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Vikings, season 5 (starts 11/29)

I'm just gonna say it..

The Chinese girl / Ragnar getting addicted to opiates storyline friggin sucks. It's boring and stupid and strange and just doesn't do it for me. Love you Vikings but you're missing the boat on this one, pun intended.
 
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TarHeelNation11 said:
I'm just gonna say it..

The Chinese girl / Ragnar getting addicted to opiates storyline friggin sucks. It's boring and stupid and strange and just doesn't do it for me. Love you Vikings but you're missing the boat on this one, pun intended.
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Last week took sort of a strange turn...
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
Yep but last week's episode was crazy.
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Okay, I waited to click on this thread until I got caught up. Last week's episode finally got my attention again. Part of it was finally seeing some battles again, but they broke out a handful of story lines I didn't see coming. It almost makes up for the slow start (IMO) to the season.
 
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Last week's episode was better. But Ragnar, please stay off the drugs man! It's affecting your acting skills.
 
Lol i love the spiritual guru who swoops into the village when ragnar leaves and lays the wood to the lonely wives left behind.
 
Keep in mind that this season is almost double the length of a normal season so it was bound to progress at a slower rate. It appears as though it's starting to kick into gear now though, especially this coming episode.

Looks like King Harold (or whatever tattoo face guy is named) is about to shake up the power structure in a big way with his inquisition after the failed attack.
 
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Just FYI, three more episodes in this half of the season (that's counting the one coming up on Thursday), and then there will be 10 more episodes later in 2016.....which is nice because this is one of my favorite shows on TV so I hate waiting a whole year for it to come back on.

I've been discussing this with my buddy who's also a big fan of the show and my theory is they're laying the groundwork to advance a bit further in time, perhaps even in the second half of this season. In my personal opinion, I think Ragnar is a goner, either in the mid-season finale or in the first episode of the second half of the season. I also think this Harold Finehair and his brother will sorta take control of Kattegat and by extension, I guess be King of all of Norway or whatever. This will then "free" up Bjorn (who's a certifiable badass now and I love the casting of Alexander Ludwig) to do what he did in historical times which is....

Scourge the shit out of Italy and other parts of Mediterranean Europe. They've explicitly hinted at this two separate times. In season 2 or 3 when Ragnar asks the Seer about Bjorn's fate, the Seer responds something like "he will sail on the sea which has no tides" -- an obvious reference to the Mediterranean. Additionally, in the first episode of this season, Bjorn is scanning a tapestry map of Europe he claimed as a spoil of battle and the camera definitely stays for a second in an angle that makes Italy and the Mediterranean very prominent to the eye.
 
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heelmanwilm said:
Lol i love the spiritual guru who swoops into the village when ragnar leaves and lays the wood to the lonely wives left behind.
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Yeah, about that. It was one thing when Harbard was just a mysterious wayfarer. We knew that he possessed special powers, but now they're really expanding the intrigue about his identity.

That scene with Floki, after his wife was injured in the French raid, was super weird. First he hallucinates he's bumping uglies with Aslaug, and then he himself appears as Harbard. I think that they had hinted at a connection between Floki and Harbard last season but I'll be damned if I know what it is. I'm not usually the type to try to guess at these things but they've really got me wound up with this one.

And THN, I don't disagree about Ragnar but I'm going to be disappointed when he goes. I'd like to see him folded back into at least one quality storyline before he bites the dust.
 
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Raising Heel said:
And THN, I don't disagree about Ragnar but I'm going to be disappointed when he goes. I'd like to see him folded back into at least one quality storyline before he bites the dust.
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I'll be disappointed too, but they've sorta been preparing us for it to happen by reducing him to a shadow of himself this season. His character has sorta taken a bell curve arc, if you will, and now he's on the declining side of that bell curve.

What I mean is, he started in the beginning as a simple farmer with an intense ambition to prove people wrong by travelling West, and by doing so, to gain riches for his family. He never wanted to be Eorl nor King, but situations arose and he had to act, and that's how it went down. He even mentions after becoming both titles that he didn't want to be king; he was just a farmer. Eventually, however, a switch flipped for him and he started embracing the ambitions of being king. He oversaw the attack on Wessex and then spurred onward toward Paris.

This season, he's reverted back to just wanting the simple things he started with. It's very clear from the dialog he's had with both women that he is completely over Aslaug and has re-realized his love for Lagertha. That scene at the end of two episodes ago where he hallucinates about his old homestead with Lagertha, his daughter, and a young Bjorn was very telling. He's lost his ambitious kingly fire and just longs for what he cannot have and for those he cannot have back (which is a very prevalent theme in Old English / Viking literature like "The Wanderer.")

So basically, they're prepping us to accept him dying. Plus, my buddy has read up on a lot of stuff on the show and apparently the creator, Michael Hirst, is very bullish about the fact that the show is "about Vikings as a people, it's not just about Ragnar Lothbrok." Calm down bro, shouldn't have casted such a badass dude to play him so well.
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
You should re-post for educational purposes.
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Take 1 drink when:
  • Someone says "Ragnar Lothbrok"
  • Someone mentions "the gods"
  • Floki does a goofy-ass giggle
  • You see blood
Take 2 drinks when:
  • Someone mentions a specific god (Odin, Thor, Loki, etc.)
  • Someone is killed (or meant to be killed) in spectacular fashion (beheading, crucifixion, blood eagle, etc.)
  • You find yourself trying to decide who's hotter: Lagertha or Aslaug
  • The Seer gives you the heebie-jeebies
Take 3 drinks when:
  • A significant character dies
  • You find yourself wondering whether you could pull off Ragnar's hairstyle
  • Someone shouts "shield wall!"
Etc....
 
Raising Heel said:
Take 1 drink when:
  • Someone says "Ragnar Lothbrok"
  • Someone mentions "the gods"
  • Floki does a goofy-ass giggle
  • You see blood
Take 2 drinks when:
  • Someone mentions a specific god (Odin, Thor, Loki, etc.)
  • Someone is killed (or meant to be killed) in spectacular fashion (beheading, crucifixion, blood eagle, etc.)
  • You find yourself trying to decide who's hotter: Lagertha or Aslaug
  • The Seer gives you the heebie-jeebies
Take 3 drinks when:
  • A significant character dies
  • You find yourself wondering whether you could pull off Ragnar's hairstyle
  • Someone shouts "shield wall!"
Etc....
Click to expand...
I got drunk just reading this....
 
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heelmanwilm said:
Lol i love the spiritual guru who swoops into the village when ragnar leaves and lays the wood to the lonely wives left behind.
Click to expand...
Just realized that is the same dude that is in "The Strain". Fet

images
 
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I'm super pumped about the mid-season finale.

Also, it's very amusing to me that they portray the Parisians as so easy to manipulate and what not. Stereotypes are in full force with regard to the French. Count Odo runs his mouth to a pretty girl who lets him bang her (after whipping her. Yikes.), and the Emperor is easily duped by a pretty girl as well......but also likes to bang men too. So, so French.
 
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So has anybody else wondered what it was Ragnar is addicted to? A little research indicates it's most likely something called the betel nut, which is "commonly chewed after being ground up or sliced, then wrapped in leaves of the Piper betle vine coated with lime. This is known as a betel quid." It's what causes the red coloration in his mouth/lips.

According to the World Health Organization, betel nut is the fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world after nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol. Despite that, its possible health benefits/risks have never been extensively tested in clinical trials.

http://www.healthline.com/health/betel-nut-dangers
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
Also, it's very amusing to me that they portray the Parisians as so easy to manipulate and what not. Stereotypes are in full force with regard to the French. Count Odo runs his mouth to a pretty girl who lets him bang her (after whipping her. Yikes.), and the Emperor is easily duped by a pretty girl as well......but also likes to bang men too. So, so French.
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I laughed about the exact same thing. Kinda funny.

So last night's episode definitely felt like a bridge to the finale. A couple loose ends were tied up, but there are still plenty of open storylines going on. They've spent an awful lot of time on the Wessex/Mercia situation, so I can't wait to see how they fold that back into the main plot. I have some guesses about that....
 
Raising Heel said:
So has anybody else wondered what it was Ragnar is addicted to? A little research indicates it's most likely something called the betel nut, which is "commonly chewed after being ground up or sliced, then wrapped in leaves of the Piper betle vine coated with lime. This is known as a betel quid." It's what causes the red coloration in his mouth/lips.

According to the World Health Organization, betel nut is the fourth most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world after nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol. Despite that, its possible health benefits/risks have never been extensively tested in clinical trials.

http://www.healthline.com/health/betel-nut-dangers
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Interesting. I wonder if the betel nut is found in Scandinavia though? I guess google would tell me. Or did she bring it with her...? I doubt it.
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
Interesting. I wonder if the betel nut is found in Scandinavia though? I guess google would tell me. Or did she bring it with her...? I doubt it.
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Native to southern Asia with a history of usage dating back over 2000 years. So a) she must have brought it with her and b) she could only have had a limited supply.
When he flipped his shit and drowned her, I was like, "Pretty stupid, dude. You just killed your dealer." Probably doesn't matter, though, if she was just going to run out anyway.
 
Raising Heel said:
I laughed about the exact same thing. Kinda funny.

So last night's episode definitely felt like a bridge to the finale. A couple loose ends were tied up, but there are still plenty of open storylines going on. They've spent an awful lot of time on the Wessex/Mercia situation, so I can't wait to see how they fold that back into the main plot. I have some guesses about that....
Click to expand...
For awhile now, Ecbert has been my favorite character in the show, or at least tied with Ragnar and Bjorn. I love how, other than prowess in battle, Ecbert is Ragnar's parallel. They are the exact same. They're ambitious and don't mind sacrificing those close to them to achieve their goals. Furthermore, they really have no use for their respective religions and only adhere to the traditions when it benefits them or wins them favor with people. At the end of the day though, Ragnar and Ecbert have no use for those who are staunchly religious and even use that over-religiousness against said people.

As for the Wessex/Murcia situation.....

If Ragnar doesn't get killed in this next episode in Paris -- which I think he will -- then in my opinion they're going to set up some situation where the much maligned King Aella (sp) eventually gets to kill Ragnar, which would be canon with Viking lore. Either Ecbert is going to slip up and Aella will get his revenge (which I doubt, and hope it doesn't happen that way) or Ecbert is going to like allow Aella to kill Ragnar as a sign of good faith since Aella swore he'd get revenge against Ragnar. That's what I'm thinking. Although, I don't know how Alfred factors in to all of this and I'm not even convinced it's Ragar's son.
 
Raising Heel said:
Native to southern Asia with a history of usage dating back over 2000 years. So a) she must have brought it with her and b) she could only have had a limited supply.
When he flipped his shit and drowned her, I was like, "Pretty stupid, dude. You just killed your dealer." Probably doesn't matter, though, if she was just going to run out anyway.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure she was out of it already when he killed her.
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
For awhile now, Ecbert has been my favorite character in the show, or at least tied with Ragnar and Bjorn. I love how, other than prowess in battle, Ecbert is Ragnar's parallel. They are the exact same. They're ambitious and don't mind sacrificing those close to them to achieve their goals. Furthermore, they really have no use for their respective religions and only adhere to the traditions when it benefits them or wins them favor with people. At the end of the day though, Ragnar and Ecbert have no use for those who are staunchly religious and even use that over-religiousness against said people.

As for the Wessex/Murcia situation.....

If Ragnar doesn't get killed in this next episode in Paris -- which I think he will -- then in my opinion they're going to set up some situation where the much maligned King Aella (sp) eventually gets to kill Ragnar, which would be canon with Viking lore. Either Ecbert is going to slip up and Aella will get his revenge (which I doubt, and hope it doesn't happen that way) or Ecbert is going to like allow Aella to kill Ragnar as a sign of good faith since Aella swore he'd get revenge against Ragnar. That's what I'm thinking. Although, I don't know how Alfred factors in to all of this and I'm not even convinced it's Ragar's son.
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So far the series has followed Viking lore pretty closely.
 
prlyles said:
So far the series has followed Viking lore pretty closely.
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Yes and no. The main variation from lore is obviously how long Ragnar has lived. I also think this Harold Finehair was many years after Ragnar? I'll need to research that.

I'm wondering when his other sons are going to start to grow up and become fighting age. So far, only Bjorn has become a mature warrior.
 
TarHeelNation11 said:
Yes and no. The main variation from lore is obviously how long Ragnar has lived. I also think this Harold Finehair was many years after Ragnar? I'll need to research that.

I'm wondering when his other sons are going to start to grow up and become fighting age. So far, only Bjorn has become a mature warrior.
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Yeah, Viking lore speaks a lot more about his sons than it does about him.
 
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I realize there's another half season coming up, but the first half did very little to move the plot forward IMO. To see what I mean, read this recap from a story that came out when season 4 was announced:

Per the cabler, Season 3 of Vikings culminated with the battle in Paris, where Ragnar seized victory from the jaws of defeat — but still returns to Kattegat dangerously ill. Thoughts of his death galvanize the forces who seek to succeed him as king, including his wife Queen Aslaug and his oldest son, Bjorn. Meanwhile, Lagertha continues power struggles with her calculating, former second in command, Kalf; Rollo betrays his Vikings heritage by remaining in Frankia; and Floki is seized for his brutal actions to the Christian priest Athelstan.

Most of those stories are still unresolved after 10 episodes. Just feels like they've dragged it all out longer than necessary. Hopefully it picks up in the second half of the season.
 
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