SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses History Channel’s Vikings . Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid potential spoilers.
While the premiere episode for Season 6 of History Channel’s Vikings is yet to air, Katheryn Winnick is already revealing details about Episode 8 wherein she made her directorial debut.
Winnick would not confirm if her character, the famous shieldmaiden Lagertha, would be present in the episode. After all, if she did, it would mean that Lagertha had managed to survive at least eight episodes in the final season. However, she was happy to discuss other aspects of her directorial debut with Rotten Tomatoes .
“It was such an honor to be asked,” Winnick revealed.
“Being the only actor on the series after seven years to be asked to direct… was an incredible experience.”
While this was her first time behind the camera on Vikings , there were certain requirements that she wished to see in the episode, and she approached the show’s creator, Michael Hirst, regarding her wishes.
“Give me a big event. Give me something epic and amazing.”
Winnick also revealed that a part of Episode 8 is already being aired in the trailers for Season 6. However, she would not elaborate on the scene shown, only to describe it as a “big event.”
In addition to directing a major scene, Winnick also requested that the episode contain material that would push her fellow co-stars further than they had gone before. In particular, she revealed that Alexander Ludwig, who plays Lagertha’s son, Bjorn Ironside, was “put through the wringer” in Episode 8. Bjorn’s half-brothers, Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Hvitserk (Marco Ilso), also have demanding roles in the episode and Winnick has previously posted a teaser regarding their scene to her Instagram account.
Finally, Winnick requested that the episode she chose to direct had to contain a battle scene. Considering the character she plays in Vikings and the fact that Winnick also has a martial arts background, this comes as no surprise to fans of the historical drama series.
“Coming from a martial art background and doing my own stunts and being passionate about the fight choreography, I asked him for a big fight, a big epic battle, and you will see that as well.”
Fans were already expecting some epic battles in the final season of Vikings . Already, the trailers for Season 6 have shown what appears to be a massive battle on a beach that involves Bhorn’s army and Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh Andersen). As yet, it is unclear if this is the battle that Winnick directed and viewers will just have to be patient and wait for Episode 8 to finally roll around in order to find out more.
Season 6 of Vikings will premiere on the History Channel on Wednesday, December 4, at 9 p.m. This will be the final season. However, a new spinoff series, Vikings: Valhalla , is currently in development with Netflix .