With Ragnar gone, the Viking world is in upheaval. Not only have Ivar, Sigurd, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Bjorn lost their father, they’re without the man whose thirst for westward expansion and iron fist on the battlefield has defined and protected their people for years. There are many in Ragnar’s kingdom who only know what life was like under his rule, so whoever seizes the power that’s currently up for grabs has a larger than life reputation to uphold. While it helps that each of Ragnar’s sons is ready, willing, and eager to prove himself in the eyes of his people, having five strong-willed men vying for the opportunity to lead the charge for revenge and subsequently take up their father’s duties might make things messier than they need to be.
On the next episode of Vikings, the sons of the great Ragnar Lothbrok arrive on the shores of Northumbria, hellbent on getting revenge for the demise of their father. This is the first time everyone but Bjorn has been involved in a conflict like this, which makes his decision to assume the point position understandable albeit something that will undoubtedly sew discord with Ivar, and they’re walking into an interesting situation, in that Aelle has prepared for the Viking forces while Ecbert has concerned himself more with imparting knowledge to Alfred. Despite Ivar knowing that Ragnar’s plan was to screw over Ecbert for destroying the settlement, the focus of the men seems to be the actual executioner Aelle, meaning that they’re making things much more difficult for themselves. Aethelwulf might’ve been put in charge of making preparations in case of invasion, but Wessex is much more ripe for the taking than Northumbria considering the size of the Viking army and the wilting leadership from Ecbert. If Ragnar’s sons decide to go forward with the plan of attacking Aelle only instead of both Ecbert and Aelle, there’s a significant chance that they’ll suffer more loss than they would had they targeted Ecbert and, for once, listened to their father.
Vikings airs Wednesdays at 9:00 on History.
How prepared will Aelle truly be for the invasion of the Vikings? Considering Ecbert’s state of mind recently, will he put up that much of a fight against Ragnar’s sons? Could the tension between Ivar and Bjorn over their power dynamic cause disorganization on the battlefield?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmiLZMrBwHM
