Choices
In episode 7 of Vikings: Valhalla, Harald confesses his love to Freydis. Harald even intends to give up his title of King of Norway for her.
The ship approaches, and the horns sound ominously. It’s a warning from the people of Kattegat to the ships that are passing by.
When Haakon sees this, he prepares to beef up the defences while Freydis cradles the child. She rides with the other shield maidens to Uppsala where the place is a complete massacre. ..
The temple has been destroyed while both Leif and Harald believe these hunters are purging the land. They find a group of kids cowering in a hole. It turns out they’ve been kept alive to pass a message on to Freydis – Kare will kill her. Well, not unless Freydis kills him first.
Edmund’s plan to take over England falls apart when he learns that Canute has married Emma, the daughter of King Sweyn Forkbeard.
Godwin and Edmund are conspiring together to take over Wessex, and they’re doing it in a disaster. They’ve created a court that’s a mess, and they’re the new Jarl because they killed the current noble. This is an appealing prospect, because it makes their plot more interesting.
Godwin and Edmund meet with the nobles in secret and strike a pact to support Edmund rather than the Viking kings. With them all pledging their allegiance, both Edmund and Godwin ride back… but walk right into a trap. A trap placed by Godwin, including a tripwire that Edmund falls off.
Godwin chooses to keep his pledge to Canute and the Vikings, killing Edmund. The other nobles believe this is an act of God, but the truth is, of course, hidden from view. ..
Emma checks the body later on and realizes this is a coup. That night, Forkbeard arrives to see Emma, who challenges what happened. The thing is Forkbeard brushes it aside and reminds her that only one King can rule.
Forkbeard is not content with the Queen of Denmark’s challenge and decides to take her fleet by force. He orders his ships to fire on the Queen’s vessels, causing them to sink. The Queen is then able to travel under Olaf’s flag and is victorious.
The future of Norway hangs in the balance if Olaf takes Norway. If he becomes president, the entire North is threatened.
Emma decides to repay the trust gained by Canute, given he saved her children from Olaf, and team up with Forkbeard to try and find the fleet. Godwin knows how to play this game and advises Aelfgifu accordingly.
Olaf rides to see Kare, deciding to strike up a loose alliance. He has a price for this though. Kare wants a great church in Kattegat, with a spire that reaches Heaven. Kare also boasts of his exploits to Olaf, including how he’s burnt down Uppsala.
As Olaf and his followers toast to their new alliance, Leif and Liv watch from the hilltops with concern. This new partnership means that Olaf will have even more power than before. ..
The two return to Kattegat and warn them that Kare and Olaf have joined forces. This is a particularly bad omen on Kattegat, with Harald now having to fight against his own brother. Unfortunately, they have no idea how vast the empire is or how many troops they command together. ..
As the sun rises, Harald rides out to meet Olaf, who chuckles and claims that the “Prodigal brother has returned.” ..
The Episode Review
This episode of Vikings is another good one, that builds up to a much larger threat to the Viking empire.
Edmund’s death was perhaps inevitable, but it’s increasingly clear that Godwin is not one to be trusted. He’s quite the snake, hiding in plain sight and switching sides willingly. ..
With King Canute back in Denmark, the attention falls on Forkbeard and Aelfgifu’s arrival in London.
It looks like we’re gearing up for two fights – one in England and the other at Kattegat – but we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out. For now though, Vikings leaves everything wide open for the finale to come. ..
