Vikings

[Karen]

The siege was great, but I'm not too happy that it'll probably lead to Rollo marrying the princess - despite having more dramatic scenes, she's been less interesting than Judith #1 and #2.

I hope that Floki and Kalf will pay for their betrayals in the finale. Goodbye, Athelstan and Siggy. No one else shared Ragnar's intellectual curiousity and open mind about different cultures like Athelstan did, so I understand why he'd rather talk to dead Athelstan than the people around him.

I wonder whether we'll get the time jump next season, everybody's been having kids and even Rollo is about to get a wife.

[scrabblequeen]

Is Rollo marrying the princess a historical fact? I want to know, but am afraid googling will spoil too much!

I vote no one a time jump, for whoever is tallying. :-) I like Rathgar and Lagertha too much to see them go. And I want to see how Floki handles the anger of a patient man.

[Mugsy]

Historical fact about the Vikings is somewhat spotty because of the confusion with names and not the greatest record-keeping 1000+ years ago. Plus, this show is melding various stories to create its own narrative, which I'm fine with since they're sticking close enough to the basic facts.

So yes, there was a Rollo who helped conquer the area of France now known as Normandy and he married Princess Gisela. I'm assuming that's where the writers are going.

When this show started, I googled "Ragnar" to find out more and there was quite a bit on Wiki about the historical figure, noting that there are various versions of the name and different theories about what was fact and what wasn't. But I noticed someone edited the page about a month ago and almost all of it is gone. Not sure why.

[chiquita]

Last week I went from being a fan of the show to being slightly obsessed. I've been listening to interviews with the cast while working on spreadsheets at work, and I'm really impressed with Clive Standen (Rollo) and the research he's done.

I think I was more shocked last night by the request for baptism than by the spiked roller that the Parisians used in that epic battle. I'm bummed that there's only one episode left of the season when there are so many balls in the air.

[Mugsy]

I think they will get into Paris in this last ep, while Rollo and Gisela get together (or imply they will get together) somehow, setting the stage for season 4.

The seer said two things:
- the bear (Rollo) will marry a princess
- the dead will defeat Paris (or something like that)

I think Ragnar is not as sick as he seems and will fake his death. Somehow he'll convince them to let his body enter Paris (maybe because he's supposedly a Christian now?) and that's how they get into the city.

I love this show's portrayal of religion, that there are wonderful followers and pious fundamentalists on all sides. And how none of them are above using horrific violence to get their point across, all in the name of their god(s). And I especially love how Ragnar has been so curious about another faith, while still adhering to his own; being so open-minded.

[lea1977]

That thing that rolled with the spikes was terrifying and so effective.

[scrabblequeen]

God yes, that rolling cylinder of spikes was horrifying.

Love how cosmopolitan and cultured Paris appears compared to backwater Britain. I want to be a French princess who marries the gigantic barbarian!

What else...I miss Athelstan but respect the storyline: Ragnar is on his own, how will he cope? Floki going off the deep end is disturbing to watch. They are all such great actors, King Ecbert too of course. I imagine his offspring several hundred years down the road becoming an attorney in NYC... 

[Ninja Bunny]

I'm disappointed Lagertha hasn't cut off Kalf's head yet. Yeah, I know, he saved her from the rolling spikes but he still deserves to get his butt kicked.

Siegfried stole the show. He managed to get in one last "Fuck you!" before getting beheaded. I'll miss him.

"Not the living but the dead will conquer Paris." In other words they're going to get wiped out by the sickness/plague that's already affecting them.

[chiquita]

Apr 22, 2015 1:00:15 GMT -4 Ninja Bunny said:

I'm disappointed Lagertha hasn't cut off Kalf's head yet. Yeah, I know, he saved her from the rolling spikes but he still deserves to get his butt kicked.

She did tell him she plans to kill him eventually after using him for sex and the battles. I love that he seemed okay with that.

[Mugsy]

As speculated, Ragnar was playing a long con, although he clearly is not healthy. I wonder if the showrunners are setting it up so that Bjorn is the Viking leader, with cuts to Rollo's adventures in Paris, just so we don't mourn too hard if Ragnar dies. I do know what history says about Ragnar's fate, but this show plays loose with history. And Travis Fimmel is so mesmerizing to watch.

As for Princess Gisela, just relax and accept that big handsome guy as your husband. Beats that a Fifty Shades of Odo that you were going to be matched with.

I hope this show gets some Emmy recognition this year.