Thanks for that incredibly cryptic message, Seer. 

Lagertha learned on Vikings Season 5 Episode 4 that she will indeed see her son again someday, but the circumstances surrounding the reunion may be less than ideal. 

What does the message mean?

Is Lagertha on borrowed time? Is she going to die this season? 

Lagertha: Will I ever see my son again?
Seer: Yes, you will see him again, but in terrible circumstances.
Lagertha: What do you mean?
Seer: The consequences of Ragnar's death have not yet played out. You have only seen the beginning of the end. So now prepare yourself for what is to come.

• Permalink: The consequences of Ragnar's death have not yet played out. You have only seen the beginning...

If I had to guess, I'd say her time is coming to an end. It's just a matter of when. The midseason finale seems like an appropriate time for a significant death, but it could also be pushed off until the second half of the season. 

Either way, we know Bjorn will have to come back home first to fulfill the Seer's prophecy. 

What will bring him home? 

The potential civil war appears to be inching closer to reality. Ubbe is back in Kattegat, and he and Lagertha are plotting an alliance. 

Lagertha agreed to support Ubbe against Ivar and Hvitserk if he helps her against King Harald. So, it sounds like we have two major battles on the horizon. The question is, which one will happen first? 

King Harald has now convinced Astrid to marry him. She was clearly not thinking about him when she agreed to go through with the marriage, so it's anybody's guess what she is ultimately planning. 

Considering she had Lagertha on her mind (and thankfully not Bjorn), I still believe she may be doing this as a way of spying on Harald and his army. 

It looks like these two sides are closer to war than the brothers. 

Most likely Bjorn will return to help defend his home and his mother's throne, especially if he wants to defend his stake in that throne when Lagertha eventually falls. 

They're setting us up for a potential conflict between Bjorn and Ubbe as to which one of them will claim that power, which is just more foreshadowing that Lagertha's time is coming to an end sooner rather than later. 

At the moment though, ruling Kattegat seems to be the furthest thing from Bjorn's mind.

Okay, be honest, does anyone care about his storyline right now? 

The confused expression on his face when they arrived in Sicily was hilarious but other than that, it's not very engaging so far. 

Personally, I'm ready for them to get to at least one of these two significant showdowns so we can pick up the excitement a little bit. The season has been pretty underwhelming so far, and it's honestly just not the same without Ragnar. 

"Why are the rats above ground?" 

Okay, so that unmistakably symbolizes something important, but what?

I'll be honest, I don't know anything about rats, but considering the Saxons left everyone in York to die of disease and starvation, why is it surprising rats are roaming around above ground?

What does it mean? 

And, where did Ivar and the Great Heathen Army (or what's left of it) go? 

One thing we know about Ivar, he's smart and cunning, and not likely to simply retreat from a dangerous situation. So, are they hiding? Are they lying in wait and about to attack? 

The problem with that scenario is the ships are gone as well, but perhaps a few people took them to sea to lure the Saxons back to York and get the roads open again. 

Who knows what's about to happen? Let's just hope it's something exciting. We do, though, have to assume Ivar has something up his sleeve. 

Hvitserk: Ubbe treated me like his little faithful dog. I am no one's dog, Ivar.
Ivar: Woof Woof.

• Permalink: Woof Woof.

Hvitserk appears to be dealing with some buyer's remorse. Sure, he says Ubbe was wrong and he doesn't regret staying with Ivar, but none of us believe him. 

Ubbe may have treated him like a dog, but Ivar is no better. If he wants to be treated as an equal, he did not pick the right brother. Maybe he should have gone back to the Mediterranean with Bjorn instead.

Or he should just learn to stand up for himself and maybe voice some of his own opinions. All we've seen him do so far is follow someone else, so it's not surprising his brothers treat him like a dog. If he wants to be seen as a leader, he should try acting like one. 

Whatever is about to happen between the Northmen and the Saxons, I am looking forward to a showdown between Ivar and Heahmund. 

Heahmund reminds me somewhat of Ivar somewhat. They are both intelligent and manipulative. They both believe they should be the one in charge, even if they're not. Heahmund plays the part of Aethewulf's minion, but even Aethelwulf can see his reluctance to follow. 

Heahmund doesn't have Ivar's short fuse though. Patience is a virtue, and possessing the ability to be patient could make him even more dangerous. 

It's time for Floki to return to the "world of men." As much fun as it's been to watch him stranded alone on an island (not), it'll be great to see him interact with other human beings again. I wonder who he will bring back to his discovery though. 

Will he go home to Kattegat? Bjorn and Ivar aren't there, and they're the two he'd probably most want to bring there, but that's the most logical place for him to go. 

It's not like he's going to go searching the Mediterranean for Bjorn, and he doesn't know that Ivar is in York (if he's still there that is). 

We will find out soon enough! 

In the meantime, remember to watch Vikings online!

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