User Reviews

Third episode delivers abundance of content, both from spiritual and also warfare aspects. The Prince's last stand is imminent while cultural difference between the British and Vikings are starting to fully emerge. Suffice to say, almost every characters make some sort of development in this bloody episode.

In the home ground the arrival of the mysterious man, who could very well be a shaman, disturbs Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig). She's the wiser one of the stay-at-home ladies, more to her past experience. Gilsig has settled in the character who undergoes different pace than her past cloak-and-dagger vibe. She's now pragmatically invested in everyone's wellbeing. It's interesting to see how they would deal with the visitor.

Turmoil begins after the skirmish plays out. Ragnar receives some opposition regarding the raid, in which the Vikings don't really benefit from. Meanwhile Torstein has another great scene to his name, an aptly fitting one. One of the better developments occurs for Bjorn's benefit. It's been a while since he's trapped in his romancing stint, this is an opportunity for the character to grow.

Escalation also happens on the more peaceful settlement where Lagertha now resides. If there were whispers about the divide of culture, mainly due to tradition and deity, these voices are now thoroughly clamored after the British witness a dark side of the Viking's occult.

This episode is Vikings in full throttle, delivering everything audiences love about the series.

Siggy brings the stranger home and together with Auslag and Helga, they clean his injured hand and Auslag invites him to have a meal and sleep in a straw bed. The wanderer Harbard tells stories about his travels and when he met the gods. Meanwhile, after defeating Princess Kwenthrith's uncle Brithwulf, the Vikings climb the hill to attack her brother Burgred, but the princess asks to spare his life. Floki blames Ragnar for the loss of his own people including their friend Torstein and Porunn that is badly injured. King Ecbert visits Lagherta and the field and watches a pagan ritual of sacrifice while his nobles criticize him. A tragic event happens in Kattegat and Siggy visits the Seer to ask about Harbard.

"Warrir's Fate" is an episode where Floki does not accept the sacrifice of his people in favor of Christians. On the other hand, King Ecbert is criticized by his noblemen for accepting pagans that sacrifice a cow for their god to have a good crop in their lands. Now the big question is who is Harbard? My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Warrior's Fate"

This was one of the most intriguing episodes of the show that I have seen so far. It perfectly mastered the balance between what seemed to me like a fairly realistic portrayal of political drama anno circa 828 and then a very convincing attempt at making sense of "paganism" as well as the clash of cultures. The dialog between Lagertha and king Ecbert of Wessex as well as Ragnar's dispute with Floki were essential for the story's progression - and also a welcome step away from "soap".

The overall storyline of the show is a cleverly condensed dramatisation of events that actually took place in the period between circa 800 and 880 and led to the birth of the first English kingdom. The fictional Ragnar Lodbrog (Lothbrook) character as well as Ladgerda (Lagertha), Aslaug (aka. Kraka) are described by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus who lived in the 1200s. Most likely, Saxo deliberately used the actual viking king Godfred as his inspiration.

But this episode S3E3 elegantly managed to show what was at stake - and more or less how it really could have happened - when Christian and Asatru cultures made their first - but not last - attempt at co- existence. An attempt that would last for nearly 200 years.

I can see the high ratings others have given this but, after 22 episodes, I would assume only diehard fans will be watching.

Personally, I am just a passerby checking up on the back catalogue of Niamh Algar's career.

I appreciate this was early on for her before becoming a noise in the UK, so to have international prominence was a great achievement whilst filming a show in her native Ireland.

Being from the West Mercia and Wessex areas of the UK, the accents and the use of the English language.

20 years ago I met an elderly man from a village near Stratford-Upon-Avon.

He had never had a TV or radio and spoke English in a way that Shakespeare probably would have done but these great warriors are already speaking 21st century English.

I appreciate that county of Wessex is no longer there but the show could have at least filmed in the West Of England rather than the East coast of Ireland.

They were indeed remarkable, nearly as remarkable as Niamh Akbar's performance was unremarkable.

I am sure it is a great way to get young people interested in where they came from as well as brainless entertainment but, I won't be needing to watch another episode.

I am off to plough through more of Niamh Algar's back catalogue (The Virtues, Calm With Horses, Pure, Deceit, Motherfatherson and The Bi-sexual are good shows but Censor is worse than this).

If you like over-the-top battles then Wrath Of Man might be your thing.

Sorry for ruining your high ratings.