Vikings: Breaking Point
April 17, 2015 3:50 AM - Season 3, Episode 9 - Subscribe
The Vikings hit Paris with a second, more considered, assault. Emperor Charles dithers. Rollo kicks arse. Ecbert does the dirty.
Holy Shit! I did not see that coming. I know he's a bit obsessed with Athelstan, but WOW!
Holy Shit! I did not see that coming. I know he's a bit obsessed with Athelstan, but WOW!
Oh, you mean the 'wanderer', Sinric. Ah, no, it's just a really weird looking dude. Irish director Frankie McCafferty. (To me, the seer would refer to the blind fortuneteller who lives in Kattegat and who was recast this season.)
I actually had to go to wikipedia a couple of weeks ago and see what the history of vikings attacking Paris was. It seems this show is compressing a decade or more of raiding the inlets into one season. It's also worth checking wikipedia to see how medieval england was carved up. Mercia is most of the middle, for instance.
I do think that english king in this episode spoke in british prog-rock lyrics throughout.
And oh, that beheading made us laugh and laugh!
posted by Catblack at 11:09 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I actually had to go to wikipedia a couple of weeks ago and see what the history of vikings attacking Paris was. It seems this show is compressing a decade or more of raiding the inlets into one season. It's also worth checking wikipedia to see how medieval england was carved up. Mercia is most of the middle, for instance.
I do think that english king in this episode spoke in british prog-rock lyrics throughout.
And oh, that beheading made us laugh and laugh!
posted by Catblack at 11:09 AM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
is the character meant to be transsexual/third-gender?
That's my impression.
posted by homunculus at 11:12 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
That's my impression.
posted by homunculus at 11:12 AM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Interesting (pdf)... researchers have associated this aspect of seiðr with transvestism, homosexual practices and the concept of a “third gender” known to have existed among the shamanic cultures of Eurasia, North America and the Arctic ...
Solli ventures to suggest that seidberendr was the name of the third gender, biologically male transgressors of gender boundaries working in shamanic contexts ...
The Sámi shamanism was well-known to the Scandinavians, and it shared many similarities with seiðr. According to a rather convincing interpretation, the man from Vivallen was a gender-mixing shaman (Zachrisson 1997, 148–149) ...
posted by porpoise at 11:34 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Solli ventures to suggest that seidberendr was the name of the third gender, biologically male transgressors of gender boundaries working in shamanic contexts ...
The Sámi shamanism was well-known to the Scandinavians, and it shared many similarities with seiðr. According to a rather convincing interpretation, the man from Vivallen was a gender-mixing shaman (Zachrisson 1997, 148–149) ...
posted by porpoise at 11:34 AM on April 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Given "forgive me friend for what I'm going to do", it'll be interesting to see if this is a true conversion...
posted by Runes at 12:57 PM on April 17, 2015
posted by Runes at 12:57 PM on April 17, 2015
Given "forgive me friend for what I'm going to do", it'll be interesting to see if this is a true conversion...
Ah! That would make sense.
posted by unliteral at 1:27 PM on April 17, 2015
Ah! That would make sense.
posted by unliteral at 1:27 PM on April 17, 2015
I'm not sure; didn't Ragnar let everyone know that he's dying? (of internal injuries from that fall off the walls; the first thing that popped into my head during the extended dfficult pee opening scene was - massively bruised kidneys) The 'joining Athelstan' sounds like a legit thing given how deeply the bromance runs.
But the timing's all off. If Bjorn's back on his feet and breathing, then if Ragnar's injuries were that severe Ragnar wouldn't have survived this long.
Bjorn, with two quarrels in his back and a likely lung puncture. Back on his feet.
So, yeah, massive time compression. Makes for exciting TV.
posted by porpoise at 6:34 PM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
But the timing's all off. If Bjorn's back on his feet and breathing, then if Ragnar's injuries were that severe Ragnar wouldn't have survived this long.
Bjorn, with two quarrels in his back and a likely lung puncture. Back on his feet.
So, yeah, massive time compression. Makes for exciting TV.
posted by porpoise at 6:34 PM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
First, my husband has started calling Rollo "Bro-serker." Second, could they telegraph ANY HARDER that Rollo is gonna end up with Gisela of the Francy Accent?!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:52 AM on April 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:52 AM on April 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
The bit with the viking asking for someone to hold his hair was pretty funny. I wonder if the writers made that up or if that's a historical anecdote. I could swear I've read about an incident like that before.
posted by homunculus at 9:57 AM on April 18, 2015
posted by homunculus at 9:57 AM on April 18, 2015
That accent is shocking. One thousands years too early for Allo Allo.
posted by biffa at 1:41 PM on April 18, 2015
posted by biffa at 1:41 PM on April 18, 2015
That initial assault... Hoo boy. The hot oil from the murder holes, followed by that rolling death engine in the hall. It occurred to me that our Vikings has accidentally decided to raid Tucker's kobolds.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 2:12 PM on April 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Parasite Unseen at 2:12 PM on April 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
im so annoyed, ragnar doesn't die in fucking paris aarhghghghg WHERE ARE THE SNAKES
posted by poffin boffin at 11:21 PM on April 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 11:21 PM on April 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
Was it correct to guess that Ragnar had intended to keep the baptism secret from the others?
Also, was he really laying in a pool of blood or was that in his head? Was he bathing himself in the blood of the lamb, so to speak?
I know Vikings got renewed, would they continue the show with the main protagonist dead? (I can't believe this......he wrote after they killed off Aethelstan, etc...).
Meanwhile in Wessex, Ecbert continues to be crazy. Does he not want his son to actually have a son of his own? Hrm.
posted by Atreides at 5:38 PM on April 19, 2015
Also, was he really laying in a pool of blood or was that in his head? Was he bathing himself in the blood of the lamb, so to speak?
I know Vikings got renewed, would they continue the show with the main protagonist dead? (I can't believe this......he wrote after they killed off Aethelstan, etc...).
Meanwhile in Wessex, Ecbert continues to be crazy. Does he not want his son to actually have a son of his own? Hrm.
posted by Atreides at 5:38 PM on April 19, 2015
homonculus - I could swear I've read about an incident like that before.
Me too and it was kinda bugging me. Then it struck me; Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves does a very similar thing when they were going to cut off his hand. Instead of hair, he was holding onto the leather strap that's supposed to keep his arm outstretched for the chopping.
(And the hair scene, and everyone's reaction, was gold. Utter gold.)
posted by porpoise at 5:46 PM on April 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Me too and it was kinda bugging me. Then it struck me; Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves does a very similar thing when they were going to cut off his hand. Instead of hair, he was holding onto the leather strap that's supposed to keep his arm outstretched for the chopping.
(And the hair scene, and everyone's reaction, was gold. Utter gold.)
posted by porpoise at 5:46 PM on April 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Remember what the Seer said earlier in the season: "Only the dead will take Paris."
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 5:42 AM on April 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 5:42 AM on April 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
(Catching up on this on DVD) The seer also told Rollo (back when he was all sad about Siggy's death) that he (Rollo) would be dancing if he knew what the gods had in store for him. Seer also said something about "the bear" and the princess. I thought that was going to be something about Bjorn, since "bjorn" means bear. But all the Princess Frawnch eyeing up Rollo + "he fights like a bear" = The Bro-serker gettin' some? Or some sort of political alliance marriage? (Watching the last episode tonight.)
posted by mon-ma-tron at 2:42 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by mon-ma-tron at 2:42 PM on November 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by porpoise at 7:51 AM on April 17, 2015