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Post by arcadian on Jan 22, 2017 20:34:58 GMT -5
I thought this one was a bit of a let down from the last several. We've been building up to the invasion of England by the Great Heathen Army and once they arrive to conquer Northumbria, we skip past the fighting to show what happened to the captured King. Before the jump though, we get a scene that Monty Python would have lampooned. King Aella looks across the open field chosen to confront the Viking menace and laughs contemptuously, this is your Viking horde? But unknown to the King, waiting just outside of camera angle, there were ten times as many Vikings waiting to make a grand entrance. And what an entrance, each unit is led into the scene by one of the rock stars of the Viking world.
I also just about never like anything this show does about religion, and scenes of a human sacrifice intermingled with sex just confuse me. Really my main concern though is the battle, is the campaign to conquer England going to largely be shown off screen?
It looks like Fairhair and Halfdan went to England, so the pressure might be off Lagertha for now, or did that scarface dude stay behind?
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Post by Jason Aiken on Jan 26, 2017 14:04:22 GMT -5
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Post by themirrorthief on Jan 26, 2017 21:12:09 GMT -5
it was a mistake to make Ragnar's youngest son a cripple...he is the most dynamic personality on the show now if Rollo isnt around much and where are the macho Englishmen? Had to be one or two back then
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Post by Erik on Jan 27, 2017 17:50:31 GMT -5
I dunno, I miss Ragnar, but at the same time I'm still really enjoying the show. I also think that Ivar is really stepping up and filling in that void that Ragnar left, and the fact that he's beginning to really overcome his disability makes him even more interesting. I like his relationship with Floki too.
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Post by arcadian on Jan 28, 2017 10:44:09 GMT -5
The show certainly moved much quicker to a Viking -- Wessex confrontation than I expected. I guess its a good thing I don't have Netflix, so I can't watch The Last Kingdom when it returns, which is covering this same part of history. Cornwell makes "boneless" more of a joke, his Ivar is so thin that it is said he could be rolled up like a blanket, but every time I try to imagine what that looks like, he seems skeletal, bony.
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Post by Jason Aiken on Feb 1, 2017 22:52:38 GMT -5
Heh, I guess we're not getting a big time jump after all. That was an interesting episode, but I kind of hated to see Sigurd go. He messed with Ivar one time too many, so he had it coming, but I thought he was an interesting character.
The introduction of the Warrior Bishop played by JRM was so damn random, but it was a cool tease. It will be interesting to see him and Ivar face off against each other.
I found it odd that Ecbert ceded East Anglia to the Northmen when he was no longer king. Perhaps that piece of paper is meaningless?
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Post by Erik on Feb 3, 2017 17:34:33 GMT -5
I found it odd that Ecbert ceded East Anglia to the Northmen when he was no longer king. Perhaps that piece of paper is meaningless? I'm pretty sure that was another one of Ecbert's ploys - giving the Northmen a title that won't be recognized by anyone. I got a chuckle out of that. Awesome episode, I thought. And I guess I was right about the producers saving all the battle scenes for the finale (after skipping them last time against King Aelle), and man was it worth the wait! I liked the enmity and tension between Sigurd and Ivar because it made for an interesting relationship. One could never be too sure when one of the two brothers would snap, and it brought some extra excitement to the show. So in that respect, I'll miss Sigurd too.
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Post by arcadian on Feb 7, 2017 10:33:29 GMT -5
Eckbert's trick seemed a bit contrived to me at first. I don't think the Vikings would feel any more secure by a piece of paper they cannot read, and I don't think the English would honor any deal with an unbaptized heathen (plus I'm not sure East Anglia was his to give).
But thinking about it more, through the deception and self-deception both sides kind of got what they wanted. Eckbert wanted to save his kingdom and his family by absorbing the onslought on himself, buying time in the process, and if possible deflecting the Vikings away. He may have also observed that the Vikings like to farm and they like to fight, and giving them a farming opportunity might reduce them.
OTOH, the Vikings despite their successes are deep in hostile territory and will slowly erode as a force. I guess this is the type of show that doesn't dwell on provisioning an army. Bjorn also wants to leave England, probably annoyed with his brothers, and sharing his father's desire to see the world. He is willing to claim victory and leave.
So both sides wanted a truce; I doubt the Vikings care much for the paper other than they think Wessex won't violate its terms very quickly; they know such paper is important to the English Eckbert probably thought it was hilarious though.
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Post by arcadian on Feb 7, 2017 11:03:38 GMT -5
Heh, I guess we're not getting a big time jump after all. That was an interesting episode, but I kind of hated to see Sigurd go. He messed with Ivar one time too many, so he had it coming, but I thought he was an interesting character. There is going to be a new actor for Aflred next season, who is currently 18, so there could still be a little jump, and they've set up so many different people going different directions that I wouldn't be surprised if there is a little jump to make it easier to advance the plot. Let me count the threads: 1. Bjorn and new sidekick Halfdan going on a sea cruise; 2. Ivar fighting English red shirts; 3. Ubbe and Hvitserk, now essentially married to each other, set up farming commune in East Anglia; 4. Haraldr going back to Norway to confront the mysteries of women in Lagertha; 5. Wessex soap opera; 6. Floki takes up wandering as a metaphor for the storyline. Could also add Rollo in Francia, but I think he's probably done for, but wow, that's a lot of story threads that opened up. Maybe we've seen the last of some of them. But I could see Floki or Bjorn returning to England or Norway and being told what happened the last couple of years, so each thread could advance a little bit and some of them could join together.
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Post by Jason Aiken on Feb 7, 2017 12:13:55 GMT -5
Could also add Rollo in Francia, but I think he's probably done for, but wow, that's a lot of story threads that opened up. Maybe we've seen the last of some of them. But I could see Floki or Bjorn returning to England or Norway and being told what happened the last couple of years, so each thread could advance a little bit and some of them could join together. Very true, in this season's recap/special episode, an older Ubbe seemed to be telling his children about Ragnar's life...so we know the show isn't above doing that.
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Post by themirrorthief on Feb 7, 2017 17:51:02 GMT -5
time to team up with braveheart and really give the brits a royal ash kicking
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Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 4, 2017 12:22:10 GMT -5
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Post by Jason Aiken on Jul 18, 2017 15:30:25 GMT -5
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Post by Erik on Jul 19, 2017 10:03:04 GMT -5
I'm intrigued by this upcoming season, especially regarding that photo where Bjorn is leading his men through the desert. Should be an interesting change!
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Post by Jason Aiken on Jul 22, 2017 15:50:47 GMT -5
This is looking really good, Season 5 trailer from ComicCon. I like the civil war aspect of brother vs brother.
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