Spoileriffic Vikings 3x10 reaction post -- "The Dead"

[yakalskovich]

 I made myself some really nice lunch and will now proceed to have my heart completely mangled. **wibbles**

• Travis Fimmel's comments beforehand that went around on tumblr were miserably unhelpful, of course!
• No Linus Roach on the Villain Rock once more...
• Nobody questions why Ragnar wants to go to heaven and be with Athelstan -- it's only just "Christian king, unthinkable, etc." Isn't it obvious Ranar would join any religion whatsoever just to get him back? Christianity is purely incidental!
• ROFLMAOPIP -- Count Odo has a dungeon! Proper BDSM! Including something of a safe word! **giggles**
• I would have loved to see that conversation between Floki and Ragnar -- we must OOM that when the time comes. Poor Floki, though.
• He's dead??!?!?
• OMG Floki -- I never saw that one coming! He killed Athelstan out of jealousy, because Ragnar loved him unconditionally and hardly ever looked at Floki. Now his way of chafing at that normalcy with Helga, and his disdain for that happiness, makes more sense.
• Why are the pall-bearers all nobodies?
• This is wrong -- the arches are Gothic.
• WHAT???
• Nope, not dead!
• Björn was in on it -- not the others!
• They are paying attention to what MedievalPOC has to say -- there is a lady-in-waiting at the wedding who is definitely dark brown, just casually in the crowd.
• Gisela: **long speech about how Rollo is an animal and she'd rather fuck a burning maypole or so, yadda yadda** Rollo: "Ohai, I learned your language!"
• OMG when he finally does get to see Athelstan again, Ragnar will so be in the doghouse for using his own burial to actually conquer the city!
• Rule with your head, not your heart -- indeed!
• Floki neither says yes nor no -- what a cliff-hanger to leave us on!!
• Björn, a polar bear, and lots of snow. Is he going to Iceland as well? Will he get to live in 871 +/- 2 just as I wanted?
• Also, I don't think Ragnar will survive much longer than the first or second episode of season 4 -- on the way home from France, Wikipedia says, his ships came off course, and he fell into the hands and ultimately snake pit of King Aelle.
• He might yet get to see or at least know about Alfred, though, and perhaps even tell Judith that Athelstan is dead.
• However shall we deal with this in Millliways -- we are totally left hanging! Worse than Hannibal!
• I do think that Ragnar meant it when he was baptized; see the visions before etc. However, when time passed and he realised he was neither dying nor getting better, he may have hatched a plan.
• Interesting, though, that the Vikings just took what they wanted and then left. They made a point and didn't do much damage. "You tricked them and stole their things" is a much milder accusation to make than "You tricked them and burned, killed and raped". The former, Athelstan may easily forgive in heaven.
• Those embarrassing things people told Ragnar's 'last boat' -- Lagertha is rather sweet, giving away she still loves Ragnar, but Floki gave himself away as Athelstan's killer by what he said. Now they must all live with having told Ragnar to his face (in a way) what they meant to say to his dead body.
• I think banishment for Floki, and him taking his best ship and properly discovering and naming Iceland, is very likely after this.

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Comments

[1stwitness]

(Ignore the journal). The good thing is we won't have to deal with this in Milliways until we see what the beginning of season 4 has to offer, since we're so far behind.

...probably not, anyway.

[yakalskovich]

We can always let them be stuck during the weeks that they stay in Paris with Ragnar being sick until the fourth season has started, and we know where this is going. As I said on the other post, I think Ragnar might get his door back after his baptism. When he realises that he's not dying / starts using Milliways to not die because even though he feels miserable, Athelstan doesn't want him to die, he will start hatching that plan. It would be just like Athelstan to set the condition that nobody should die...

[1stwitness]

Or at least, that nobody should die unnecessarily, or that no civilians should be hurt. He's not going to say the Vikings can't defend themselves from attack.

....there might be some Looks if he hears about the archbishop, until Ragnar explains himself.

[yakalskovich]

Well, we have Floki and Rollo, who are going to be there as well, even if not in the church; they will be able to tell Athelstan about the bishop -- perhaps triumphantly, claiming Ragnar for paganism after all because he didn't hesitate to kill a 'man of god'. Then Ragnar will explain about killing one to be able to spare everybody else, and about the bishop telling him he'll go to hell. Anybody who comes between him and Athelstan meets a sticky end...

[1stwitness]

All works well. :)

[yakalskovich]

It does!!

However, if Athelstan feels like being angry at Ragnar for using his conversion and faking his death like this, then he is free to express that -- conflict makes stories more interesting, and that is true for RP as well.

[1stwitness]

He might be. Or part of it might even have been his idea - not the conversion, most likely, but possibly the faking his death. The subterfuge does cut way down on the violence, after all.

[yakalskovich]

I love the idea of them hatching plans together in Milliways...

[1stwitness]

It will be fun. :D

[yakalskovich]

Yes!

[bjornwilde]

For some odd reason, I am more okay with Rollo's ambition this season than what happened in the first season. Maybe because there are ways the brothers won't have to fight? Or it's less, you have to fight Ragnar and more, here are some lands and a title, please protect us? Protecting doesn't have to equal fighting.

[yakalskovich]

Nope.

Also, it won't be put to the test -- Ragnar isn't going to come back, nor is Floki. Björn will go discovering (as the polar bear in the season 4 preview suggests), and Rollo can probably deal with the likes of Kalf and Erlendur...

[bjornwilde]

The promo I just watched online (I didn't see the show on TV last night, just a peek of it) had a bear with brown fur. I don't think polar bears get brown fur? Lots of snow though.

And yay for no brother fighting! I like Rollo being someone I can respect in some ways.

[yakalskovich]

I thought it was a white bear -- and lots of snow, yes. I may be mistaken; I was, by then, completely overcome with feels.-

[bjornwilde]

Completely understandable! I should have been clearer with my comment. I meant it more as, "am I looking at the right promo?" than you were wrong. Sorry about that.

[yakalskovich]

You were right -- definitely a grizzly:

http://vikings-shieldmaiden.tumblr.com/post/117274440080/bjornstark-bjorn-ironside-vikings-season

So, Vinland?

[bjornwilde]

Oh, now that is an interesting idea. = ]

[yakalskovich]

Where else ae grizzly bears?

[gods_that_haunt_me]

I would have loved to see that conversation between Floki and Ragnar -- we must OOM that when the time comes.

I just read something on Tumblr that Ragnar's coffinboat had both Christian and Pagan symbols. Now I need to find good screencaps to see if this is true. If it's true, omfg the feelings.

[yakalskovich]

Especially as Floki will actually think that Ragnar is really dying, and this boat will not take him to Valhalla...