Necrotongue

The common use of crossbows in France is documented only from the year 947, while the siege of Paris occurred in the years 841-45, but that is my only critical note about this episode. Otherwise, it was a great event that I enjoyed the whole time. Until the sixth part, I had big concerns about the third season, but now the situation has radically changed.

Finally, the creators came up with an episode that was worth it in the third season. Although Floki's and Athelstan's religious ecstasy often gets on my nerves, I enjoyed the episode because it once again reassured me that the ends justify the means and that Christian love for one's neighbor often manifests quite barbarically.

This episode would have been excellent for a good night's sleep, as it was quite soporific. Nothing big was happening, no issues were being resolved, and no preparations were being made, unless we count Ragnar's epic monologue about Paris. It seems that even back then, it was a favorite destination for all romantic souls. If it wasn't for King Egbert and his magnificent conclusion, I would have been heavily disappointed.

The main positive of the fourth episode was Harbard's departure from Kattegat, I assume he was a Norse Rasputin. I was not particularly impressed by the scene at the lake or the revelation that Ragnar's son Ivar, unlike Floki's daughter Angrboda, does not age. Princess Kwenthrith (disinfection, poison) managed to amuse me once again.

I don't know, something is wrong when even the battle frenzy doesn't put me in the mood anymore. The fight itself was again handled at a decent level, but I didn't really get the intro with the one-handed bandit. I understand that the creators wanted to make an important character leave in a way that would be memorable, but what was the significance of it? If he had at least pulled a rope behind him and given a signal with two tugs that they were after him, fine, but like this? Telepathy? The only interesting thing for me was the ritual before the first sowing.

The second part was very calm, the plot basically didn't move anywhere, and to fill the time, they started to have shared dreams in Kattegat and Athelstan was sliding back into religious ecstasy, both of which annoyed me, so I rate it three stars.

The first episode of the third season did not impress me too much. Although I was not bored, I had a feeling that the creators were just recycling older plot lines to pretend that something was happening. I started enjoying it again at King Egbert's court and was looking forward to the campaign in Mercia, but it didn't last very long. I think a person doesn't have to study military tactics to realize that when commanders divide the army into two parts that cannot support each other, it is a clear display of stupidity. And I can't help it, but I really dislike the costumes.

I really don't know how I would be able to justify a lower rating. The final episode of the second season contained everything I love about this series, so besides the quality action, I also got a lot of intrigue and manipulation. The plans clashed with counter-plans, double agents buried trust, it simply had all the twists.

It looked so good, a clear five hovered over the episode like an eagle over Jarl Borg, because I got a great action, a perfectly intriguing King Egbert, the ever-desirous Kwinthrith, and on top of that, I won't have to watch Athelstan working on illuminations, haunted by hallucinations anymore, but then the infamous fist to the eye came. Apparently, there were leftovers from a film about the thirty years' war in the props department, so why not put those helmets on the heads of the extras, the battle is grand, it will get lost. It didn't get lost.

This time, I had a feeling that the creators were just dragging out the plot with this episode, nothing substantial actually happened, except for Horik's action at the end of the episode. I have to agree with 0verseer that the only highlight was Princess Kwenthrith.