“Vikings” Recap/Review: "The Lord’s Prayer"

Dymon Lewis ’14 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

King Horik (Donal Logue) is dead, long live King Ragnar (Travis Fimmel).
The reveal that Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) and Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig) were actually triple-crossing King Horik was not that shocking or exciting. Floki’s rift with King Ragnar made no sense logically in the show and while the character is a trickster he is not a traitor. Siggy was a much more believable traitor as she has several very concrete reasons to hate Ragnar.
Regardless of the fact that he let her live and have a meaningful role in his kingdom, Ragnar still killed Siggy’s husband and she has been reduced to status much less than that of earl’s wife. However, when King Horik commanded her to kill Ragnar’s young sons the threat cannot be taken seriously. Siggy has shown extreme loyalty to the other woman in the show and after the loss of all her own children it is impossible to believe that she would murder Aslaug’s (Alyssa Sutherland) children.

What is actually more interesting was that the betrayal isn’t cut and dry. While it is clear that Ragnar, Floki and company were working together from the beginning, some of Floki’s actions seem to be rooted in his actual anger at Ragnar. Floki is quite the method actor and his expressions of discontent to Helga read as real through the screen. When it was his turn to deliver a deathblow to King Horik there was a look of regret on Floki’s face, not triumph. Floki did have a rapport with King Horik—but he could never betray Ragnar.
Siggy’s role in King Horik’s downfall is even more complex? Was she working with Ragnar and company since the first time she approached Horik? Or did Horik’s forcing her to sleep with his oldest son Erlendur (Edvin Endre) cause her to betray him? Or When Horik commanded her to kill Ragnar’s young sons in exchange for becoming a second wife Siggy’s eyes light up—is it because she is thrilled by the offer to return to a position even higher than her old one or that she has discovered Horik’s plan?
Ultimately Siggy’s loyalty to Rollo and her desire to see him succeed perhaps trumped her own desire for a rise. Siggy’s character is the kind of woman that believed her power had to come from pulling the strings of the man to whom she was married. She would not want to be an earl like Lagertha. Her goal was to put Rollo into a position of power and ascend with him. That goal has not changed.

Vikings has been renewed by the History Channel for a third season and there remains a ton of potential in the series. Ragnar did not kill Prince Erlendur which is surely a decision that will come back to haunt him. Athelstan is a born-again Christian and despite his loyalty to the Vikings crew it is sure to cause problems. Furthermore, Ragnar’s request to learn one of Athelstan’s prayer (the only time Ragnar speaks during the episode) depicts his rising interest in the foreign religion so hated by most Vikings in Kattegat.
Ragnar’s religious tolerance could lead to problems for the new king. King Ecbert (Linus Roache) is pining away for Athelstan in Wessex and plotting complete world domination while Princess Kwenthrith (Amy Bailey) is trying to take control of her kingdom and bed some Vikings. The world of Vikings is set to get much bigger.
As explained by Vikings writer and creator Michael Hirst in a series postmortem interview with Entertaiment Weekly, there will be a time jump and set change in the third season to reflect Ragnar’s new position as king and more historically accurate raids will be shown throughout Europe which should please viewers in it for the history and not just the hot men and women in braids. Michael Hirst wants to keep the series going until the Viking heroes find America. Viewers are going nowhere.
Overall Episode Grade: A