Love Dilemmas, Visions and More Prophecies. Recap: Vikings - “Answers in Blood”

Season 2, Episode 5

Air date: Thursday, March 27, 2014, 10/9c on History

Rating: ★★★★★

“Don’t fear death. If it comes, embrace it as if you’re laying down with a beautiful woman.” – Ragnar Lothbrook

With Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) back in Kattegat and receiving much needed reinforcements courtesy of his ex-wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and son Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig), the expectation for a huge battle against Jarl Borg (Thorbjørn Harr) has been building up.

: Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) is ready for battle.

With the future of Kattegat and Ragnar’s family at stake, will we get the showdown we’ve been waiting for, or will Vikings take us on an unexpected journey?

Actually, the answer is both. With “Answers in Blood,” Vikings reaches its mid-season and continues with the smart storytelling of focused themes and plots – a wise move by show creator Michael Hirst. I hope this stays true for the rest of the season.

Since its debut episode, we’ve come to learn blood is a lifeline of sorts for the Vikings. Based on their belief system, it is required as humans’ lives are dependent upon the fate and favor of the Gods. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to find an episode titled in consideration of these principles. As I reflect on this, though, I can’t help but wonder what sort of answers we’ll get.

What an impressive lesson in courage from Olrick (Jens Christian Bushov Lund). It’s obvious he realizes he’s suffered a mortal wound and still, he downplays it in front of Bjorn and Ragnar. I was pleasantly surprised at the ingenuity shown by the Vikings in using Olrick as a creative and critical distraction for Borg.
I’m not totally shocked to see Jarl Borg isn’t as brave as he pretends to be in front of his subjects. I can almost smell the fear in him as Ragnar gets closer to him on the battle field.
Will love and pride lead to increasing tensions between Ragnar and Bjorn? Ragnar is beaming with joy at having Bjorn back but his son’s presence during battle is a source of distraction and stress. And, to be fair to Bjorn, how realistic are Ragnar’s expectations about his son’s fighting skills considering the two have been apart for so long? I pity Bjorn for his strong desire to impress his father and the burden he carries; he’s expected to be an epically fierce Viking simply because of who he is.
A family affair. (L-R) Rollo (Clive Standen), Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Ragnar (Travis Fimmel)

Rollo (Clive Standen) finds a new purpose in life and I love the change. He’s the brains behind the strategy of taking back Kattegat, and once again shows devotion to his family and fellow villagers. In battle, Rollo is nothing but impressive and considering he once again saves Ragnar’s life, I’d say he’s an even better warrior than his brother. Kudos to Standen for balancing Rollo’s physicality with his humanity. Thanks to him, Rollo isn’t just another brute warrior. Instead, Rollo comes across as a man who is rather sensitive and feels things deeply. I especially like how welcoming and supportive Rollo is with Bjorn.
After being captured in battle and crucified, it’s hard to tell if Athelstan’s (George Blagden) visions are real; he looks more like a man who has been traumatized. The communion scene is brilliant in capturing how, for Athelstan, the pagan and Christian religions share common themes of sacrifice and blood—one being symbolic, one being literal. Considering Athelstan is in a fragile position in King Ecbert’s (Linus Roach) court, after being cut off from the Vikings, it’s hard to tell where Athelstan’s loyalties stand at present. As he experiences a conflict of faith, I suspect Athelstan will be forced to make some challenging decisions soon.
Speaking of visions, Auslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) continues to visualize prophecies, and one of the foresights surrounding Ragnar appears to be especially concerning to her. Hmm! But, in spite of being able to see some of the future, she’s unclear about the current state of her relationship with Ragnar and clearly feels threatened by Lagertha’s reappearance. Auslaug may be a spoiled princess but she isn’t a total fool. Judging by her husband’s visit to Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig) and Rollo’s home, her concerns aren’t dumbfounded.
Considering Kattegat’s winter supplies are now depleted, will lack of food be a strong reason for Ragnar to head back west to survive the next winter?

Earl Ragnar (Traivs Fimmel) and his wife Princess Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) and their newborn son.

Earl Ragnar (Traivs Fimmel) with his wife Princess Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) and their newborn son.

Some of this week’s answers have nothing to do with bloodshed. For example, we learn who Rollo isn’t in love with anymore. We also learn that although Ragnar isn’t a chauvinist man (he accepts Lagertha coming and going as she pleases), he continues to be limited in his ability to deal with emotional situations. I’m not too keen on his selfish attitude of wanting to keep his two wives, who, by the way, also show disdain for this arrangement but I also dislike his knack for skirting around (pun intended) challenging personal discussions. I must point out, however, how Ragnar’s conversation with the Seer (John Kavanaugh) brings in a good dose of humor and silliness to a fairly gory episode. Fimmel does a great job of infusing comedy and healthy imperfection into his action-centered character who is rather cowardly in the handling of his two ladies!

I must also note Vikings’ remarkable use of sound. It is particularly interesting how the storms are used as a way to reinforce the Northmen’s trust in their Gods, especially concerning their individual fates during important conversations. Pay particular attention to the scenes in which Ragnar and Rollo have key conversations with their ladies. They both appear to feel validated by the Gods through the sound of thunder.

I’ve saved the best for last—discussing my favorite two characters in “Answers in Blood.” I continue to be charmed by Roach’s portrayal of King Ecbert. I find Ecbert’s mysterious and calculating nature captivating, especially because he’s a ruler who chooses to keep a big picture perspective of circumstances in spite of being a religious man. His Northumbria plans are worth keeping an eye on, considering Ragnar once made a deal with that region’s ruler and Ecbert’s openness to make a deal with Ragnar. For sure, King Ecbert has a greater purpose in mind so it will be interesting to see the role Athelstan and Ragnar will play in this. My favorite female character in Vikings so far continues to be Lagertha, whose life motto appears to be centered on living a life of integrity while adhering to a strong sense of self-worth. The woman is selfless and gracious to her ex-husband’s new wife and sons. I must say, her climatic departure from Kattegat comes with a bad omen because I doubt her drunken ex will take her departure to come to Ragnar’s aid well.

“Answers in Blood” is clearly a transitional episode that adds the necessary fuel to keep the show’s storylines for the second half of the season going strong. So far, most events have unfolded in Ragnar’s favor but as his position as Earl of Kattegat becomes more complex and political, I suspect working out situations to his benefit will not only become more challenging but will come at a higher price. I also suspect we’ll see the Vikings sail west soon. Come on, we have to get back to Athelstan and tie up the loose ends with that storyline!

What did you think of “Answers in Blood?” Leave me a comment below or tweet me @LutzElle to discuss.

For more on the show, go to http://www.history.com/shows/vikings.

Follow Vikings on Twitter @HistoryVikings using hashtag #Vikings, as well as some of the cast members—@gblagden, @KatherynWinnick, and @CliveStanden.

Like Vikings on Facebook.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!