WiC Watches: Vikings season 6
By Corey Smith
Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) from HISTORY’s “Vikings.” Two-hour season six premiere airs Wed. December 4 at 9PM ET/PT.. Photo by Bernard Walsh.. Copyright 2019
Episode 6×01: “New Beginnings”
“New Beginnings” sounds at first like an odd choice of title to kick off the final season, but it proves apt, as all our favorite characters start in on the next stage of their lives. Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) settles into his new kingship and quickly attempts to undo the pain Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen) inflicted on Kattegat. Honestly, that’s got to be the easiest clean up job ever; just don’t burn people alive. Still, Bjorn sets to his task with sober determination.
Bjorn has long been the most interesting of Ragnar’s sons, so hopefully this season continues to focus on his kingship, with Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) and Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) relegated to the background. Hvisterk might end up being a problem for Bjorn, as he clearly is not on board with Bjorn’s decision not to execute anyone who was involved with Ivar, but it’s Lagertha’s (Katheryn Winnick) absence that will probably be felt most by the new king.
It seems that Lagertha has had enough of fighting and chooses to retire from public life to start a farmstead, much like the one she lived on with Ragnar at the start of the series. It’s a stark reminder to always appreciate what you have: after years of fighting for power, wealth and respect, Lagertha just wants to live her days out raising crops and tending to her chickens. However, Lagertha’s measured voice and experience with ruling could have proven invaluable to Bjorn, whose wandering nature has never seemed suited to rule. He’s like his father Ragnar in that way.
Far across the sea, Ivar travels the Silk Road deep into the Ukraine, where through a chance kidnapping he meets Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky), part of the ruling royal family. Oleg, it seems, is just as crazy as Ivar (if not more so), and the two hit it off pretty immediately, even if Oleg murders Ivar’s lone remaining companion in spectacular fashion (horses and a tree are involved). Oleg and Ivar bond through a random balloon ride over the city of Kiev, and perhaps more importantly, their shared history of murdering their spouses.
Oleg and Ivar’s friendship sets up an interesting dynamic. As far out on a limb as he is, Ivar now has an ally. Ivar has long come into conflict with those around him, so it will be fun to see him interact with someone as maniacal as he is, although we doubt other characters will appreciate their shared insanity.
Overall, the episode was about what you’d expect from a season premiere: a soft reboot for many of the characters while we look to the future. Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) was noticeably absent, although that’s hardly unexpected given our last glimpse of him in Iceland. England and all of its characters were a surprise omission, though not one that will be missed by me. The show could benefit from some streamlining as it heads into the endgame, and if I want to know what happens in medieval England, I’ll just watch The Last Kingdom.
With the season split into two ten-part blocks, its going to be a long ride until the end, but we’re off to a good start.