Vikings Season 3

King Ecbert just bit off more than he can chew.

 

Yes, he did.

 

don't they all?

 

Interesting episode! I did not see that coming. Though i'm glad it did happen, never really cared for his character. Hopefully they sail out next episode.

 

I agree I did not like him as well...I was surprised at the Kings decision...she should have given it up before the ear was history. Not liking Ragnars turn...

 

Well, that was unexpected. I expected Ragnar to come up with some brilliant plan, but getting baptised surely doesn't help anyone but him..? Or is he scheming some greater plan?

 

This season turned a bit weird mid-point and has continued that way. But lots of actions!

 

I'm not going to be happy if I understand what's coming!

 

this weeks show has blazing action! Excellent!

 

he said he wants to see the Priest...his tribe is getting quite pissed...

 

Looks like Ragnar is dying. I guess next season will be about the competition to replace him? His son Bjorn, Rollo and Lagertha would all be interested in being king (or queen) I'm sure. Did the Vikings ever have a Queen? I guess the guy who took Lagertha's earldom from her might be in the running as well. If the series does indeed play out this way, I'll be pulling for his son Bjorn to succeed him on the throne.

 

Ragnar (the legend, possible historical figure) has a few more adventures, and possibly another famous son, to go before he dies, so if "Vikings" follows the legend we still have old Hairy Britches to kick around for a spell!

 

From the little bit of history of the vikings I know:

Spoiler: history

King Rollo of the vikings (846-932) conquered Normandy and became the first Norman king.
The timeline of vikings would be quite stretched if Rollo in the show is actually meant to be this King Rollo though because the first invasion of Britain (Lindisfarne) took place in 793, more than 50 years before the real Rollo was born, but our Rollo in Vikings was present at that invasion in the show. Unless there's a child or grandchild named Rollo at some point in the future...?

 

I really enjoyed the first two seasons. I'm not quite sure what to say about the third. The mysticism introduced looses my attention quickly.

 

I hope they don't kill him off. The show won't be as good with him out of it. If Flokey (or whatever) was gone, it wouldn't hurt my feelings.

 

Ragnar and Floki seem to be the central characters. I'd not like to lose either of them though Floki is perhaps the more expendable.

 

Paris so far has been a surprising game-changer for both it seems.

 

According to Wikipedia, "after plundering and occupying the city, the Vikings finally withdrew after receiving a ransom payment of 7,000 French livres (2,570 kilograms or 5,670 pounds) of silver and gold from Charles the Bald."

So they get in, they plunder, then are paid off to leave. They already have the offer made (exactly that amount I should add), but Ragnar wants past the walls before he leaves. Again Wikipedia "Although many Vikings had died in the plague during the siege of Paris, Ragnar lived to return home to King Horik." And more "While Ragnar showed the gold and silver he had acquired to Horik and boasted about how easy he thought the conquest of Paris had been, he reportedly collapsed crying while relating that the only resistance he had met was by the long deceased saint.[As Ragnar and several of his men died not long after, the king was so frightened that he ordered the execution of all the survivors, and the release of all his Christian captives."

 

Theres plenty of historical evidence for Viking leaders agreeing to Christian baptism as part of truces, agreements, etc. with their Christian opponents. But as historians have surmised, sometimes these were as much for political and/or strategic purposes as religious. And of course its not like the Christians then were much less barbaric than pagans like the Saxons and Vikings. The double cross is relentless and even integral to western pagan/Christian history. A famous Swedish/Slavic blood viking named Sviatoslov (whose son Vladimir christianized and became the prince of the Rus Kievian state and the seed of what would become Russia) refused to convert and remained pagan despite his mothers conversion and her desire for him to convert. Yet he was a mercenary for the Christian Byzantines - and double crossed them as well. The Christians then double crossed him. Not very 'holy' times!

 

the finale is Thursday! 4/23

 

Looks like that kind of what happened in the finale. They fooled me, I thought Ragnar was a goner.

 

I kind of figured what Ragnar was going to do some kind of "Trojan Horse" ploy. It simply did not make sense that a series that has been renewed for a fourth season would kill off its central character since season one. There's far too many plots to be resolved that require Ragnar's presence. I think, however, Ragnar is not a character that will last that much longer. He's already been weakened and there is a lot of dissension with his own people and outside influences, introduced by the Vikings raids, have further complicated and spread out his responsibilities. I don't see Vikings really going past another season or so. The writer and creator, Michael Hirst, has a tendency to wrap up his series in about four seasons. That certainly was the case for "The Tudors" and will probably be the case here, too.

Remember, in history, there is no real evidence that a character named Ragnar Lothbrok or Lodbrok ever existed. He is somewhat like King Arthur of English legend. Likely, he's a composite character of several famous Norse explorers/conquerors. The sons of those explorers (like Bjorn and Ivar for instance) have far more real significance in Norse history than Ragnar does. Rollo, is an actual figure in history as well. His progeny are important in French and English history, as his great great grandson (or something like that) becomes William the Conqueror of Normandy who won the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

 

real or not this show is extremely well written and exciting! another year before we sail again for treasure!

 

LOL! I would not have wanted to be one of the confessors at his coffin! Damn... they got screwed!

 

The series has kind of mixed several eras of history as well as legend. In historical terms, it is Ragnar's son, Bjorn Ironside, who employed the "Trojan Horse" trick, but he used it against the Italians rather than the French. You could have a show all around the adventures of Bjorn if they wanted to do a sequel.