King Ecbert visits the developing Viking settlement as the first harvest is sown and rebuffs criticism from his leading nobles. In Mercia, the Wessex/Viking forces charge at the battle at the Hill of the Ash. In Kattegat, Harbard's mysterious aura fascinates Aslaug and Helga but Siggy remains suspicious.
Ecbert and Ragnar entered into an agreement to bring peace between their two societies. But both sides have ulterior motives for being so generous. Ecbert needs the viking warriors so he can gain a larger control of England. Ragnar needs the English forces in order to secure the future of his people in a new region. However, both sides are also being questioned for their actions within this alliance. Ecbert and Ragnar are capable of looking at the larger picture. Yes, it may include some brutal honesty right now in time. But the future is looking brighter for their visions - as long as they can keep the rest of their people convinced that this is all for the best. Ecbert and Ragnar see purpose where others see pointlessness.Ragnar's men got the battle they were looking for on this trip to England. That was never Ragnar's initial goal. He wanted to cement this alliance with Ecbert by establishing the viking settlement in Wessex. As a courtesy, he volunteered his army of warriors to help Princess Kwenthrith take control of Mercia away from her uncle and brother. It's not their battle. They have no stake in this war. They are simply providing assistance in an area where Ecbert really needs their help. Floki hates that they are fighting alongside Christians. He sees the English as hopeless souls in the eyes of the real gods. He doesn't see a reason why they should be fighting a war for them. That emotion only gets more heated once Torstein dies in the opening minutes of the battle atop the hill. Torstein was weak following last week's amputation. And yet, he still wanted to serve and fight for Ragnar. He gave his life so the vikings could win. That makes him a hero in Ragnar's eyes. But Floki doesn't understand why Torstein needed to be here and fighting this battle in the first place. They aren't fighting for themselves. They are fighting for another king. One who he doesn't trust. And yet, Ragnar is right to point out that every single member of the viking army had a choice of whether or not to fight. They could have stayed at the settlement and get the crops started with the rest of their people. Instead they chose to come to Mercia to help the English cause. That was their choice to make. It's the path Ragnar set them on - and they probably wouldn't want to go against him. But that still means they need to place blame on someone when a valuable friend dies in battle.
Similarly, the English nobleman of Wessex are concerned about the ways of the northmen being destructive to their way of life. They had to give up this land in order to appease King Ecbert. And now, the vikings are doing sacrilegious rituals on top of it. That's horrifying to see them worshipping these pagan gods. They see condoning these actions just as sinful as taking part in them. To the vikings, this ceremony is a way to speak to the gods and pray for a plentiful harvest. To the English, it's gruesome and barbaric. It's one thing to trade craft secrets. The English have better equipment to farm and the vikings have better ships to sail. It's another thing to deal with this clashing of two very different religions. It's a struggle both Athelstan and Ragnar have embraced. However, the people around them in this community aren't as welcoming to these different ideas and believes. Each side believes they are correct and the other is forsaken to punishment in the afterlife and must be saved with the truth now. Ragnar and Ecbert want to co-exist as long as the other side is beneficial to them. Ecbert is also enjoying his blossoming relationship with Lagertha. They have a make-out session in his Roman bath house. However, he is just as horrified by the sacrificial ceremony as his nobleman are - even though he sees the conviction within Lagertha while she does it.
Meanwhile, back in Kattegat, Aslaug, Siggy and Helga welcome the mysterious wanderer, named Harbard, into their home. They heal him and listen to his wild stories of his adventures across the world. He's wonderfully expressive. There's always just something slightly off with him though. He is introduced as a man who is able to pull people in with the way he tells a story. Aslaug and Helga are entertained by him but Siggy thinks some is amiss. Atypical things are happening because of his presence. There simply is no reason why all three women dreamt of him and then he appeared in the village. He is able to calm Aslaug's troubled infant son like it is nothing. All of that is fairly innocent though. What's truly concerning is the latter development of two young children being found dead in the fishing nets of an apparent drowning. It makes no sense to this community and Siggy is quick to think that Harbard's mysterious aura may be to blame. But she is powerless to do anything. She turns to the only man who could possibly do anything - the Seer - and he offers nothing to her. It's a mystery that goes unsolved onto the next episode.
Some more thoughts:
- "Warrior's Fate" was written by Michael Hirst and directed by Jeff Woolnough.
- That sacrificial ceremony really was gorgeous. It's those little insights into the viking culture and the way they worshipped their gods that the show has always handled well. And now, it's to a larger audience of people from a different religion and not just Athelstan.
- Judith is still resisting her urge to be with Athelstan sexually. Things got pretty close to being intimate in that bath sequence. He was obviously pulling close to her but she was able to resist his charms.
- Porunn is severely wounded in the episode's big fight sequence. Bjorn is there to keep her from being killed. And yet, Ragnar won't comfort him because he is too busy being angry that Bjorn let her fight knowing that she was with child.
- Rollo had a lot of wise things to say this week. He was able to cool things down between Ragnar and Floki before the battle as well as telling Bjorn what he can do to make sure Porunn survives.
- Ragnar also had a close call during the battle where a spear almost killed him. That was thrilling. He's not invincible, but he's definitely a force of nature when it comes to battle and strategy.
- Kwenthrith's brother asks Ragnar for forgiveness and he just gets a punch in the face. Sounds about right.
- Ecbert, Lagertha and Athelstan discuss the city of Paris. I'm guessing that's where the next journey will be towards, right?
