Here’s the recap for Episode 10, entitled “The Last Ship” of Season 4 of Vikings .
SPOILER ALERT: This recap contains information about the 10th episode of Season 4 of History Channel’s Vikings . Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed this episode and wish to avoid spoilers.
The Season 4 mid-season finale of Vikings has left many fans perplexed and confused. The expected battle between Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and his traitorous brother, Duke Rollo (Clive Standen), was executed wonderfully with a battle scene that was both visually spectacular and excessively brutal in parts. However, there was not really a solid outcome for the Vikings involved at the end. While Rollo could claim victory, perhaps it would have been more satisfactory for one — or both — of the brothers to perish. Rollo, after all, has been a traitor to his family and the Vikings in general time and time again, it seemed a death would have worked better than both brothers surviving.
However, if it is an epic battle scene you want, History Channel delivers in spades. History Channel have been excellent in season 4 of Vikings of showing just how much hard work a battle really is. While watching hordes attack is fun, getting up close and personal as people struggle against each other and fatigue is something i can just never seem to get enough of in Vikings . If you loved the battle where Aethelwulf (Moe Dunford) attempted to rescue Queen Kwenthrith (Amy Bailey), then this battle will appeal to you.
Speaking of surviving, while there were plenty of injuries and many predicting deaths of fan favoritesin the mid-season finale of Vikings, no one of consequence died during the battle between Ragnar and Rollo. Sure it seemed for a really long time there that Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) might have perished, but the Vikingscreator and writer, Michael Hirst, has already confirmedto Entertainment Weeklythat Lagetha’s story will move forward into the second half of Season 4.
After this epic battle, the Vikings return to Kattegat to lick their wounds, and Rollo returns to Paris victorious where there is much fanfare. Also, in Paris, we get to see the Emperor (Lothaire Bluteau) finally grow a set and have Therese (Karen Hassan) and her brother/lover, Roland (Huw Parmenter), killed and I am thankful this woeful 50 Shades of Thrones has finally ended.
Meanwhile, back in Kattegat, there is a massive timehop that did nothing more than confuse the hell out of everyone. While Vikings fans are still trying to work out if Lagertha survived her wounds at the battle between Ragnar and Rollo, we discover Ragnar has disappeared. Where to? Nobody knows, least of all Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), but she couldn’t even remember she was tasked with looking after Bjorn’s daughter in Episode 9 of Vikings , so why would she even remember she had a husband? Especially one she didn’t particularly like. But it does give her the chance to rule in his place and that is something we all know Aslaug likes to do.
While timehops are important in a show like Vikingswhere travel can takes years and life can happen at such a slow pace, this particular jump in time was not greatly orchestrated. Basically, the mid-season finale of Vikingsis good for the battle scene at the start and the acknowledgement that a big timehop occurred in order to set fans up for the mid-season return later in 2016.
Other important things to note in Kattegat is the fact that all of Ragnar’s son’s have grown up. Ivar (Alex Høgh) is still creepy. Bjorn decides to check out the Mediterranean. Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) and Helga (Maude Hirst) are still together — although, unfortunately, still childless, but they agree to join Bjorn when he leaves for the Mediterranean. The town has grown dramatically and Ragnar finally does return. Thus the second half of Season 4 of Vikings has been dutifully set up for its return later in the year.
What did you think of the Season 4 mid-season finale of Vikings ? Did you get confused with the timehop in Episode 10? Was the battle scene between Ragnar and Rollo everything you expected? Let us know you thoughts by commenting below!
The second half of Season 4 of Vikings will return to History Channel later this year.
[Image via Jonathan Hession/A&E Network]