Vikings: Valhalla ‘Viking’ – The descendant of Rollo is a brilliant Queen

Vikings: Valhalla Season 1 Episode 2 Recap and Review

The titular ‘Viking’ of this episode was Leif, who once more navigated through a storm, reached England, a country he has never been to, before all the other ships from Kattegat, and killed a man for the first time. But, I’d like to start this recap with the character we already knew was a Queen from the moment she entered the scene, back straight, calm, with the quiet authority of one who knew she was the brilliant. In history, she was known as Emma of Normandy. Here, she was Aethelred’s wife, Edmund’s stepmother, descendant of the late great Rollo.

One year later, and King Aethelred was a small frightened man. He blamed his nobles for convincing him that the Vikings were too busy fighting each other to come to England to enact bloody vengeance; his Queen had warned him they would come. His stress weakened him to near death. He gave his wife Emma a written plan, terms to offer the Vikings, as they had accepted gold in the past. Emma confidently told him she had no intention of bargaining, she intended to fight. ‘You married a Norman. We create nightmares.’ Somewhere in Valhalla, Rollo was smiling.

Edmund, Aethelred’s heir and Emma’s stepson, was right there, but there was no doubt that Emma was now in charge. She sent Edmund to Mercia to summon Eadric Streona and have him bring his army to London. Aethelred warned that Streona would try to take the throne. Emma pragmatically replied that Streona would, but not until after the Vikings were defeated.

Before we even saw the state of England’s army, we already knew its defences were in good hands. 

It was Olaf who advised Aethelred in the strengthening of the London Bridge he claimed could not be brought down. Olaf suggested that the Viking army attack from the South, to go through the marshes – exactly what Emma had anticipated.

Emma had already given orders to concentrate the English forces in the South. As she told Godwin, she expected the attack in the South because they would underestimate her, just as Godwin did. The line and the delivery was great, but at this stage there was no discussion yet on the Viking side about Emma. News of Aethelred’s condition had not yet spread. Olaf read Aethelred’s lack of smarts correctly; what he did not anticipate was that his wife would step in and plan the defence herself.

Emma’s competence as a leader was as obvious as her dislike of Godwin. The son of a man who betrayed the King (Godwin’s father took 24 of the King’s boats for his own use and died in jail for his offence), Godwin was a picture of superficial subservience to royal authority. The politeness was there, the offer and assurance to be of service, yet in David Oakes’s subtle performance, you could also see glimpses of a far more complex man. I have loved David Oakes since he played Juan Borgia in Neil Jordan’s The Borgias; he was one of the main reasons why I was so excited about Vikings: Valhalla when it was first announced.

Emma tasked Godwin to accompany Edmund to treat with Streona. It was an interesting decision, given her mistrust. How could she be certain that Godwin would not betray her? Emma wove her survival, the survival of England, to Godwin’s own, and trusted not in him but in his self interest.

Young Edmund knew his father did not have long; he would return to London a King. He was not ready, but he rose to the occasion when he negotiated with Streona. The Mercian lord wanted to keep his forces in Mercia because he thought the Vikings would pass through his lands in their attack. Edmund slipped when he mentioned that his stepmother Emma thought the attack would come from the South (Streona wondered if the King were ill, that his wife was the one giving commands), but he recovered. He smoothly reminded Streona that he would be King, and he would remember if Streona chose not to obey. Streona, of course, said he would.

With the bells ringing whilst they were still on the road back to London, Edmund knew he had become King. 

In Kattegat, Leif and Freydis were both in prison. Fredis declared that she felt cleansed after killing the man who violently assaulted her. At the hall, in front of Jarl Haakon and King Canute, Freydis asked for trial by combat. Olaf, who was furious at her, argued that Freydis killing Gunnar put the expedition at risk, as Gunnar was a vital part of it. Harald jumped in and smoothly used his own brother’s words against him. Since Freydis cost a vital element to the endeavour, she must be forced to give up something of equal or even greater value – her brother. Harald declared that Leif was perhaps the best captain in the hall. He piloted his ship through open ocean from Greenland and survived a storm that killed scores. Harald attested to Leif’s fighting skills. This time, he would be fighting for the life of his sister, to repay her debt. Leif, of course, accepted.

Harald gave Leif his own ship, which had been his father’s. It was a fine ship, but Harald coveted another, King Canute’s far grander ship. I’m getting Rollo vibes from Harald.

Leif collected all the knives and axes from the men and women on the ship. No one would row with a weapon. The only one to keep a weapon was the captain, Leif. Jarl Gorm was a problem from the beginning. He was loud in his displeasure to row with Christians, and he kept one of two axes. 

The tension at the boat came to a boil when Gorm railed at Leif, thinking they were lost, as there were no other boats around them. Leif calmly explained they were not lost, indeed, they were near land. When Leif told Gorm not to blame the Christians for his fear, one of the men, Birger, laughed. Gorm killed Birger, and Leif killed Gorm, his first kill. Before he pulled his sword out, however, he told Gorm to tell the men what the land they were coming up to was. England, of course. When Harald finally reunited with Leif and his boat, and saw the two bodies laid out, he whispered ‘Viking’ in his ear. Leif was now, officially, one of them.

This was another solid episode by Vikings: Valhalla. Laura Berlin was so magnetic as Queen Emma that most of my attention was on her here. Put a pin on this, I would like to return to this and its implication on Vikings: Valhalla as a whole in future recaps.

Strays:

⚔️Harald was already in love with Freydis, though he has not said it yet. Freydis gave him a necklace as they said their goodbyes.

⚔️Emma told her husband that her brother in Normandy would not help until they helped themselves.

⚔️This was a small scene, but I appreciated that Vikings: Valhalla showed Harald transferring from his boat to the King’s in the middle of the ocean.

⚔️Freydis remained with Jarl Haakon in Kattegat. When she saw crosses being sold in the market, she was obviously not pleased. Haakon explained that Vikings have raided but they have also traded; in Kattegat she would experience different people and beliefs. Later, Haakon sent Freydis to Uppsala to seek her destiny.

⚔️Edmund thought he was not king material, he only became heir because his brothers died. 

⚔️There was a Bloodaxe mention! Vikings creator Michael Hirst’s new historical drama at Amazon Prime will focus on Erik Bloodaxe and his wife Gunnhild, Mother of Kings. We Vikings fans have a new show to look forward to!

⚔️Leif’s boat arrived on the coast of England long before the other boats did.

⚔️Erik the Red was a berserker, like Harald. 

Writer: Jeb Stuart

Director: Steve Saint Leger

Original Air Date: February 25, 2022