Season 3, Episode 7

Air Date: Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 10 pm ET/PT on History®

Rating: ★★★★★

“Since you carry his cross, he’s still with us.” – Floki

They say the first five minutes of an episode or a film foretells what the rest will be about. As “Paris” begins, the drumming sound in the background only serves to get me all excited—the Vikings finally reach Paris!  One doesn’t need to lick the Seer’s (John Kavanaugh) hand to figure out what is coming next: hundreds of Vikings bursting in excitement at the anticipation of raiding Paris, the French fearing the Northmen invasion, and Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) keeping the memory of Athelstan (George Blagden) alive. I can hardly wait!

As Ragnar (Fimmel) presses forward to raid Paris, a surprise awaits for him in Mercia

Here are my favorite moments of “Paris”

Moment #5 – Ragnar’s Sons

It appears he’s done it again: Ragnar has had a child with another woman who isn’t his wife. Auslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) should accept the fact this is a pattern she started. Anyone else have a feeling the baby isn’t going to be the last of Ragnar’s sons?

Some might say Princess Kwenthrith (Amy Bailey) does not always show her aristocratic stock but we need to credit her for not popping up unexpectedly in Kattegat in home-wrecker mode, showcasing a pregnant belly.

Moment #4 – Charlemagne’s Grandson Isn’t So Great

Charlemagne’s grandson, Emperor Charles of France (Lothaire Bluteau), might seek to emulate his famous grandfather but he’s a long way off in matching his accomplishments. Charles doesn’t flee the city to safeguard himself but his body language and actions don’t paint the picture of braveness and self-assurance. On the other hand, his daughter Princess Gisla (Morgane Polanski) is officially my favorite new female character!  She’s poised, intelligent and happens to be a trusted adviser to her father. She’s being well-developed as a character and for a reason; I suspect there will be more of her to come.

Moment #3 – “Father of the Year” for King Ecbert

It’s no secret King Ecbert (Linus Roache) is my favorite character on the show. He just keeps getting more and more devious: “I have certain plans in place, various suggestions to invite chaos including perhaps…assassinations.” Is there anything not to love about his nonchalant attitude when he cockily reveals his dark plans?

Ecbert’s ambitions remain strong: he’s got plans to overthrow North Umbria’s King Aelle (Ivan Kaye), maintain his interests in Mercia, and possibly seduce his impressionable daughter-in-law, Princess Judith (Jennie Jacques).

My heart aches for Ecbert’s brave and dutiful son Aethelwulf  (Moe Dunford) who would clearly do anything for his father. Even when Aethelwulf knows he’s being used he still carries out his father’s “missions.”

Soon, King Ecbert might need to reconsider his approach to avoid pushing his son too far before it’s too late. Yet, Aethelwulf’s love for country might just save their relationship.

Wise and confident, Princess Gisla (PolanskI) is a trusted advisor to her father, King Charles (Bluteau)

Moment #2 – Kalf and Elendur are Shut Down

Hearing Floki (Gustuf Skarsgård) tell Kalf (Ben Robson), the usurper of Lagertha’s (Katheryn Winnich) lands and title, “The King, my oldest friend, has asked me to take command” had me clapping.  Those words were the equivalent of Floki telling Kalf to shut up and sit down.

Next, seeing Lagertha put Erlendur (Edvin Endre) in his place is priceless! But Lagertha better watch her back. Kalf and Erlendur have both been known to be fairly chauvinistic. Of the two men, Erlendur appears to be the more vindictive of the two. 

Moment #1 – Floki Goes for Astonishing

When Floki says, “I will make something truly astonishing, just wait and see,” I knew he wasn’t kidding!  Floki can be angsty or weird (except when he believes he’s doing the gods’ will) but does he ever deliver!  The big reveal of what he built to help the Vikings conquer Paris is truly a sight not to be missed!

Overall

I loved this episode, period. The terrain and the careful unfolding of the new characters re-energize the story lines for the remainder of season three. Vikings has always been most exciting when the Vikings are discovering new places and cultures, and the fresh setting fuels story lines in unexpected directions. It’s also refreshing to see a different side of Ragnar. After the murder of Athelstan, he’s a changed man and now is playing politics at a whole other level.

The writing in Vikings must be noted as series creator/writer Michael Hirst packs so much into an hour – the amount of ground covered per episode is incredible and how the story lines are carefully crafted speaks volumes of his talent.

The only storyline I can’t wait to see wrap up is Porunn’s (Gaia Weiss). I feel bad for the actress playing this character but the pity party is a real drag on the show. I could hardly watch her scene with Auslaug as I found myself whispering: “Auslaug, just take the baby and let her go!”  On a more interesting note, we might have just found the princess the Seer has been foretelling that Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) will marry.

We’ll see next if the gods blessed Floki and the rest of the Vikings as they take on Paris. My prediction is that “Axe Time” is going to be epic.

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