‘Vikings’ Season 4 Return Non-Spoiler Review: Ragnar Struggles With His Choices And Lagertha Confronts Her Past

There is only two weeks to go before Season 4 of History’s Vikings finally returns. So, here’s what fans can expect from the main characters in Season 4B.

Spoiler Alert: This article discusses the Season 4 return of History’s Vikings. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

The mid-season finale of History’s Vikings ended with a time jump. Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) had finally returned to Kattegat and the audience was left wondering what his fate would be moving forward into Season 4B. So, here’s a breakdown on how some of your favorite Vikings characters will fare when Season 4 returns.

Ragnar Lothbrok

Season 4 of Vikings saw Ragnar Lothbrok take a decidedly dark turn with him being introduced to the oriental slave, Yidu (Dianne Doan), and her addictive betel nuts. Then Ragnar went head to head in a battle with his brother, Rollo (Clive Standen). After being dragged from the fight as the Vikings retreated, Ragnar decided to take the Viking equivalent of a sabbatical. Season 4 of Vikings ended with him returning to Kattegat and taunting his sons to take over his position as king.

So, will Ragnar’s run of bad luck continue through into Season 4B of Vikings?

Ragnar suffers severely during the first part of Season 4B, in what would be known as depression these days. Considering the time he lives in, as seen in the new trailer for the Season 4 return of Vikings, at one point, Ragnar attempts to take his own life. You will have to tune into Season 4B to find out if he survives or not. But, before this event occurs, as the show’s creator pointed out to the Hollywood Reporter after the mid-season finale of Vikings, Ragnar still has a lot of story to be told.

For those who were disappointed with Ragnar’s choices in the first half of Season 4 and fell out of love with the character, have no fear: while Ragnar may be horribly depressed in the season return, Travis Fimmel manages to coax the audience into falling in love with his character all over again as he heads to England to settle the score with King Ecbert (Linus Roache).

Ragnar’s sons

If you have read into the history of the Vikings, most of Ragnar’s sons to Aslaug go on to do great things. Season 4B of Vikings starts to expand on their journeys. In particular, the first part of Season 4B deals with Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh Andersen) and his relationship with his father as well as how a disabled Viking can manage to participate in a full life.

During a recent interview with Showbiz Junkies, Alex Hogh Andersen explained just how tough it is for Ivar.

“Just to be physically handicapped in a Viking culture, that comes with a lot of challenges and obstacles. He’s always been the one sitting on the beach looking at his brothers fishing or something like that. So because of that, he’s also very lonely. He’s not physically able to participate in the same way.”

While he has grown up with a mother who has loved and protected him, Season 4B of Vikings will explore just how claustrophobic Ivar is feeling. When Ragnar returns and treats him as an equal, rather than a cripple, Ivar is eager to follow Ragnar as he heads to England. This journey is not without huge obstacles. Just travelling by boat poses its own challenges when they hit a storm. However, a special bond is being forged between father and son in the return of Vikings.

As for Ragnar’s son to Lagertha, Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), he is preparing to travel to the Mediterranean in the Season 4 return of Vikings. And part of that journey involves having to approach his uncle, Duke Rollo (Clive Standen), in order to obtain safe passage. In return, the Vikings will not attack or loot any towns or villages in Frankia.

Rollo

For Rollo, having to decide whether to allow the Vikings safe passage or to stay true to his new life as a French noble is a challenge. His wife, Gisla (Morgane Polanski), makes her opinion on the matter perfectly clear. Rollo, however, has always been one who has done his own thing for his own reasons, sometimes even turning against those he loves in order to follow his own path. Only by tuning into the Season 4 return of Vikings will Rollo’s decision be revealed.

Lagertha

The mid-season finale of Vikings saw Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) injured in battle. While her fate was not revealed, Michael Hirst was very quick to assure fans that Lagertha would be okay. Katheryn Winnick confirmed it as well during an interview with Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year.

Moving forward into Season 4B of Vikings, Lagertha will also be settling scores, just like her ex-husband, Ragnar, is attempting to do with King Ecbert. Her score, however, will be with Ragnar’s current wife, Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland). Lagertha makes it very clear that she has never forgotten how Aslaug took everything from her.

Katheryn Winnick explained the confrontation between Lagertha and Aslaug to Entertainment Weekly.

“It’s going to be a cat fight. The two power women go head to head. It’s a really interesting scene because you don’t expect what happens.”

On top of this, Lagertha will also have a new love interest, Astrid (Josefin Asplund). A Yahoo! exclusive video teaser for Season 4 of Vikings shows Lagertha and Astrid training for battle. Lagertha not only takes Astrid as her lover, in a relationship that appears strong and balanced, but also trains her as a shield maiden. When plans are laid for Lagertha to confront Aslaug, Astrid is always by Lagertha’s side.

Aslaug

Aslaug will have a lot to cope with when Season 4 of Vikings returns. Not only will there be Lagertha’s confrontation, she will also have to deal with her son, Ivar, wanting to step out from under her apron strings in the Season 4 return of Vikings.

Added to her problems, she will have her husband, Ragnar, return to Kattegat. She not only feels rejected by him, after he left and did not tell her why, but the return will dredge up emotions from a marriage that has been fairly loveless over the years. For Aslaug, the Season 4 return of Vikings will be a tough one for her.

Season 4 of Vikings returns to the History Channel on November 30, Wednesday, at 9 p.m. ET.

Episode 11 of History’s Vikings Season 4 is called “The Outsider.” The synopsis for Episode 11 is as follows.

“Ragnar has returned to Kattegat and there are secrets to be revealed. He makes plans to return to Wessex to right past wrongs but finds that those who were once his closest allies now have plans of their own. Even the Lothbrok sons refuse to join their father’s mission – except one.”

You can view the gallery for Season 4 of Vikings via this Inquisitr article.

[Featured Image by History]