WiC Watches: Vikings season 6
By Corey Smith
Episode 6×08 “Valhalla Can Wait”
Season 6 may have gotten off to a rough start, but it’s been refreshing for me to enjoy the previous two episodes of Vikings so much. The question for me though, was what would the show do after Lagertha’s death and funeral, which largely carried those two episodes. Would we slide back into the the mud and spin our wheels again? Or would Lagertha’s death permanently propel the season back into the fast lane? I’m happy to say, it was the latter. Mostly.
“Valhalla Can Wait” opens with Bjorn confronting Hvitserk over Lagertha’s murder, although it’s unclear how Bjorn actually figured that out after appearing rather clueless last week. Still, I’m just happy Bjorn figured out something for once, and his fury is a sight to behold. Bjorn has long had the potential to be the show’s most interesting characters, and while I’d prefer that potential wasn’t realized via fridging Lagertha, at least its finally happening. We also get to see Bjorn grieve for the death of one of his children, so it appears our hero might finally be turning into a fully rounded character.
The scene is powerful and understated at the same time. Ubbe and Torvi both clearly feel for Hvitserk despite his crime, and Hvitserk’s admission that he’s never accomplished anything worthy of their father’s mighty name is hard to watch. Still, despite any feelings the others might have, they know better than to interfere with Bjorn’s vengeance.
Interestingly, when Ubbe later suggests Hvitserk beg for mercy, Hvitserk declines, believing his madness was an instrument of the gods’ will. Someone had to avenge Lagertha’s murder of Hvitserk, Ubbe and Ivar’s mother Aslaug, and Hvitserk believes he’s finally accomplished something in his life. Setting aside the show’s overuse of “the will of the gods” to explain way too many terrible things, there’s an underlying vein of hypocrisy running right through the heart of Bjorn’s rage considering his mother murdered his half-brother’s mother in cold blood, and the show makes a misstep in not pointing this out.
Ultimately, Bjorn lands on burning Hvitserk at the stake, although it never really felt as if this would be the way Hvitserk goes out. Sure enough, Bjorn subtly nods to Ubbe, who flings an axe that releases Hvitserk from his bonds. And while the moment certainly made me look up “Vikings Axes” on Amazon for purchase, what followed was even better. Bjorn decides exiling Hvitserk is a more painful punishment, and like the axe throw, it hits the bullseye on poor Hvitserk’s soul. But like his exile of Ivar’s men at the start of the season, we’re guessing that decision will come back to haunt Bjorn.
Bjorn’s other actions have more immediate effects, as Gunnhild catches Bjorn sleeping with his latest boo. She might have a name, but as fast as Bjorn runs through wives, and with only a handful of episodes to go, I’m not sure it matters. Gunnhild shockingly suggests Bjorn free and marry the slave girl, something that happens as often as people blame the gods for their decisions, it seems. I’m not sure I quite buy Gunnhild graciously offering to share her husband, but hey, skoal.
Elsewhere, Ubbe and Torvi decide to leave for Iceland, which I’ll be honest, I only care about because it means we might finally get Floki back. And maybe a little because we’ll hopefully see Kjetill sent to Valhalla.
Before we leave Kattegat, we get a vote of confidence in Bjorn’s leadership by the people of Kattegat in the face of a looming conflict with King Harald. For his part, Harald begins to consolidate his rule by sending out patrols to watch not only his rivals, but also for a potential foreign invasion. Of course, that foreign invasion is on its way in the shape of Oleg’s massive army, and we get an initial skirmish as Oleg sends out scouts to probe Norway’s defenses.
How the power struggle will play itself out in the show’s final episodes between Oleg, Bjorn and Harald remains to be seen, but I can say with certainty that it will be far more intriguing than watching Ivar and Oleg manipulate Igor. I still maintain that a Oleg/Ivar buddy ruler plot would have been far more entertaining than their quick descent into mentally trying to outmaneuver each other. Their back and forth is pretty tired. Hopefully things heat up when Oleg properly begins his invasion, but for now, the Kiev storyline is dragging the rest of the season under.
Overall, “Valhalla Can Wait” is a solid episode. With only two episodes to go before the show takes a break, it seems unlikely we’ll have many major battles, but when the second half debuts later this year, we should be in for quite the roller coaster.