WiC reviews the final 10 episodes of Vikings
By Corey Smith
Image: Vikings/Amazon Prime Video/History
Season 6, Episode 18: “It’s Only Magic”
Before it started revolving around who could take control of Kattegat, Vikings was at its best when our main characters were exploring the world around them. From England to Paris to the Mediterranean, it was always interesting to watch the characters clash with whatever culture they cam upon. And I’m happy to say that “It’s Only Magic” captures some of that old…well, magic.
Ubbe and his crew are exploring a whole new world. This one might not be as inhabited as some of the others, at least not at first glance, but like the fresh water Ubbe and crew needed so badly, it’s a needed reprieve from the old world rivalries they left behind. Watching Ubbe and his friends explore this seemingly empty continent is exhilarating. Our world is now smaller than it’s ever been, but to Ubbe, everything feels empty and new. I could have watched a whole episode of just Ubbe and friends exploring.
Of course, Ubbe is not quite alone as it seems, and the group soon encounters a tribe of Native Americans. More on that later.
Unfortunately, the Kattegat storyline is godawful. Erik, angered by Ingrid’s consolidation of power, realizes that she was the one who blinded him, although it’s not exactly a huge leap. His countermove is to try and get a slave to kill Ingrid. I wonder how that will turn out?
Again, we’ve only just met these two characters, and there is literally not another named character in Kattegat. It’s hard to care at this point.
In England, Alfred is struggling to physically keep pace with the campaign against the Vikings. The real King Alfred was afflicted with some sort of stomach issue, which on the show causes him to lapse into a coma for a day or so, slowing down his already flagging army. Meanwhile, Ivar and the Vikings seem completely at ease. Ivar and Hvitserk share a powerful conversation that may foreshadow events to come, and it hits pretty hard because we know both of these characters so well.
Ubbe and his band of survivors exploring the new world is easily the highlight of the episode, and could even be a great launchpad for a new spinoff. The scheming and plotting in Kattegat pulls the episode down, but not enough to ruin it. And with just two episodes to go it’s unlikely the pace will flag again.