Saturday 11 April 2015

Vikings: S03E08: "Up The Gates!"

In A Nutshell

The Vikings attack Paris in an epic battle that doesn't go to plan. Meanwhile, back home, Bjorn's lady Thorunn goes walkabouts, leaving baby behind.

What I liked

Vikings is at its best when there are battles, and this episode is largely dedicated to the siege of Paris. There's fighting everywhere. Arrows raining down. Bodies falling like flies. Blood around every corner. This is fantastic stuff on a grand scale, that the obvious CGI really enhances to gorgeous proportions.

It's great that the French aren't just people there to make up the numbers in this show, but are characters we get to know about and understand.

What I Didn't Like

There wasn't too much to dislike, other than the pointless Thorunn scene which added nothing to what we already knew. Was slightly classic misleading storytelling to show Rollo and Bjorn both in what you would think was death's tight jaws but indeed they are both "ok".

Whereas in the first season I liked the charismatic Floki, I've long now been waiting to get rid of him. Hopefully that's coming soon.

Huh?

What was the point of that Thorunn scene? Why do arrows always narrowly miss the main characters?

And Finally

Interesting now to see what happens next. One might just need to read the history textbooks perhaps but as Ragnor himself I believe was not proven to exist, this show could have an interesting take on proceedings. Certainly we know where Rollo is heading but will there be one more battle, or an alliance?

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Bloody Good)

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