Vikings: Is it Season 4 Or 5 Returning In November? Show’s Creator Also Announces Ragnar And King Ecbert’s Storylines Will ‘Collide’

Season 4 of History’s Vikings aired on February 18 of this year with a finale episode airing April 21. However, was this the finale for Season 4 or a mid-season finale? With the extended season, fans are confused as to when Season 4 ends and Season 5 of Vikings really starts.

Spoiler Alert: This article discusses Season 4 and 5 of History’s Vikings as well as the historical aspects of some characters. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Normally, History’s Vikings runs for between 9 and 10 episodes per season, so when Episode 10 of Season 4 of Vikings ended with a time jump, many fans believed it would be Season 5 returning on November 30. However, at San Diego Comic-Con last year, History announced Vikings would run an extended season in Season 4. This was later confirmed via a press release as 20 episodes for Season 4 of Vikings. That means that there are still 10 episodes of Season 4 of Vikings to air. So, when Vikings returns on November 30, it will be Season 4 fans will be tuning into.

Along with the official announcement by History about the Season 4 return of Vikings, a synopsis for the remainder of the season was also released.

“After being defeated in a monumental battle in Paris against his brother Rollo (Clive Standen), Ragnar disappeared following his humiliating loss. Vikings then took an enormous leap forward during the mid-season finale, time-jumping to a new era in its characters’ lives.”

“In the mid-season premiere, Ragnar’s reappearance in Kattegat triggers a chain of events no one – except the Seer – could have ever imagined. He unexpectedly arrives home to see what has become of his sons and to handle unfinished business in Wessex with King Ecbert (Linus Roache). Meanwhile, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) plans a power play in Kattegat and Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) prepares to fulfill his long-held dream to explore the Mediterranean in a sleek new boat built for him by Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård).”

Vikings creator, Michael Hirst has also confirmed via Variety that Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and King Ecbert (Linus Roache) will come head to head in the Season 4 return.

“The storylines of Ragnar and King Ecbert coincide, finally. So two of the greatest characters in the show come together and in a most extraordinary way.”

In the TV series, Ragnar has been disgruntled with Ecbert on account of the king destroying a Viking settlement he said he would protect. Having Ragnar confront Ecbert about this event could see the two locked in a battle to the death. Historically, Ragnar died at the hand of King Aelle. However, perhaps Hirst has altered history somewhat by bringing Ragnar and Ecbert together in Season 4 of Vikings.

Extending seasons of television shows and then breaking them up into two (or more) parts is quite popular with networks of late. AMC does it with both of their zombie apocalypse dramas, The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. The CW Network has also done this with iZombie. The rationale behind a longer, split season is that it means fans are talking about their favorite TV shows for longer as a result of two lead ups to new episodes and an extended commentary during the mid-season break.

This is the first year History channel has done this with Vikings and it seems to have led to mixed reviews. Fans were certainly excited to learn Season 4 of Vikings would run for double the episodes. However, when the drag between the mid-season finale and the announcement date of the Season 4 return was drawn out beyond the usual announcement for these sorts of things at San Diego Comic-Con in July, fans started to get a little annoyed. History maintained only that Vikings would return later this year. But, finally an announcement was made: November 30 was the return date for Season 4.

While fans are excited to finally have a date they can count down to, some questioned why the season returned so late in the year and why History even bothered still calling it Season 4. After all, if the Season 4 return is on November 30, there is not enough time for the remainder of Season 4 to be shown this year. And, considering each season of Vikings has aired in the first half of the year, fans are not sure why History is planning to put the Season 4 end so close to what is likely to be the Season 5 start next year.

As yet, a Season 5 start date has not been announced for Vikings. However, filming is currently underway in Ireland.

Are you looking forward to the Season 4 return of History’s Vikings? Let us know by commenting below.

Season 4 of Vikings returns to the History Channel on November 30, Wednesday, at 9 p.m. ET. Vikings has also been renewed for Season 5 by the History Channel.

[Featured Image by History]