To recap season 2, episode one has Rollo fighting with the Jarl of Gotaland, Jarl Borg against Ragnar who is fighting with King Horik of Denmark. The battle is over Jarl Borgs refusal to leave King Horik’s land that are rich with minerals. Jarl Borg is refusing to pay and royalties for mining the land. In battle Rollo drops to his knees saying to Ragnar that he can’t fight him after seriously wounding Floki. Ragnar puts Rollo in chains after the battle is drawn and he expresses his weariness of battling over their lands. He announces that he wants to sail west and find land with rich soil to farm and riches to loot. King Horik and Jarl Borg come to a deal on Jarl Borgs payment for the land to King Horik and the three of them make a pact sail West and raid England. King Horik had no intention of keeping the pact to raid with Jarl Borg; he has Ragnar back out of the deal knowing how angry Jarl Borg will be. King Horik was trying to manipulate Ragnar by leaving the Jarl angry enough to raid Ragnar’s village when he and all his warriors set sail with King Horik to raid England, But I believe Ragnar realized that Jarl Borg would want revenge which is why after buying Rollo’s life from the lawmaker and accepting Rollo back as his brother he tells him he cannot raid with him. He leaves Rollo behind not only to protect his wife and his sons but also to let Rollo regain some self respect and pride back for keeping Ragnar’s family safe; which he does.
King Horik then takes advantage of Siggy who offers to tell him weaknesses and faults about Ragnar. Siggy wants Rollo to rise to be Earl and even goes so far as to sleep with King Horik and his son Erlendur. Ragnar knows Siggy is not to be trusted, and I believe he knows why King Horik is going consorting with her. It King Horik’s plan that once Jarl Borg attacks Ragnar’s village and Ragnar takes revenge on him, which King Horik is counting on him doing he will then need to stop Ragnar from advancing and gaining anymore power. King Horik knows he can never really rule over of control Ragnar Lothbrok, he knows Ragnar is destined for greatness, his plans are to use him to gain victory in England. But he feels he can control Rollo. This is why he is going to make sure Ragnar Lothbrok dies in battle in England and then giving Rollo the title of Earl in Ragnar’s place. But first he has to make sure that they do battle in England, once he learns that Ragnar wants to make peace with King Ecbert in exchange for some land to farm. Ragnar tells King Horik that is his dream.
When Ragnar tells King Horik this and he just scoffs at him. After King Horik learned of this he does his best to make sure that King Ecbert will make any kind of treaty with Ragnar by slicing the throat of the monk who was standing next to Bishop Edmund seconds after Ragnar gave his word there would be no more killing and agrees to sit and talk alliance with King Ecbert. Doing that made Ragnar’s word worth nothing. When Ragnar gets news that Jarl Borg has indeed raided his village he leaves before meeting with King Ecbert again. Ragnar is taken off guard when King Horik decides to stay and talk to King Ecbert and when Ragnar reminds him that he doesn’t even speak their language King Horik asks Athelstan to stay and interpret. I believe that Ragnar knew what Horik was doing and he leaves after acting like Athelstan betrayed him by not going with him to defend his family. Ragnar cannot tell King Horik no because he is a King but also because Athelstan is a free man now. Now King Horik has an ace up his sleeve and a guarantee that Ragnar will return to raid with him, because he plans on getting Athelstan killed or captured. King Ecberts men ambush Athelstan and a few other men and is captured and crucified. King Ecbert has Bishop Edmund take him down from the cross. King Ecbert is acting out ‘The Art of War’. Know thy enemy. He questions the priest about the Pagan ways and about the Northmen. He also ends up showing Athelstan a secret treasure trove of Roman art and writings which he has Athelstan translate for him in secret. So King Horik sails back and tells Ragnar that Athelstan is dead, counting on Ragnar going back to avenge the priests death.
Episode eight had King Horik’s plans playing out beautifully, Ragnar brutally killed Jarl Borg and along with Lagertha returned to England to raid. King Ecbert had amassed armies from neighboring kingdoms, he even had his son Aethelwulf wed the Judith the daughter of King Aelle of Northumbria who’s brother Lord Edgar Ragnar killed on their first raid of England. King Ecbert has also called upon Princess Kwenthrith or neighboring Mercia, the richest kingdom in England. Ragnar makes King Horik angry by sending an emmissary to set up a meeting with King Ecbert without consulting him. King Ecbert’s son Aethelwulf goes for the initial meet with the Vikings and after he lays down his sword and agrees to an exchange of hostages he hands Ragnar the Viking arm ring he gave to Athelstan giving the priests and the Kings guarantee of safe passage. Ragnar now knows that Horik lied to him for sure when he told him Athelstan was dead. Ragnar and Aethelwulf give each other their words and the prince rides away but he and his company are ambushed by Erlendur, King Horik’s son. This of course guarantees battle like King Horik wants. Oh yeah, and Floki has Flaked out and he sailed with King Horik after not inviting Ragnar to his wedding. This is what I think is going to happen.
Ragnar is going to fight along side King Ecbert against King Horik. Rollo will of course fight beside his brother but Floki will stand with Horik. I think Athelstan is going to fight against Horik and will end up killing Floki or Floki will end up killing Athelstan. I don’t know what Lagertha is going to do, I of course think she will want to fight along side Ragnar and Bjorn but somehow ends up being attacked by King Ecberts armies as well as by King Horik’s, even being surrounded by both where Ragnar either can’t help her or he isn’t sure which side she is on. Maybe she will fight Princess Kwenthrith of Mercia. Does she die in battle? I don’t know. I think that Bjorn will end up fighting with Erlendur, King Horik’s son and slaying him. I think that Rollo will end up killing King Horik, King Ecberts son Aethelwulf will end up dead and so will King Aelle of Northumbria. That’s how the season will end….
RENELAND 