't exist when he invaded. Normandy takes it's name from "Northman" which was another name for the Vikings. Prior to the coming of the Vikings the area was controlled by the Celts and the Franks. The treaty was with King Charles III of France, who made Rollo a Duke.