STACK #144 Oct 2016

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DVD&BD FEATURE

NORSE COURSE CHANGES

The events of season three, including the climactic battle in Paris and Floki’s betrayal of Ragnar, have major repercussions for the characters in Vikings: Season 4 . Big decisions will need to be made, and a lot of soul searching. Words Adam Colby

S poilers follow, but if you haven’t seen season three of Vikings , then why in Valhalla are you reading about season four? Following the murder of his Christian friend and confidante Athelstan (George Blagden) by Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård), Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) is not the same man this season. He’s not exactly broken – Vikings are a tough bunch – but he’s certainly damaged. “It changes Ragnar forever,” says Fimmel of Floki’s betrayal. “He feels like everyone around him has betrayed him at some point and he really feels alone in the world now.” Moreover the murder of Athelstan and Ragnar’s own brush with death in Paris leaves him unhealthily obsessed. “A lot of this year is his fascination with death,” offers Fimmel. “But he’s not scared of dying. He questions the gods

and the Seer; can you make your own fate or is it predestined? I really like where [creator] Michael Hirst has taken the character this year.“ Further treachery comes at the hands of Ragnar's brother, Rollo (Clive Standen), who has switched sides in the past. Electing to remain in Paris and abandoning his clan and Kattegat drives the final wedge between the siblings. “The reason Rollo stays is that there’s nothing in Kattegat for him anymore,” explains Standen. “They’re not his people anymore. He always goes forward without thinking. The Seer tells him there’s something waiting for him in Paris; that’s all he knows, and he has to make it work. He has to embrace their culture and the people of France, and they become his people. “He’s a man that just wants to be accepted,” he continues. “Bjorn is probably the only person he

has an affinity with, but he finds a father figure in [Emperor] Charles, the first person who thinks he has some kind of worth, which is enough to invest in these people.” Rollo also finds an unlikely partner in Princess Gisla (Morgane Polanski), and what begins as a fractious marriage of convenience soon becomes something more. Fan favourite Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) also has a compelling story arc this season, facing a threat to her earldom. “What’s great about this character, and how Michael Hirst writes her, is that there are so many different layers in playing a strong woman,” says Winnick. “She can fight, she can defend herself, but she can also be a woman and stay in touch with her femininity, and that kind of balance can be hard to find in a role. “But I love fighting,” she laughs. “When you’re

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