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[UrbanRats]

I thought this episode was amazing.
Last two were a bit boring, but this had so many great moments.

Also, while i was annoyed by Floki's antics as much as the next guy, at least they were a nice build up for this episode's development.

Also, Judith lost an ear for nothing.

Wurprised Ragnar wasn't raging more, figured he'd be mad as fuck as go after Floki/Rallo, but they just went from axe slash to burial. Great scene though, really felt for Ragnar. Lost his only friend...

At first i was disappointed from the fact that they skipped the very moment Ragnar finds out about Athelstan's death, but it soon made sense, when he opens up in front of the grave.
It makes more sense for the character, as Ragnar is someone usually playing it cool and detached in front of everybody else, and puts some serious distance between him and the rest of the world, before he decides to "break up" which, moreover, further solidifies the intimacy level he had only with Athelstan.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

At first i was disappointed from the fact that they skipped the very moment Ragnar finds out about Athelstan's death, but it soon made sense, when he opens up in front of the grave.

It makes more sense for the character, as Ragnar is someone usually playing it cool and detached in front of everybody else, and puts some serious distance between him and the rest of the world, before he decides to "break up" which, moreover, further solidifies the intimacy level he had only with Athelstan.

That's a very good, point. The intimacy of that scene would definitely had been lost if he'd rampaged over the death earlier and it's not really in his character to be public with his feelings.

I suspect we'll see his feelings toward Floki (because, let's be real, he knows it was him), slowly bubble to the surface through barbed comments.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I need a gif of Ragnar tossing his kid when he's surprised out of sleep.

That was hilarious. Really caught me off guard.

 

[Staab]

Damn, awesome episode, I'm very sad for Athelstan though, my favorite character really.
I'm curious to see what's going to happen with Ragnar and his apparent change of belief...

 

[RatskyWatsky]

People die in battle. It'd be a terrible shame if Kalf died from an errant spear throw, for example.

It just seems like it would have been easier and faster if Ragnar had just helped Lagertha to throw him out/kill him, rather than have to plan and plot and coordinate with a traitor with the intent of killing him later on provided nothing goes wrong first.

Wurprised Ragnar wasn't raging more, figured he'd be mad as fuck as go after Floki/Rallo, but they just went from axe slash to burial. Great scene though, really felt for Ragnar. Lost his only friend...

According to that interview I posted, Athelstan's death will have a major and permanent impact on Ragnar going forward.

Torture scene was brutal as fuck. The screaming...good grief.

Yeah, that was rough. And then it turned out to all be for nothing, lol.

Also, while i was annoyed by Floki's antics as much as the next guy, at least they were a nice build up for this episode's development.

Agreed. As much I'll miss Athelstan's presence on the show, at least Floki's scheming amounted to something this time.

 

[Xamdou]

That was hilarious. Really caught me off guard.

Lol same, I was cracking up after seeing this!

I really didn't think they would kill off Athelstan this soon after him having such a big arc this season. But the build up after Loki's suspicion makes a lot of sense.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

According to that interview I posted, Athelstan's death will have a major and permanent impact on Ragnar going forward.

This is very good news.

I can totally see Ragnar starting to question his faith in the gods, he seems a lot more grounded than others, but then he's also had visions, so who knows what's going on in that mind of his.

And that rat of a son was back this week, I can't shake the feeling that he's going to somehow take Ragnar down or do something to Ragnar. There's no way that's not building to something.

Same for his wife and Borne. You just know that's part of some plan...

Yeah, that was rough. And then it turned out to all be for nothing, lol.

Yeah, I was surprised they just shut it down and let her live. Very strange scene...

 

[TripOpt55]

This was a better episode than other recent ones. Definitely not happy about Athelstan's death as he will be missed, but it was handled well. The scene with Ragnar talking at the grave was great too. Still this season feels very unfocused. I must say even when I'm not liking the show much, Ragnar always makes me laugh like him knocking the kid out of his lap this week, the eye roll backflip, any of the various looks we see giffed in here each week. Dude is just hilarious.

 

[Drazgul]

It just seems like it would have been easier and faster if Ragnar had just helped Lagertha to throw him out/kill him, rather than have to plan and plot and coordinate with a traitor with the intent of killing him later on provided nothing goes wrong first.

Which, as Ragnar said, could've resulted in civil war - that would've entirely ruined his plans to raid Paris.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Which, as Ragnar said, could've resulted in civil war - that would've entirely ruined his plans to raid Paris.

Hmm, I forgot about him saying that. I feel like that's sort of a weak excuse, but whatever.

 

[Discotheque]

Great episode, especially the last 5 minutes

Really hoping Ragnar slices floki by the finale

I wonder if I will continue to watch when Ragnar ultimately gets taken down. I'll give the season after whenever he goes a chance but it's gonna be a huge uphill battle

 

[Avinexus]

The time jumps in this throw me off just a bit.

Same here, I had forgotten how much they like to skip ahead like they did with the first couple seasons.

Pretty sad Athelstan is gone, I thought he added a lot to the show. Fairly big void is left in the show without his character, imo. We'll see I guess.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Oh shit, I can't wait for the next episode. What an ending

 

[RPGCrazied]

Holy shit, them screams. I thought they were about to crucify her, but losing an ear like that. Damn. Nooooo, don't die

Spoiler

Athelstan

! And holy hell at Ragnar wearing the

Spoiler

holy cross necklace,

lots of people aren't going to like that.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Holy shit, them screams. I thought they were about to crucify her, but losing an ear like that. Damn. Nooooo, don't die

Spoiler

Athelstan

! And holy hell at Ragnar wearing the

Spoiler

holy cross necklace,

lots of people aren't going to like that.

Losing your ear is bad, but your nose? That would be awful. At least you can cover your ear with hair.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Losing your ear is bad, but your nose? That would be awful. At least you can cover your ear with hair.

She didn't lose the nose though,

Spoiler

but was suppose to. It ended after she lost the one ear an confessed.

 

[Pkaz01]

I have a feeling Floki is a goner by the end of the season then we see the Vikings begin to convert

Also Floki still knows about the settlement and what happened to it

 

[STILLethal]

Amazing episode, sad ending. Ragnar is up there with 1 of my favorite characters next to Walter White

 

[Sectorseven]

How are those horn cups at all practical. You can't put them down without spilling.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Holy shit, them screams. I thought they were about to crucify her

I thought they were going to burn her at the stake.

How are those horn cups at all practical. You can't put them down without spilling.

They have wine in them, why would you want to set them down??

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

These time jumps without any sort of notification are kinda sorta jarring and annoying. Like would it kill them to, after the preview state x months/years later? I mean between seasons fine but from one episode to the next is another thing. I was expecting Athelstan to be resurrected and startle the shit out of Floki but I thought he was in trouble the moment they introduced that character who had been to Francia and could speak the language.

Oh and yeah... Those screams...

 

[xenist]

With Athelstan gone I hope the show seizes its chance to get rid of Floki. With both of their bellyaching gone maybe we'll get more time with the interesting people. Like Lagertha who feels like athird tier character right now.

 

[a secret-boss]

I cringed during the ear cutting. She sold it well
With Athelstan dead I wonder if the tone will changed. He kinda balance Ragnar and bring Western perspective

So is Ragnar going to disguise himself into a monk to infiltrate the castle?

I wonder if this is like Ragnar's "Empire Strikes Back" moment. the Fall of Ragnar

 

[UrbanRats]

Yeah that torture scene was real unsettling, even though in the end "nothing" happened.
Was afraid they would've indeed cut her nose away, but those screams, Jesus...

 

[H.Cornerstone]

Interesting that Alfred would be a bastard child considering his escapades later in life.

 

[foxtrot3d]

Man, I really like Ecbert the dude has the political acumen to survive the Game of Thrones and play it well. Now we know why he seemed so flippant to his son's wife getting all groovy with Athelstan. Son can't produce an heir, fine I'll get a priest to do it, put the wife on trial for adultery but then save her because Athelstan is a man of God, proclaim baby fucking divine. Game. Set. Match.

 

[UrbanRats]

Man, I really like Ecbert the dude has the political acumen to survive the Game of Thrones and play it well. Now we know why he seemed so flippant to his son's wife getting all groovy with Athelstan. Son can't produce an heir, fine I'll get a priest to do it, put the wife on trial for adultery but then save her because Athelstan is a man of God, proclaim baby fucking divine. Game. Set. Match.

That passage would be hard to swallow if he wasn't the damn King and everyone had to just take his word for it.
Oh, a priest broke his vows? Must be God's will.

 

[fallout]

I thought Ragnar's send-off to Athelstan was one of the high points of the whole show. They took their time with it and it was more heartfelt and impactful than I was expecting.

How are those horn cups at all practical. You can't put them down without spilling.

I have a drinking horn that I use frequently. I can't recall when this has ever been a problem.

 

[Summer Haze]

I thought the transition from

Spoiler

Athelstan being killed

to

Spoiler

Ragnar burying him

was very sudden and...weird. For me anyway. It just felt off. Like there was supposed to be a few extra scenes in between those points of the episode. We didn't see Ragnars reaction to the news or anything.

Unless there was something I missed, I was half asleep when I watched this episode.

 

[UrbanRats]

I thought the transition from

Spoiler

Athelstan being killed

to

Spoiler

Ragnar burying him

was very sudden and...weird. For me anyway. It just felt off. Like there was supposed to be a few extra scenes in between those points of the episode. We didn't see Ragnars reaction to the news or anything.

Unless there was something I missed, I was half asleep when I watched this episode.

Refer to my post at the top of the page (50ppp).
It's actually pretty inline with Ragnar's character.

 

[STILLethal]

Refer to my post at the top of the page (50ppp).
It's actually pretty inline with Ragnar's character.

Yeah, it transitioned pretty well imo, and ended up being 1 of the strongest scenes I've seen on this show.
Imagine the possibilities if Vikings was on HBO or something of that sort, that would be something

 

[obin_gam]

No other show does music montages like Vikings.
Was that "Wardruna Live @ Kattegat" by the way, when Floki was infiltrating the village?

 

[killamajig]

How are those horn cups at all practical. You can't put them down without spilling.

What kind of Viking puts a drink down before its empty? Lol

 

[NeoGiff]

No other show does music montages like Vikings.
Was that "Wardruna Live @ Kattegat" by the way, when Floki was infiltrating the village?

Yeah it was. Absolutely loved that part. Anyone know the song?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Interesting that Alfred would be a bastard child considering his escapades later in life.

Elaborate?

Imagine the possibilities if Vikings was on HBO or something of that sort, that would be something

Outside of increased gore, I'm not sure what else would be different. The show already has sex/nudity (that's cut from the US airing).

I thought Ragnar's send-off to Athelstan was one of the high points of the whole show. They took their time with it and it was more heartfelt and impactful than I was expecting.

Everyone has been so keen on Athelstan's burial scene, but interestingly, it wasn't originally going to be a part of the episode:

Hirst: When I first wrote the episode, I don't think there was a burial scene; the burial scene came out of Travis and I spending quite a lot of time talking. He wanted to have a scene put in which he says farewell to Athelstan. Then it became a major scene. By the end of six we were already kind of on the water going toward Paris, so I pulled that back just to make the statement that this episode was a kind of standout episode to mark the death of Athelstan — because he was such a pivotal, wonderful, central character in the show that it was only fair that I did that.

 

[H.Cornerstone]

Elaborate?

Spoiler

Not sure if spoilers, but I thought it was well known he was a ladies man/fathered a couple of bastard children before becoming the King

It could have been a plot device created by Bernard Cornwell in his books, and if so I apologize.

 

[Brian Fellows]

Elaborate?
Outside of increased gore, I'm not sure what else would be different. The show already has sex/nudity (that's cut from the US airing).

Nothing on HBO has made me half as uncomfortable as that Blood Eagle scene.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Anyone know the song?

It's apparently an unreleased song, probably from their upcoming third album.

 

[fallout]

Nothing on HBO has made me half as uncomfortable as that Blood Eagle scene.

The gore in Game of Thrones is like slapstick comedy with blood.

Everyone has been so keen on Athelstan's burial scene, but interestingly, it wasn't originally going to be a part of the episode:

Hirst: When I first wrote the episode, I don't think there was a burial scene; the burial scene came out of Travis and I spending quite a lot of time talking. He wanted to have a scene put in which he says farewell to Athelstan. Then it became a major scene. By the end of six we were already kind of on the water going toward Paris, so I pulled that back just to make the statement that this episode was a kind of standout episode to mark the death of Athelstan — because he was such a pivotal, wonderful, central character in the show that it was only fair that I did that.

Interesting, but maybe not entirely surprising. I imagine many fantastic things in television and movies evolve like that over time. Also, Fimmel really nails the scene, so it makes sense that it would have come from him.

 

[UrbanRats]

No other show does music montages like Vikings.
Was that "Wardruna Live @ Kattegat" by the way, when Floki was infiltrating the village?

If you notice, Floki actually marches in tune with the beat.
I thought it was kind of a funny and goofy detail.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Spoiler

Not sure if spoilers, but I thought it was well known he was a ladies man/fathered a couple of bastard children before becoming the King

It could have been a plot device created by Bernard Cornwell in his books, and if so I apologize.

Oh I see. Yeah, I looked at his wiki and it seems like he did

Spoiler

father at least one bastard child during his lifetime.

Nothing on HBO has made me half as uncomfortable as that Blood Eagle scene.

That was pretty intense!

 

[Beefy]

With Athelstan gone I hope the show seizes its chance to get rid of Floki. With both of their bellyaching gone maybe we'll get more time with the interesting people. Like Lagertha who feels like athird tier character right now.

I liked Floki at first, but agree he has now got annoying. But I think he will end up killing Rollo as well.

 

[obin_gam]

If you notice, Floki actually marches in tune with the beat.
I thought it was kind of a funny and goofy detail.

Yeah I picked up on that too. Really groovy haha

 

[NeoGiff]

If you notice, Floki actually marches in tune with the beat.
I thought it was kind of a funny and goofy detail.

Lol I saw this, too. It's just during one shot but really noticeable.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Floki was a great character in season one.

What the fuck happened. This show has zero consistency when it comes to characters or plot structure.

 

[Discotheque]

Floki was a great character in season one.

What the fuck happened. This show has zero consistency when it comes to characters or plot structure.

His character has remained consistent throughout the entire series, we're all just sick of it tho

He's always been the most devoted to the gods, and sees a Christian like Athelstan as an affront to everything he believes

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

His character has remained consistent throughout the entire series, we're all just sick of it tho

He's always been the most devoted to the gods, and sees a Christian like Athelstan as an affront to everything he believes

Spoiler

Floki actually killing someone that his best friend was friends with. More than that, who was their contact to the outside world.

 

[UrbanRats]

Spoiler

Floki actually killing someone that his best friend was friends with. More than that, who was their contact to the outside world.

Did you just miss, like, any scene with Athelstan involving Floki? He also tried to sell Athelstan down the river saying he had betrayed King Horik.
Floki always hated Athelstan, and hated his friendship with Ragnar, also, Floki never gave a shit about foreign cultures, he just wanted to plunder other countries.
Finally, he was clearly established as someone with some mental problems, he says that outright when he's about to be a father, too... long term strategies aren't his concern.

 

[killamajig]

Wardruna

Many have asked for the song that Einar performed in Vikings episode 6. The song has not yet been published but here is a live version of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFNLS3jfddQ

 

[obin_gam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFNLS3jfddQ

This is great