Things will never be the same again.

The invasion of Scandinavia finally kicked off on Vikings Season 6 Episode 10, and it changed the fabric of the show forever.

Bjorn's demise had to happen sooner or later, but I figured it would occur further down the line. Ten episodes remain on Vikings Season 6, so it's difficult to imagine how everything is going to shake out.

Bjorn understood that the Rus were closing in, but he never could have envisioned that Ivar would be the one to take him down.

Much like Hvitserk, Ivar has been underestimated for too long. If you watch Vikings online, you know Ivar has the power of patience.

He's learned that biding his time and biting his tongue is the only way to get the result he wants in this battle.

Logistically speaking, I'm not sure how Ivar managed to get to Bjorn without him noticing, but we could put it down to the battle strategy.

Bjorn was too busy wondering where to move to next before his army lost ground. Unfortunately, the overthinking cost him his life.

Bjorn: I will defeat you, I will win. The Gods are with me.
Ivar: You are wrong. The Gods abandoned you a long time ago, my brother. There's no way you can win.

Permalink: You are wrong. The Gods abandoned you a long time ago, my brother. There's no way you can win.

Bjorn has been frustrating throughout Vikings Season 6. From his terrible decision at the jump to ostracize White Hair, he slowly but surely set up his undoing.

Showing mercy to Hvitserk was another thing that contributed to his demise because it probably gave Ivar the sense that Bjorn would not kill him if they were next to each other.

There was no drive in Bjorn. He was once a man who knew what he had to to complete big takedowns, but his lack of common sense forever ruined his character.

He was making dumb decisions before Lagertha's untimely death, but losing his mother was the straw that broke the camel's back. He tried to put on a brave face even when he was faced with death at the hands of Harald, but he wasn't ready to pull himself back from the brink of destruction.

Bjorn would have loved to have had the power to reclaim what he thought was his, but the truth is he felt defeated, and there was no way to snap him out of that funk.

The implosion of his relationship with Gunnhild was not surprising. Bjorn was distant and sought solace in the arms of Ingrid as opposed to his wife. At times, it seemed like the only thing keeping Bjorn with Gunnhild was the child.

It was a cruel twist to kill the child off because Bjorn was excited about the prospect of becoming a mother, and even Bjorn was happy about it.

We'll never know why Gunnhild miscarried, but the constant stress over her relationship and the imminent war with the Rus had to contribute to it.

Don't you understand that they are going to attack in overwhelming numbers?
Bjorn

Permalink: Don't you understand that they are going to attack in overwhelming numbers?

Gunnhild saying goodbye to her deceased child made for some harrowing scenes, but it did help her realize that she needed to be front and center during the battle with the Rus.

There were many instances it seemed like she was going to be killed during the battle, but she's smart in that she knew when to flee from the battlefield. Look for her to pop back up down the line to avenge the death of Bjorn.

The death of King Harald was just par for the course. He went from being a moderately likable character to one of the most cumbersome. The power went to his head and that's why he turned on Bjorn.

The way he treated Ingrid was disgusting and he deserved what happened to him. He would have been wise to keep a level head after coming into power, but all hope was lost the moment he raped Ingrid.

There was no visible attraction to Ingrid from him. He was jealous that Bjorn had two wives and wanted to hurl some conflict at his rival. It's just a shame that Ingrid was caught in the crossfire because she's going to be suffering from what he did for years.

Oleg: You have no idea what you are now facing.
Ivar: Which is?
Oleg: The end of everything.

Permalink: The end of everything.

Katia's chat with Ivar was telling because it seemed like she knew about Freydis based on the way she was acting. This leads me to believe that she was sent from the Gods to help Ivar get to where he's supposed to be in the world.

Ivar is proving to be an asset to Oleg. His plans are coming to fruition, but he's going to dispatch of Ivar the moment they get into power. Ivar is under the impression Oleg wants to be the voice in his ear, making all the decisions.

But when it comes down to it, Oleg is going to do what he does best: Lure everyone into a false sense of security and pull the rug from under them.

Even though Ivar has been horrible to many of the characters I like, he has played his hand well, and I hope Dir's army arrives to clip Oleg at the final hurdle. That would be some poetic justice.

It's also possible that Igor will be the one to get the final say in what happens if the truth about who he is becomes common knowledge.