[Abyss]

I've watched that scene... yes, THAT scene... five times already and it still doesn't get old.

[Jakovasaurus]

Abyss, on 05 March 2015 - 04:28 PM, said:

Jakovasaurus, on 27 February 2015 - 06:44 PM, said:

A couple of things have been established though:
1) Kwenthrith is a psycho hose beast.

Why?

Well, insisting that your uncle's head be brought to you so you can "play" with it is not exactly the picture of mental health. Although, if her story about what her uncle made her endure as a child is true then I suppose it was warranted. But there are some other things "off" about her. Her wild/crazy eyes for one. Ragnar's persistent questions to her as well seem to indicate that he thinks there is something more to her then just her claim to the Mercian throne.

[Primateus]

My goodness this is a badass show, appropriately brutal, interesting and engaging.

[Traveller]

Briar King, on 05 March 2015 - 05:11 PM, said:

On Lagatha just wait till finale and you ll prob be stomping your feet and fist pumping the air.

Fuck Yeah!

That was awesome. I need to go watch it again now.

[Traveller]

So good.

Looking back, one other scene that really made me smile - Ragnar lying in bed, big grin on his face...pan across to see his wife, and still further to Lagartha lying next to her.

[Jakovasaurus]

The healing powers of a princess's pee.

Yeah, a lot happening. Much of it confusing as it sits right now.

* So, the rat exterminator guy from The Strain is a god? See scene with Ragnar's sons at the frozen lake and Siggy. And scene at end of episode where Floki's wife sees him disappear. Also, he shtupped Aslaug, could she be carrying his baby now?!
* Ragnar and Lagertha are playing the long game against King Ecbert. They both have the drop on his machinations.
* Lagertha has some serious treachery awaiting her when she returns to Hedeby. Man, Kalf has made some serious allies - Holy shit! The wife of the blood eagle victim from last season! This can't end well!
* Heh. Good ol' reliable Floki. Man, Floki should be their king.
* And some nice comic relief when they all were celebrating back in Wessex and Aethelwulf slaps Ragnar on the back and puts his arm around him and Ragnar responds by saying "I don't like you"

[Cause]

God stuff will ruin this show!!!

[Traveller]

Yes, the only aspect that has been bugging me has been the jebus visions. When Aethelstan got caught and treated as an apostate, until he got rescued I was pretty much assuming it was another dream.

[acesn8s]

Briar King, on 13 March 2015 - 07:42 PM, said:

Spoilers for 3/12/15 epi





Yea he's a God. Did you notice the shimmer around Siggys daughter and then him at the river? Idk if he's Odin, Thor, Loki, or some other yet though. I'm leaning toward Loki since the Seer mentioned The Trickster in Lagatha convo.

His convo about the knocking up another woman and then nailing Asluang was pretty straight up saying she would be also. Good. I never liked her much. I'm in the Ragnar/Lagatha camp.

Idk about Floki this season. His double agent arc from last season may wind up coming about if he can't keep his anger with the Christ God in check.

I was thinking Loki too. The vision of him holding a ball of fire and Loki being the god of fire, the stories he told about the Thor being tricked by the giants (Loki was there according to the mythology).

So what was everyone's take on Siggy's death? I'm guessing the boys really didn't go out on the lake and that Siggy's life was the price the stranger demanded for easing Ivar's pain. I blame Bernard Cornwell for spoiling some of the show for me (if the writers kinda keep to histories of Ragnar and his sons).

[Jakovasaurus]

Brutal indeed. The momentum is leading to something bonkers happening soon.

Also, sweet move by Ragnar to get away from Floki when he was explaining who the wanderer is.

[QuickTidal]

Traveller, on 07 March 2015 - 08:42 PM, said:

Briar King, on 05 March 2015 - 05:11 PM, said:

On Lagatha just wait till finale and you ll prob be stomping your feet and fist pumping the air.

Fuck Yeah!

That was awesome. I need to go watch it again now.

The first time I watched that I leaped up off the couch and shouted "YESSSSS!" as did the Mrs. We do love Lagertha.

[Abyss]

All caught up and geez Ragnar's become a bit of a douchebag. That scene between Ragnar and Ecbert at the party was some of the best dialogue in tv I've seen in ages.

[QuickTidal]

Caught up now too, and that was a brutal episode. Still, this show is amazing!

Although I'd be lying if I said that KNOWING what happens to a good number of these chaarcters in the future, Ragnar (and his sons; thanks Cornwell), Rollo, Athelwulf ect. takes a BIT of the surprise out of it for me.

Though I will say this...

historical spoilers

Spoiler

since Athelwulf is Alfred The Great's sire...I wonder if Judith's pregnancy by Athelstan MIGHT be Alfred...leading to why Alfred was so different from his older brothers? Totally possible....especially because they've fully ignored Athelwulf's first wife Osberh entirely in the show and moved directly to Judtih....anyways, food for thought. It would be badass if Athelstan was Alfred The Great's father

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 23 March 2015 - 11:18 AM

[Traveller]

I wonder just how far they're going to take this show?

Yes QT, being a Cornwell reader does provide a pretty good account of the Ragnarsons. Athelstan and his his dual identity reminds me of the main guy in a book I read years ago, called The Hammer and the Cross. Actually I think that was about Ragnar too..

This post has been edited by Traveller: 23 March 2015 - 01:56 PM

[Abyss]

It's the most successful thing on History right now and pretty much funding their entire original drama production budget, so i expect that they'll do at least the four seasons needed for syndication.

Probably another two for good measure (and DVD/DL sales) unless they come up with one or two more comparatively successful shows to push resources into.

It's kind of fascinating on an industry level to watch a documentary and reality show channel break so successfully into fiction/drama, especially when the industry may be moving closer to a subscription/on-demand model where one 'must see' show can be the difference between success and dissolution for a channel.

As for the historical elements, anything goes, esp in a show that had massive Irish cliffs around a Viking village. They're using the broad strokes of the supposed facts (depending on who you read Ragnar himself may not have existed ).

There is a certain loveliness to the idea of a final season where Bjorn and his brothers invade England to avenge Ragnar a lot.

[QuickTidal]

Spoiler

I find it really interesting that they have fully jumped into the supernatural arena with Harbard (Odin) coming to town for a while. Up till then, the most supernatural thing you saw were Ragnar's visions, the Scryre guy's prophecies, and Auslaug's claim to be descended from Norse Saga heroes and heroines. Harbard changes all that.

And am I the only one who thinks that þorunn's wounding will only lead her to be a more fierce shield maiden?

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 23 March 2015 - 02:43 PM

[Abyss]

I updated the thread title so no need for blocks, we are

SPOILERS OPEN

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS UNBLOCKED AND SAVAGELY SPOILING

TO THE LATEST EP FROM HERE ON YOU SPINELESS SPOILERBAIT

....

...

SPOILERS


Harbord was handled in such a way that he wasn't necessarily supernatural so much as unexplained, coincidental or just how a superstitious people would see things. Sure, it could have been a god... but he could have as easily been a clever wanderer with some skill at medicine and seducing princesses. It's the same way they've handled everything magicy in the series... the Seer's predictions are so vague that they could easily be interpreted to fit whatever happens... he even said as much.




I'm VERY curious to see where they go with Thorun... Bjorn doesn't exactly seem like he can get over her scarring, but that could yet change.




Surprised they offed Siggi like that... her story never really went anywhere once the original Earl died, King Horick died and Rollo turned out to be lame.




Floki is fascinating this season... he doubts everyone and everything. Also, rocks the fur vest and knee-high leather boots like a pimp.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 23 March 2015 - 03:29 PM, said:

Harbord was handled in such a way that he wasn't necessarily supernatural so much as unexplained, coincidental or just how a superstitious people would see things. Sure, it could have been a god... but he could have as easily been a clever wanderer with some skill at medicine and seducing princesses. It's the same way they've handled everything magicy in the series... the Seer's predictions are so vague that they could easily be interpreted to fit whatever happens... he even said as much.

Yeah, but did you notice how he was shot in the cinematography, especially in the ice scene? He always has a halo around him of this kind of light. Was that just to lead us (the viewer) into believing he was indeed Odin? Or something else, like how the women saw him? Even his voice has this nether-quality to it...especially because having seen Kevin Durand in other roles (LOST most prevalent) that's not even close to his actual voice. I'm just not sure how they are playing that.

Abyss, on 23 March 2015 - 03:29 PM, said:

I'm VERY curious to see where they go with Thorun... Bjorn doesn't exactly seem like he can get over her scarring, but that could yet change.

I think he can get over her scarring...I feel his attitude is far more to do with her distancing herself from everyone.

Abyss, on 23 March 2015 - 03:29 PM, said:

Surprised they offed Siggi like that... her story never really went anywhere once the original Earl died, King Horick died and Rollo turned out to be lame.

It's almost like she was the bug in anyone's ear who would listen to her pushing them toward "power" and that's all she was in the end. They KIND of made her more interesting with Rollo eventually...but even that kind of petered out. I can see why she was written off (just in time to reprise her Glee role for the finale)...but yeah she's not had much to do since she was an Earl's wife...even when she was Lagertha and then Auslaug's sounding board/servant.

Abyss, on 23 March 2015 - 03:29 PM, said:

Floki is fascinating this season... he doubts everyone and everything. Also, rocks the fur vest and knee-high leather boots like a pimp.

Here's the thing I've sort of realized about Floki. Since S1 he's been the most devout, learned, and dedicated religious person amongst the Scandinavian ppl on the show. Also he's batshit crazy. Without fail though, if you want to know about the Saga's or what the Gods might think...you go to Floki. He's the one who tells Athelstan about Ragnarok and other stuff. He's the one who challenges Rollo about his fake Baptism by Aella. He has been (strangely enough, and probably much to his own chagrin) Athelstan's mirror in all things religious. But whereas Athelstan has been able to see all sides and slowly accept the pagan Norse religion as well as retaining his own Christian beliefs (albeit not remotely as chaste) while living amongst his friends in Scandinavia...Floki has gone the other way...becoming more insular, more devout, more crazy. He's maneuvered himself into a place where he's as brutally religious as the English Christians who believe that the pagans NEED/WILL bow to THEIR god...and brook no other option...Floki is the same way now. His mind is set and it will come to violence before long methinks.

So Ragnar continues his journey from typical daily devout belief in the Norse gods...to start to question those deities (with the death of Lagertha's second son)...to getting angry at them....to actively wanting to learn about Christianity. His path takes him closer to Athelstan more and more...and that pisses Floki off something fierce.

So yeah, it's really interesting to see a guy who's REALLY religious watch as almost all those around him allow their belief to wane to a laxity he's not comfortable with. I feel it will come to a head...and I don't think it will end well for Floki to be honest. It's also interesting to watch him be a HORRIBLE father with little to no interest in his daughter.

[Traveller]

I wondered if there was a link between the two children that died when Harbord arrived, and the unresolved deaths of Siggis two children. Not many similarities, but even Ragnar's sons went onto the ice together as a pair.

I was a bit surprised that the original jarls murdered sons remained unexplained.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 23 March 2015 - 05:42 PM

[QuickTidal]

Traveller, on 23 March 2015 - 05:40 PM, said:

I was a bit surprised that the original jarls murdered sons remained unexplained.

While I'm not totally sure, I'm pretty convinced that was just to show that Jarl Haralson's rise to Jarldom was just as bloody as Ragnar's...and as such he'd made enemies who took out his kids.