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Post by HirundoRustica on Dec 2, 2018 1:25:53 GMT
Are you sure? IMDB says 10 eps in 5B.
I could be wrong. The episode guide I checked (which is usually very reliable) had only five episodes listed, but could be they just haven't updated their page to include all the eps yet.
EDIT: Yes, looks like there are indeed 10 eps. I just saw those five eps listed, and jumped to conclusions. Oh well, I'm glad we're getting 10 eps. I just hope Lagertha sticks around for most of them.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Dec 7, 2018 6:05:58 GMT
Finally got to see episodes 11 & 12 (āThe Revelationā and āMurder Most Foulā) of Season 5 last night. **spoilers below** I have to admit I was somewhat underwhelmed by the first two episodes after such a long break. Considering Katheryn Winnick is the first name listed in the opening credits now after Travis Fimmel left, I wouldāve thought she should have more screentime than she got...but no, gotta devote all that screentime to Ivar and his tantrums. Iām so very tired/sick of Ivar and his yelling/thinking heās scarier than he actually is. Iāve said it before and Iāll say it again: the only āscaryā thing about Ivar is his fangirls/fanboys and their belief that heās the āgood guyā/ārightā. So far his excuse/motivation for all the horrible things heās done has been that he wants to get revenge against Lagertha for killing his mother, Aslaug. Well...whatās going to be his excuse for all the horrible things heāll inevitably still be doing once Lagerthaās out of the picture? Also, all those who are baying for Lagerthaās blood need to be reminded that Aslaug wasnāt exactly a āgoodā person. Didnāt she neglect Bjornās daughter, little Siggy, and then ā along with Ivar ā shrug/laugh off the news of her death? Doesnāt exactly seem like the world is a worse place without her. Quite the contrary, actually. And Iām wondering how many of these people who think Ivarās justified in everything heās done (including slaying his own brother ā Iām surprised everyone just forgot about/forgave that) were the same people who hated Aslaug in the beginning. I remember there being a large portion of people who wanted *her* blood early in the series, but because she got an arrow in the back, suddenly sheās considered saintly and Lagerthaās the Devil? I guess some people either didnāt notice or chose to forget that when Aslaug died, she did it with a knowing smirk on her face. That, to me, indicated that she *knew* what was coming and that she (who couldnāt possibly take Lagertha on in a fight) would get to live out her fantasy of killing Lagertha through Ivar. Oh, and let's not forget Ragnar and his fellows vikings slaughtered a bunch of unarmed/innocent monks in the first season...yet nobody seems to hold that against his character in the show. Yet Lagertha kills Aslaug, who quite a lot of people originally wanted to see dead, and she's considered 'evil'? It was good to see Lagertha and Rollo share a scene together after so long separated. Iām glad the show remembered that in the first season it was strongly hinted at that the two of them had possibly been involved at some stage (though, personally, I always thought Rollo had a thing for Lagertha...but those feelings werenāt returned). Now, of course, people are saying sheās the worst hypocrite ever for holding Ragnarās cheating on her with Aslaug against the two of them when it appears she may have a had thing with Rollo (assuming Bjorn is indeed Rolloās biological son ā though Bjorn made good points about why Ragnar would be his real father...whether biologically or not. Too bad there was no such thing as DNA tests back then). However, if Lagertha was with Rollo...we donāt know when exactly it wouldāve been. She couldāve been with him, then gotten together with Ragnar. Also, it was made clear in Season 1, when Ragnar/Lagertha invited Athelstan to their bed, that some Vikings were āswingersā and could have open relationships. I think where Lagertha drew the line, as far as Ragnar/Aslaug were concerned, was Ragnar wanting them all to live together as a happy family with Aslaug and her child. Anyway, I thought Katheryn Winnick did a good job in the scene between Lagertha and Rollo. And it was nice to see Clive Standen the role I came to know him for (I watched one episode of his Taken TV series and quickly realised it was not for me). Iām guessing his line about not seeing Lagertha again will indeed turn out to be true ā as I imagine they wonāt share anymore scenes together and this one was intended to āwrap upā their charactersā relationship. Alexander Ludwigās acting seemed somewhat āoffā in these two episodes. At one point he was waving his hands about and adopting a mocking tone that felt like he was trying too hard to be Travis Fimmel/Ragnar. That sort of performance worked with Fimmel as Ragnar (like the scene in Season 4 when he was mocking Heaven when he and Ecbert got into arguing about their respective afterlife beliefs), but here it just...didnāt. I hope Ludwig eases up on trying to imitate Fimmel/Ragnar and just goes about doing his own thing. Bjorn will never be Ragnar, nor should he try to be. I did enjoy Torviās retort when Bjorn was calling Lagertha a āfool for loveā. I know some people have complained about the female characters in the show not appearing as if they have aged much, if at all. Well, it seems that might change for Lagertha at least, if a photo I saw of Katheryn Winnick in makeup is any indication. I havenāt read spoilers or anything, but Iām guessing thereāll be another time jump and weāll see Lagertha visibly aged. Iām wondering if, much like Ragnar, itāll be when Lagertha is old and hasn't got much fight left in her that sheāll meet her fate. Ragnar didnāt get to go out in battle, and Iām curious as to whether itāll be the same case for Lagertha. I read a comment elsewhere that I think could in fact turn out to have some merit ā that all the original characters will go out not with a 'bang', but rather a 'whimper'. While that would suck (especially in the case of Lagertha, who deserves to go out as the kick-arse shield-maiden she is), it would actually feel somewhat ārealisticā...as not all heroes get to go out in a blaze of glory. Sometimes theyāre broken and shells of their former selves. I am, however, hoping that Lagertha gets final lines worthy of her awesome character. Iām not sure whether Iāll still have much interest in the show if/when sheās gone (I havenāt read any spoilers confirming that she will be getting offed yet, but I think itās pretty likely that Lagertha is not long for this world. If she somehow survives this season, thatāll be the biggest surprise of all!). The again, I read that next season/Season 6 will be the last one, so maybe Iāll manage to hang in there until the bitter end. After all, if I can stick it out with Supernatural (which is mindbogglingly in its fourteenth season), I think I can manage one more season of Vikings. Weāll see. Hereās hoping the rest of this season picks up like the second half of Season 4 did. And lastly...Margrethe is finally dead! HALLELUJAH! Too bad that dream sequence turned out to not be real and she didn't off Ivar first, though.
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Post by Morgana on Dec 10, 2018 16:14:13 GMT
Last night's episode was good. The introduction of the Frankish troops and the change of leadership in England are major developments. Lagertha's relationship with Hehmund is pretty big too. I hted it. This show is now pruely fictional, an alternative timeline that has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened during the time of Alfred the Great and Danelaw. I guess Ivar will become now the emporer of the second holy Roman Empire of Norwegian nation after aliens secured him teh final victory over the Ming dynasty of China. But I guess my guesses are a bit to conservative for Hirst...what a carpfest. But at least it is now clear that Ivar simply lost the battle and that there was no great master plan behind the curtain. He just fucked up. And now his little Wuff Wuff has saved the day with this deus e machina Franks, but without Rollo. It would be hard to let him be present and side Ivar against Bjƶrn while remaining in character and plausible...oh fuck it. The show is now on the route like shows a la Lost or Battlestar Galatica were in their final days, albeit these shows had no historical framework to piss on. It's why I'm starting to like The Last Kingdom more than Vikings. in TLK they don't mess around with timelines or characters. I haven't liked Vikings as much as I used to since Judith and the priest had an affair and Alfred is supposed to be the issue of the affair. First of course it never happened, second if it did, Judith would have been shut up in a nunnery. How anyone can like her is beyond me. Not only does she have an affair with the priest but with her father-in-law too! Then everything is forgiven and they are all hunky dory. Please. The last straw for me was when Judith had the eldest son refuse the crown to allow Alfred to be king. The way she fawns over him is icky. She's forever stroking him. Lagertha's white wig is atrocious. Floki is....i'm not sure what Floki is now. Hirst needs to be shot.
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Post by bluerisk on Dec 10, 2018 21:01:15 GMT
I hated it. This show is now purely fictional, an alternative timeline that has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened during the time of Alfred the Great and Danelaw. I guess Ivar will become now the emperor of the second holy Roman Empire of Norwegian nation after aliens secured him teh final victory over the Ming dynasty of China. But I guess my guesses are a bit to conservative for Hirst...what a crapfest. But at least it is now clear that Ivar simply lost the battle and that there was no great master plan behind the curtain. He just fucked up. And now his little Wuff Wuff has saved the day with this deus e machina Franks, but without Rollo. It would be hard to let him be present and side Ivar against Bjƶrn while remaining in character and plausible...oh fuck it. The show is now on the route like shows a la Lost or Battlestar Galatica were in their final days, albeit these shows had no historical framework to piss on. It's why I'm starting to like The Last Kingdom more than Vikings. in TLK they don't mess around with timelines or characters. I haven't liked Vikings as much as I used to since Judith and the priest had an affair and Alfred is supposed to be the issue of the affair. First of course it never happened, second if it did, Judith would have been shut up in a nunnery. How anyone can like her is beyond me. Not only does she have an affair with the priest but with her father-in-law too! Then everything is forgiven and they are all hunky dory. Please. The last straw for me was when Judith had the eldest son refuse the crown to allow Alfred to be king. The way she fawns over him is icky. She's forever stroking him. Lagertha's white wig is atrocious. Floki is....i'm not sure what Floki is now. Hirst needs to be shot. I agree to all but Targaryen-style Lagertha. But Lagertha was always a favourite of mine. Ivar showed once more his bravery by plotting the murder of his arch-rival Magarethe. Let's see how Wuff Wuff reacts on it... The bishop was top. Is he the Uthred of this show? Killing a high ranking representative of the church here and there but saving the day in battle, and with a liking for pagans.
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Dec 10, 2018 21:05:30 GMT
Part 2 of season 5 is progressing well IMO.
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Post by Morgana on Dec 11, 2018 8:05:56 GMT
It's why I'm starting to like The Last Kingdom more than Vikings. in TLK they don't mess around with timelines or characters. I haven't liked Vikings as much as I used to since Judith and the priest had an affair and Alfred is supposed to be the issue of the affair. First of course it never happened, second if it did, Judith would have been shut up in a nunnery. How anyone can like her is beyond me. Not only does she have an affair with the priest but with her father-in-law too! Then everything is forgiven and they are all hunky dory. Please. The last straw for me was when Judith had the eldest son refuse the crown to allow Alfred to be king. The way she fawns over him is icky. She's forever stroking him. Lagertha's white wig is atrocious. Floki is....i'm not sure what Floki is now. Hirst needs to be shot. I agree to all but Targaryen-style Lagertha. But Lagertha was always a favourite of mine. Ivar showed once more his bravery by plotting the murder of his arch-rival Magarethe. Let's see how Wuff Wuff reacts on it... The bishop was top. Is he the Uthred of this show? Killing a high ranking representative of the church here and there but saving the day in battle, and with a liking for pagans. No, the Bishop and Uhtred are very different. TLK is much more realistic than Vikings. Uhtred is a pagan himself but he never meant to kill the priest or monk or whatever he was. Also Uhtred shares Alfred's dream (the Alfred in TLK) of having the Saxons and Danes live peacefully together as the only way to stop the endless wars between them. I don't like the Bishop, and I don't understand why Hirst has this love of having men of the church join or be enamored by, the Vikings, break their vows but still act all holier than thou. Alfred's eldest brother did in fact rule before him and died in battle, I think.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Dec 20, 2018 12:27:03 GMT
Episode 5.14, āThe Lost Momentā.
**spoiler below**
So Ivar, for all his speechifying and making out heās a āgodā, resorts to sacrificing some poor innocent woman who he makes everyone think is Lagertha...well...not everyone, since there were a few who had enough brains to realise Lagertha would never go out begging for her life like the faux-Lagertha did (though I donāt blame that poor woman for reacting the way she did. Sheād done nothing wrong and totally didnāt deserve the awful fate she got...but, really, anyone who believed that was actually the legendary Lagertha would have to be as deluded as the fanboys/fangirls who still defend Ivarās actions. I wonder how they justify this latest one in a long line of abhorrent actions? Also, heās kind of shot himself in the foot, hasn't he? If heās claiming that heās killed Lagertha now, whatās he going to do the next time she shows up or an opportunity for him to kill her for real presents itself? Say, āEr...whoopsie, I guess I made a mistake.ā?). Ivar can yell, threaten, kill innocents and wear all the clown makeup he wants, it *still* doesnāt make him anywhere near the ābadassā he/his fans think he is. Good on those few who yelled āHail Lagertha!ā and the rebellion guy later on who spat in the face of Ivar the āmerciful godā. Iām glad there are some characters who arenāt buying his BS.
Meanwhile, in Floki-land...zzzzz. About the only mildly interesting part of that whole storyline (which took up WAY too much screentime, I thought) was his vision of the dead pregnant woman. I thought the wind, rain and lightning allowed for a nice eerily moody atmosphere. Also, the shot of her missing a large chunk of her skull was effectively gruesome. His line to Kris Holden-Riedās character (āYou can't kill me, Eyvind, no matter how hard you try.ā) was but a pale imitation of Lagerthāas much more awesome line from seasons ago: āYou couldn't kill me if you tried for a thousand years.ā, and the only one I felt sorry for in Eyvindās clan after Floki banished them was the dog that I spotted. Poor dog ā whatād he do? I hope this storyline is over with soon.
Slightly more interesting was what was going on with Lagertha, Bjorn, Ubbe, Torvi and Alfred (poor Judith, though. Did she even get a line this episode?). I had to laugh when Alfred remarked on Bjornās haircut. Also amusing was when Bjorn presented Magnus (the supposed son of Ragnar and Queen Crazypants) to the others and Lagertha said to Magnus (in reference to Ragnar and Queen Crazypants), āHe told me he was wounded and she pissed on his wound, and that was all.ā ā it never gets old. That was certainly a memorable moment from the show's third season. It was also somewhat unintentionally funny when Alfred was telling Ubbe earlier that he wanted to learn from him/be like him and we cut to Alfredās instant makeover. I guess the crash course on being a Viking mainly entails getting axes thrown at you?
I donāt really give a toss about Harald Finehair, but the large woman who looked as if she could snap him like a twig was slightly intriguing (Iāve discovered her characterās name is Gunnhild. I couldnāt recall hearing it in the show, but may have missed it). She reminded me a little of poor scarred of Ćorunn who left and was never seen/heard from again (though a much more hefty-looking version).
So Ivar wound up killing the Seer because he didnāt like what olā Eyeless Goth told him heād āseenā. Ivar truly is nothing but a petulant brat. Heās basically all talk and bravado, and any actions he *does* make are pretty much those of a coward. I really wish to see Ivar lose everything...but Iām not so sure thatās ever going to happen (because apparently I canāt have nice things).
The best thing about this episode, though? Lagertha didnāt die! That was a relief (though I kind of figured it wasnāt her last week when they kept the figure hooded/hidden, plus it wouldāve required quite a bit of flashback to show how Ivar found her, captured her and got her back to Catgut...I mean Kattegat, when heād been unable to locate her previously). So it sucks for the poor innocent who died in Lagerthāa place...but good for Lagertha that it wasnāt her! However, I do get anxious every episode that her luck is about to run out and that the episode will be her last. Whatās most frustrating is how little screentime sheās getting considering sheās now technically the showās lead. All she gets is smooching/sexytimes with Heahmund and a few lines here or there. When are we going to see her kicking arse again, damn it?
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Dec 20, 2018 18:18:59 GMT
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Dec 27, 2018 13:58:19 GMT
Episode 5.15, āHellā.
**spoilers below**
Hvitserk's onto you, Ivar. He knows you offed the Seer (I was glad to see Ivar looked rattled by that).
Look at Judith, getting her torture on! She's certainly changed over the years (I guess losing an ear will do that to you). And now Alfred knows his bro was gonna betray him. We'll see how that plays out.
Can't say I was sad about not seeing what was going on in Floki-land this week.
All I could think when seeing the serious braid Torvi was sporting was that it didn't seem very practical. It was virtually begging for someone to grab it in battle to pull her head back and that'd be her undoing. Then again, Ubbe has one too (though his isn't as impressive as Torvi's), most of the vikings seem to...so I guess supplying the enemy with a 'handle' to grab hasn't ever really occurred to them.
The most interesting part of the episode, of course, was the battle at the end. It certainly looked like they put a lot of work into that (one impressive shot of it was like something from a movie).
Gunnhild (played by, I've found out, an actress named Ragga Ragnars - which is kind of awesome) was so much better than her hubby (who died quickly). Hell, she was better than most of people on her side, it seemed (she even had to rally them to stay and fight). And trust Bjorn to think with his downstairs brain when he had the opportunity to kill her. I wonder whether, now that she's captured, he's going get with her? I really do think she has some similarities to Ćorunn, who he was previously with back in Seasons 2 and 3.
It was somewhat of an 'abstract' way of doing the battle - with us seeing Alfred giving his victory speech as we were still watching the action play out. Made it interesting, though, as I was left wondering who lived/died. Turns out it was Bishop Heahmund's time to go. I guess his vision of Hell that he told Lagertha about earlier on should've be the first indicator he was a goner...but I was too busy worrying about Lagertha (as I have every episode this season and will continue to for the remainder of it). That was certainly a gnarly version of Hell he saw, but I liked it (better than some other far more boring versions of Hell I've seen in other certain long-running shows).
What I didn't like was the fact that they've reduced Lagertha to being someone who'd get upset that Headmund loved his religion/God more than her. After she watched him get taken out Boromir-style, she miraculously 'disappeared' and no one could find her (I could've sworn there was a show in the promos for this half of the season which showed Lagertha falling in battle...but maybe that's yet to come? I guess there's bound to be another battle at some point. I was just relieved she didn't bite the dust in this episode. If Lagertha's going to go out, I want her to get some proper focus in her final episode just as Ragnar did in his).
I sure hope we're not going to catch up with her after a time jump and find she's gone off to wallow, after losing Heahmund, and has given up her reason to fight/will to live or some other such rubbish. We know that losing a battle last time caused her to go grey. I suppose that means losing Headmund will cause all the years people have complained she's not visibly showing to catch up with her suddenly? The next time we see Lagertha, is she going to be as old as she 'should' look by now? If so...then Lagertha ages weirdly, it seems. The alternative is that Harald got a hold of her and has her stashed on his escape boat...but I would've thought they'd have shown us if that was the case - it'd be a heck of a cliffhanger.
At this stage, I'm pretty much expecting Lagertha to bite it by the end of this season. If this indeed does happen (though I keep praying it doesn't), can they at the very least have her go out as the kick-arse shield-maiden she once was? I think Michael Hirst owes the character (and Katheryn Winnick) that much, at least.
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Post by bluerisk on Dec 27, 2018 19:56:52 GMT
Unlike other, I couldn't enjoy the battle to a tiniest bit due to Alfred's poorly given speech. Sure, neither is the actor Keneth Branagh, nor the writers like William Shakespeare, but this was lousy at best. It took out the pace and the momentum. Furthermore he is just woefully portrait of a king compared with King Alfred from "The last Kingdom".
And that Ivar could kill the Seer without witnesses....his hut is in the middle of the settlement, his prominence, and there are also too many witnesses among Ivar's men. Too many to kill off all, hence, sooner or later one of the soldier will talk...and then hell will brake lose. If Ivar has killed the Seer, what must he have told Ivar...the people will go nuts about it.
In the long term a huge mistake.
And did Harald lose any men at all considering these many and fully staffed boats. And was the idea of the fire to prevent this flight?
I wished for a better pace and a clear victory, as clear and striking as Agincourt. Was this brawl Edington?!
Except for Ubbe and Lagertha there is no one to root for.
Ivar sucks Harald sucks Brooding Bjƶrn sucks Wimpy Alfred sucks Floki sucks
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Post by Morgana on Dec 29, 2018 8:58:11 GMT
Unlike other, I couldn't enjoy the battle to a tiniest bit due to Alfred's poorly given speech. Sure, neither is the actor Keneth Branagh, nor the writers like William Shakespeare, but this was lousy at best. It took out the pace and the momentum. Furthermore he is just woefully portrait of a king compared with King Alfred from "The last Kingdom". And that Ivar could kill the Seer without witnesses....his hut is in the middle of the settlement, his prominence, and there are also too many witnesses among Ivar's men. Too many to kill off all, hence, sooner or later one of the soldier will talk...and then hell will brake lose. If Ivar has killed the Seer, what must he have told Ivar...the people will go nuts about it. In the long term a huge mistake. And did Harald lose any men at all considering these many and fully staffed boats. And was the idea of the fire to prevent this flight? I wished for a better pace and a clear victory, as clear and striking as Agincourt. Was this brawl Edington?! Except for Ubbe and Lagertha there is no one to root for. Ivar sucks Harald sucks Brooding Bjƶrn sucks Wimpy Alfred sucks Floki sucks Ivar sucks now - he could have been interesting. Harald - he did become King of Norway so why Hirst has chosen to make him an idiot, I do not know or understand. Wimpy and boring and useless Alfred - sucks. Floki - who was one of my favourite characters in the show - sucks. I stopped watching half way through episode 11 and haven't watched since then. I feel Vikings has lost it's way. Ragnar should never have been killed off the way he was. Why Hirst does these huge time jumps is beyond me. They have added nothing. Perhaps it would have been interesting to see Ragnar's sons grow up and take over from him, but gradually, not in the stupid way Hirst did it.
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Post by bluerisk on Jan 13, 2019 0:11:40 GMT
Iceland was somewhat rewarding this week, but they went too far with killing Helgi, and they have already paid for it - they just don't know it yet. But also Floki... In his pacifist way he let grow this conflict like a cancer. He is in my eyes the most guilty party on this forsaken island. He led them there, and then he let everything getting out of control. I don't feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for Helgi and his younger siblings, I feel sorry for Aud's sister, and I feel sorry for Aud, but never ever for Floki. There blood is on his hand.
Judith is a hot Lady Macbeth, but I concur with her reasoning.
Bjƶrn is the man.
And I hope we will witness the final days of Ivar's reign.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 17, 2019 14:07:31 GMT
Episode 5.18, 'Baldur'. **spoilers below** Hvitserk & the Viking sauna storyline with King Olaf (who he thinks is a Buddha)? Not overly interesting. Though I did find it mildly amusing that Hvitserk was looking for some sympathy after his travels but was simply instructed to strip and then was going to get sauna'd to death. And poor Thora! See, Hvitserk, this is why you don't leave your girlfriend behind with your unstable (to put it mildly) brother. The burning to death sequence was pretty horrible to watch, and I hated that Thora died in such agony - but at least she got to tell Ivar off beforehand, explaining why Ragnar was awesome and Ivar...isn't. Yet again Ivar can't handle the truth, and decides to kill the person who tells it like it is. You suck, Ivar! I cared even less about Harald Finehair and Bjorn gaining yet another wife in Gunnhild (though I don't mind her character - she looks like she could kick *both* their arses). Magnus, meanwhile, has gotten super annoying with his try-hard "I am Viking! I'm a Son of Ragnar!" crap. He's like that kid in school who wants to hang out with the 'cool' crowd and just doesn't belong. I hope someone offs him/shuts him up soon. The Floki-land storyline has been boring as Hel...but it was nice to get a glimpse at the Floki-of-old this episode when he made this threat to Viking Edge who murdered everyone last week: āThe man I once was would have dug my axe in your head only enough to make you unconscious. I would burn your wife and force your remaining son to cut off your balls and make you eat them. And as you slowly bled out, the last thing you would see would be me raping your son, not knowing if I would show him the mercy of killing him.ā Now, if we could've seen more of that^ Floki in this storyline, maybe it wouldn't have been such a bore. And now it looks like Floki's going to disappear into a cave. I also want to see Ubbe kick the arse of that King who didn't side with him and who he challenged with hand-to-hand combat. And now, the moment I'd been waiting two/almost three weeks for...Lagertha's return! Well, those complaining about how she looked should finally shut up now, since she was looking pretty rough this episode (I hope she doesn't go full-on Seer mouth). It was especially sad to see she'd gone all crazypants (and got a haircut?) since we last saw her. I would've much rather spent the last two episodes seeing what she'd been up to than half the stuff we actually got. The best part, though, was her getting to 'see' Ragnar's death. Although she wasn't actually there when it really happened, this gave us the closest we'll get to seeing her be there for the death of her husband (and it was good to see Travis Fimmel's Ragnar again...even if it was archive footage. I liked how they inserted Lagertha into the scene). It was pretty mind-trippy (especially when she started speaking with other characters' voices). Thankfully, though, she seemed to calm down a bit later on at dinner with Judith, Alfred, and Alfred's wife (who I'm not a fan of. I'm sure why, but I think she's kinda shifty). I would've hated to see Lagertha being crazy for the rest of the season - though we might still get that. We'll see. She deserves better than to end up a crazy person. I was sad to here her say she was no longer Lagertha: Shieldmaiden (though I did like Alfred referring to her as Lagertha: Queen of Vikings). I found it kind of amusing that when Judith confessed to killing her son, the others didn't really bat an eye. And how nice of Lagertha to streak blue paint over Judith's face (especially given what she'd been saying about the colour blue just prior to that). Lastly...Ivar the hypocrite. Spent most of his life whining about being abandoned by Ragnar as a baby because he was deformed...then does the same to his own son, Baldur. I really want to see Ivar die soon (though I know that's probably pretty unlikely), but if a slow agonising death for Ivar isn't on the cards...then at least have his son grow up to be as much of a bastard to him as he's been to everyone else - that'd be quite fitting.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 31, 2019 14:19:10 GMT
Episode 5.20, 'Ragnarok'. Well...at least this episode interested me more than a lot of episodes in this second half of Season 5. When Ivar and Freydis were saying their āI love you.ās and āI forgive you.ās, all I could think was āNo you donāt.ā, āNo you donāt.ā ā and that did indeed prove to be the case, as Ivar can BS his way through anything, apparently. He really is full-on deluded. He says this stuff, apparently believes it, but canāt see that the crap he spouts could fertilize all of Kattegat. I also think he has a case of āconfirmation biasā ā where heās believed he is a god this whole time, and then something happens that contradicts that and he then reckons that proves heās a god. There really is no reasoning with him. And when I think I canāt hate him anymore, he goes and proves that isnāt the case and does some new despicable thing. This episode it was offing poor Freydis and maintaining he loved her the whole time he was strangling her to death. How exactly does this character have his fans? Are they as deluded as he? Thereās nothing āawesomeā about him, heās not ācomplexā or whatever other things his fans seem to belief he is. Heās just a coward, a hypocrite, a compulsive liar, delusional, bastard who cares only about himself and his own selfish goals. Freydis showed more spine in this episode by helping Bjorn and the others to get at Ivar than Ivar himself has shown since we met his grown-up self (not that he really acts like a grown-up. Heās a petulant child who throws hissyfits...only his prove more lethal than most). I totally understand that^ feeling, Freydis. Iām annoyed that the writing Freydis return to Ivarās bed. Once she let Bjorn and the others in, she shouldāve hightailed it out of there. Still, I give her credit for standing up to Ivar, coming clean with him and telling him off before he took her out. She didn't try to deny it and act cowardly like Ivar would have. Good on her for that...I just wish she'd shown a hint of self-preservation too. The most aggravating thing about Ivar is his āplot armourā. Heās alive for no other reason than Michael Hirst apparently loves writing for him, it seems. He shouldāve been dead ages ago, and the way heās able to get around so easily now with the use of just one crutch (when the camera focused on it as he was walking in to confront Freydis, I totally thought he was going to stab her with the pointy end of it). Itās ridiculous that he managed to get away. And now heād hiding out (heās such a wimp. What did he do in the battle other than bark orders and then fire a single arrow at Bjorn? He has no balls/guts, and without his sheep, heād be nothing at all. Hereās hoping the people of Catgut/Kattegat have grown some brains now that Ivarās run away and Bjorn is in charge. Iād so been hoping when he gave that speech to them that theyād turn on Ivar or someone would just shove him off the wall. If only Freydis had had a hidden knife to stab Ivar with ā then she couldāve gone out being the hero of the episode/season. No such luck, sadly. Sorry to see you go, Freydis. You deserved SO much better than being married to Ivar. Okay, Ivar rant over. Other thoughts about the episode... I liked that the battle was not non-linear like the one earlier in this second half of the season. This one had no jumping back and forward through time, it was just moving forward full steam ahead and then eventually reached its conclusion. This battle felt more like the early seasonsā battles, which was good. I wouldāve been fine with Finehair carking it by saving Bjorn...though I think he only did that because he knew if he didnāt, heād have Gunnhild to deal with ā speaking of, Iāve actually grown to quite like her and sheās a vast improvement over most of the new female characters theyāve introduced the last couple of seasons. She actually really does look like she could kick some arse. I was glad she survived. I was also glad to see the end of that Viking wannabe, Magnus. That āBuddhaā guy did absolutely nothing useful except sit on his arse, speechifying. I was hoping someone would put an arrow in him. I did not miss Floki/Floki-land ONE BIT this episode - which shows just how pointless his storyline has been. I liked Bjorn more this episode than I have in a while. He actually had some decent moments. I liked his reunion with Ubbe, Torvi and especially Lagertha (as she presented the Sword of Kings to him). While it was a shame Lagertha had so little screentime this episode (and didnāt even get to kick arse), she managed to still be awesome as she appeared with the sword. It was a nice scene between them. I totally understood where she was coming from regarding her conversation with Torvi about how ālife is sufferingā. Sheās looking better now than she was, which is also good. And, best of all, she lives to fight another day/be in another season. Iād been fretting over her seemingly inevitable death all season, so I was pleasantly surprised she managed to make it through this one intact (though I am worried about Ivar with that hidden knife). It was good to hear Ragnarās voice again and some archive footage of him from an earlier season as Bjorn sat atop that mountain Ć la Ragnar in the Season 2 final. That āvisionā or whatever it was with him surrounded by all the bodies was a bit worrisome, though. And of course Iva canāt keep a good Seer down. He lives on to be all cryptic for another day. While Iād love to say Iām going to miss this show over the break, this season hasnāt exactly been the showās best (it still didnāt reach the level of ābadā that was the druggie Ragnar storyline in the first half of Season 4...though Flokiās storyline in this second half of Season 5 certainly gave that one a run for its money as far as being the most boring storyline in the show ever). At one point I wouldāve been very sad to hear that weād only be getting one more season of the show/that Season 6 would be the last, but by this point I think itās probably the right time. Hereās hoping the show can find its groove again in its last season (and it has quite an uphill battle too, as not only does it have to get things back on track, but it oftentimes seems to be that showsā 6th seasons really are their worst...at least thatās been the case with a few shows Iāve watched anyway). Anyway, I do still like parts of this show and certain characters in it. I just hope that theyāre given respect and not unceremoniously killed off/written out next season. Above all, I want Lagertha to get a decent ending. Sheās whatās kept me watching even when Iāve grown tired/annoyed with the show. Hopefully Katheryn Winnickās final episode is worthy of her and her character. So long for now, Vikings. Please get better.
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Post by azzajones on Feb 1, 2019 6:28:30 GMT
A bit surprised Ivar didn't anticipate that Freydis would betray him, Ivar appeared to anticipate everything else. I hope the whole Flokiland storyline is done, that whole storyline bored me from start to finish.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Feb 1, 2019 9:12:49 GMT
Season 6 trailer.
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Post by bluerisk on Feb 1, 2019 17:15:13 GMT
A bit surprised Ivar didn't anticipate that Freydis would betray him, Ivar appeared to anticipate everything else. I hope the whole Flokiland storyline is done, that whole storyline bored me from start to finish. I will write something longer this weekend (actually I did below in a rant about Ivar the Useless), but first: Ivar made it only so far due to pure plot armor*(yeah, this is the one that became a bit longer then intended): why should Rollo betray his son and the love of his live for Ivar, someone he hardly knows - did he ever met him before? The entire war left Lagertha, Bjƶrn and his brothers, except for Ivar, in charge of Kattegat. Except for massive loses, nothing really changed. Well, Lagertha handed the Sword the Kings and thus her "crown" over to Bjƶrn, her son and heir, and she did it without hesitation, without regret, without doubt, but with pride - not for herself - and dignity. A beautiful moment: Lagertha is so full of beauty and dignity. Francia will receive no payments from Kattegat and will also have a hard time to trade with Kattegat, or might even be at war (=> target of future raids). All which could have be prevented for Francia - aside the loss in men and the cost for the expedition - if he made a bet on Lagertha who had proven to be a peaceful and reliable ruler of Hedeby (back then one of the greatest Viking settlements). What was Hirst thinking? Only to keep a conflict going, a civil war that never happend?! Why fucking around with history, and why that woefully. *I was half of the time in fast forward because I couldn't take it. And this "flame thrower" - what was the agent? How should this work with their level of technology? They had no pump, no container under pressure to apply the liquid agent. And since when is Ivar a great engineer? It was Floki who always did that, even for Ragnar, what was one reason why they were so close. Floki was his genius. And his genius, knowledge and experience rooted in decades of study, learning, and try and error...and Ivar does know these thing with a fingersnip...or his recycled idea to lure the enemy in a confinement. You can look into Kattegat from the mountains around it, and Harald and Hvitserk know the latest status of it, they would recognize any new structure of this size...what brings me to the other problem: why did the writers let Bjƶrn attack that unprepared? No recon, when time was on their side. Proper siege weapons: why not first the cover - maybe even two of them just to see what they have in store for the first one, and far larger ones and a far lager ram (the heavier it is, the more kinetic energy it can deliver), and why not using fire for their advantage? I guess they don't attack by sea for they know how effective fire work on their ships...but these walls are of wood too. Burn them down. Too much plot armor and fan service for Ivar. How did he escape if Kattegat was surrounded by the enemy, the town and its gates were in control of the enemy. The people know him and his major supporters, they can't hide that easily in that rather small but confined town. And why was there no up-rise by his enemies from within. Or the only secret passage not well guarded by entrusted men? My guess it that Hirst/the writers wanted Ivar's fall due to betrayal, and not through a lost battle. The Ivar fanboys are all about how Ivar did not lost the battle. Either way: it was his character, his fashion of rule, so to speak, that was his ruin. He might be a capable tactician, albeit he lost the first open filed battle clearly to Bjƶrn and the second was one due to the numbers the Francs provided. And in this battle they recycled simply elements from York and let act Bjƶrn as stupid as possible in favor for Ivar. I'm sure normally, he would have taken time for recon, tested Ivar battlements, and prepared batter. Anyway Bjƶrn wields the Sword of Kings as Ragnar did, as Aslaug did, as Lagertha died, and as he does now. Ivar never did - for he was never true king. Bjƶrn is king - sanctioned by Ragnar and the Seer. The war might not be over, but only because of Hirst's doing. Why should anyone side with Ivar?! As times have changed. Imagine this little guy had to confront the grown Bjƶrn Ironside...
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Feb 4, 2019 2:08:29 GMT
Already looking forward to season 6.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Oct 7, 2019 20:57:54 GMT
New Vikings Season 6 Official Trailer. Good to see Lagertha still alive and kicking arse (which apparently pisses off the Ivar fanboys/fangirls ).
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Post by HirundoRustica on Oct 11, 2019 13:17:59 GMT
New Vikings Season 6 Official Trailer. Good to see Lagertha still alive and kicking arse (which apparently pisses off the Ivar fanboys/fangirls ). Thanks for posting the new trailer, Chalice_Of_Evil . Season 5 was a bit hit and miss for me, but that trailer actually got me to look forward to the season 6 premiere. With season 6 being the last, it looks like they've pulled out all the stops.
And yes, I'm definitely happy to see that Lagertha is still alive, and being just as badass as she's always been. I'm also glad to see that Ubbe is still around. He's my Replacement Ragnar.
Slightly spoilery, but...seems like parts of season 6 might be taking place in North America. š¦
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