![]() ![]() ![]() Despite this, however, the funeral has its awkward moments, from Ragnar’s refusal to allow Siggy to light her husband’s pyre, to Lagertha’s announcement that she is pregnant and Ragnar’s following proclamation that the child would be a boy (thus making his family the mirror to Siggy’s shattered one.)Īs always, Athelstan’s continued growing respect and curiosity towards Viking custom comes into play during this episode, beginning at the funeral, as Bjorn and Ragnar both explain key points of religious significance. The main event of the episode, as hinted at by its title, is the funeral of Earl Haraldson, the grandiosity of which Athelstan is baffled by until Ragnar simply explains that even though the Earl was his enemy, he was still a “great man” who built up his own renown, and he was owed a funeral that befitted that greatness. My entire flat all but stood up to cheer at the killing of the abusive new groom and at Siggy’s decision to put her daughter’s happiness ahead of their secure place in society. Rollo, always vengeful, immediately kills Haraldson’s right hand man, Svein (much to the amusement and dismay of Twitter – Katheryn Winnick quipped “Bye bye Svein,” to which Svein’s actor, David Pearse replied “Why Katheryn? Oh why?”), but the most memorable action was taken by the women closest to the fallen Earl, as taking a knife from her daughter, Thyri, she murders her daughter’s new husband. However, what makes the climax of the scene is not Ragnar’s victory over Haraldson, but the reactions of those around him following Siggy’s shaky pronouncement of his victory. The focus on the bystanders as well as the participants is an angle that further increased the tension and humanity of what could have been otherwise a bland fight scene. In an interesting twist, there is almost as much focus on the audience’s reactions – on Siggy’s apprehension, the strangely unsure look on Lagertha’s face, and Athelstan’s worry – as there was on the combat itself. The duel itself, while lasting only a relatively small portion of the episode, was pulse pounding and full of near misses for both combatants. Rather than throw viewers directly into the duel this week, the episode is careful not to squander viewers’ newfound empathy for the Earl and his wife, prefacing the fight with a pair of uniquely tender scenes of the rival couples in which Haraldson cannot sleep for thoughts of his lost sons, and Lagertha seems suddenly strangely uncertain about her husband’s decision. Last week, the writers gave viewers a painful glimpse into the personal sorrows of Earl Haraldson and Siggy, turning them from frustrating antagonists for Ragnar into a fully developed couple, whose loss has torn their unity just as Ragnar and Lagertha’s gain has continued to hold theirs together. Last week’s episode ended with the chilling announcement by Ragnar that he intends to send Floki to Kattegat in order to issue a “challenge to single combat” on his behalf, and this week picks up right where things left off. On the heels of the news of their season two renewal, “Burial of the Dead” continued to raise the stakes for the entire cast of Vikings. ![]() Earl Haraldson and Ragnar Lothbrok engage in a fight to the death in “Burial of the Dead.”
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