Vikings Season 5 Premiere Review: The Departed

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Welcome back, Vikings fans!

After the long hiatus, Vikings Season 5 Episode 1 and Vikings Season 5 Episode 2 picked up right where we left off, in the aftermath of Ivar killing his brother Sigurd. 

Surprisingly, the other brothers seemed to take it better than expected. 

Ivar Charges - Vikings Season 5 Episode 1

Bjorn honestly could care less, as all he was concerned about was getting back to the Mediterranean as fast as possible. He wasn't even planning to go home to see his mother or family first. Instead, he let King Harold deliver the message for him.

As for Ubbe and Hvitserk, they're obviously wary of Ivar, but not enough to really challenge him. Ivar himself tells Floki he doesn't think his brothers believe that he didn't mean to kill Sigurd, and it's hard to blame them if they don't. 

But still, they're not pressing the issue. 

Did Ivar mean to kill Sigurd? 

I'm leaning towards no. I think Ivar killed Sigurd in a fit of rage and would take it back if he could. He's ruthless and certainly has no qualms about murder, but he's also a strategist. Creating a rift between himself and his brothers was not the best move strategy-wise. 

So yes, I think he regrets killing him, but not because he cared about Sigurd. He only really cares about himself, and his behavior is motivated by his ambition as well as his uncontrollable anger. 

Floki: I have to leave Ivar. With Helga gone, there's nothing left for me here. This world no longer interests me. That's why I must submit myself to the tides, and the winds, and the will of the gods. Come what may.
Ivar: My heart is broken.
Floki: It will repair.

That being said, if Ivar cares about anyone other than himself, it's Floki. 

He keeps losing the few people who matter to him. His parents are gone, and now Floki is abandoning him. All this abandonment is going to do is create an even more ruthless killer, if that's even possible. 

Ubbe and Hvitserk need to watch their backs around him. He may say that he's on board with the three of them co-leading the Great Heathen Army, but we all know that's not true. He wants to be the sole leader, and who knows who the victim of his next "fit of rage" will be. 

Ivar Leads - Vikings Season 5 Episode 1

Floki's journey could prove to be quite interesting. 

Gustaf Skarsgård is a great actor, so he can easily make Floki's scenes compelling, even when he's the only one in them. His reaction when he believed he was in Asgard was incredible. 

Of course, he's not actually in Asgard. 

By the look of it, I believe he's in Iceland, which I know from first-hand experience is a gorgeous country. Will he one day return with his fellow Vikings to this new land he discovered? 

Hopefully, he's not off on his own for too long. As exceptional as he is in any capacity, we'll want him back to interacting with actual people eventually.

Granted, he tossed Ivar's compass overboard, so returning may be a difficult feat. Unless of course, the gods "will it" and lead him there. 

Lagertha - Vikings Season 5 Episode 1

So. It's not too often you see a woman rape a man on television. I'm not sure I've ever witnessed that before. 

I don't know why Lagertha chose to keep King Harold alive. She must have had her reasons, but whatever they were, they backfired when his men helped him to escape and kidnap Astrid. 

I am old enough to know that you can never say for sure what someone else will do.

Lagertha

Right now, Astrid is saying she's in no way interested in King Harold's proposal, but despite what her mouth is saying, her facial expressions tell a different story. She's at least considering it. The possibility of becoming queen of Norway someday is hard to pass up.

Will she betray Lagertha or stay true to her word? 

No matter how many seasons this show has been on, the fight scenes continue to impress. They seem like they just keep getting bloodier and more violent. Personally, I could do without seeing a guy getting his face burned off, but what can you do? 

That church slaughter was disturbing, but Ivar's "evil villain" laugh afterward might have been the creepiest thing about it.

Ivar and the rest of the Great Heathen Army are about to face a new threat. 

We got the briefest of looks at newcomer Bishop Heahmund on Vikings Season 4 Episode 20, but now we can see that he's going to be an adversary for the Northmen. 

Ivar in Armor - Vikings Season 5 Episode 1

What will happen when Ivar and his brothers discover that the land they were promised by King Ecbert is not valid? They are going to be angry, and theirs is not an army you want to anger. 

Still, that reveal is coming, and will probably come from Bishop Heahmund. He looks almost like he can't wait to tell them that Ecbert renounced his throne before agreeing to the deal. It's only a matter of time before it blows up. 

What did you guys think of the premiere? Will Astrid accept King Harold's proposal? Are you excited about the addition of Jonathan Rhys Meyers? 

Hit the comments and let us know, and don't forget to watch Vikings online!

The Departed Part 1 Review

Editor Rating: 4.8 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.6 / 5.0 (7 Votes)

Stacy Glanzman was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in March, 2019.

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Vikings Season 5 Episode 1 Quotes

Ivar: Stay. We need you just as much as my father needed you, but instead you choose to run away, you coward.
Floki: Stand up and say that to my face.

Floki: I have to leave Ivar. With Helga gone, there's nothing left for me here. This world no longer interests me. That's why I must submit myself to the tides, and the winds, and the will of the gods. Come what may.
Ivar: My heart is broken.
Floki: It will repair.