Vikings: Valhalla season 1—All episodes reviewed and explained

Episode Four: “The Bridge”

For the first time this season, we get an epic Viking battle. It’s the Vikings versus the English in a tactical war of wills and wit!

I found it interesting that this entire episode focuses solely on the battle in London. We have to wait until later to find out what happens with Freydis on her pilgrimage to Uppsala. But keeping the episode in one place allows for plenty of buildup and tension resulting in an impressive payoff.

Things kick off with Leif trying to convince King Canute to follow his very meticulous plan; draw Edmund across the bridge and then trap him by destroying it behind him. Because Leif knows that if you capture the King, you capture England. I like that there’s an actual plan in place; it makes the battle more interesting to watch than if they just threw us into the sword-fighting.

However, destroying the bridge won’t be easy. Pretty much the entire first half of the episode is about a group of Vikings going full stealth mode and infiltrating London. Leif invents a new type of “boat” (it’s basically just a surfboard) that they use at night to sail under the bridge unnoticed. That’s where Leif and his small band remain, waiting, until the battle commences.

Inside the walls of London, Edmund awaits his Mercian reinforcements, led by Eadric Streona, but they’re running late. Both Queen Emma and Godwin are keen to make him see reason and wait for the full army before they attack, but Edmund wants to prove himself.

My favorite part of the episode wasn’t the battle itself, but the chat that Edmund and Canute have just before facing each other on the battlefield. King Canute rolls up at the gate and offers to talk. Edmund obliges, believing that he can waste time until the troops from Marcia arrive. Sounds simple enough, right?

Well, Canute has a way with words and knows exactly how to rattle some cages. We all know that Edmund is a coiled spring, and Canute uses all of his experience to provoke him so he acts on emotion rather than reason. I mean, Canute literally has his entire army shouting “coward” at Edmund. And it works. Following their confrontation, Edmund gets on his horse and immediately decides to attack the Vikings, totally against the will of Queen Emma and the rest of his army.

The battle itself is impressive. The congestion on the bridge leads to some great close-quarters action. They don’t hold back on the gore, either. There are lots of moving pieces. Besides the battle on the bridge, you’ve got English archers on the walls as well as Viking ships on the Thames. Then Leif is below the bridge trying to make it collapse with the help of some rope and the ships.

As the battle continues, King Edmund, believing he has the front foot, pursues the Vikings to the other side of the Thames. However, that’s when things begin to go sideways. With Edmund now on the other side of the bridge, Leif and his group destroy it, leaving the King stranded with thousands of Viking warriors.

Just as the bridge collapses, Eadric Streona and his army from Mercia arrive. But instead of joining the battle, Streona commands the army to fall back. If Edmund was prepared to fight like a hero, then he should die like one. I didn’t see this betrayal coming. It was definitely a shock.

We’re left on a cliffhanger wondering what will happen to Edmund. Will he survive? And if he does make it out of Viking custody alive, what will he make of Mercia abandoning him?

Verdict

“The Bridge” is my favorite episode of the series so far. It has everything there is to love about a classic Vikings battle, plus some more: twists and turns, betrayal, brutality, and plenty of shocks. What’s not to love?

I liked that we got to see more of Canute in this episode. He’s always been there, but more often than not the plot has seemed to completely move away from him to instead follow Leif and Harald.

What will the Vikings do to Edmund? What will come of Eadric Streona’s betrayal? Let’s keep on: