Necrotongue

The second episode noticeably lost some of its pace. However, the events at Lyle’s party convinced me that it deserved five stars after all. I love how more legendary characters are gradually emerging, the ones that used to keep people awake at night.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that this series isn’t exactly a horror show — or at least not in the traditional sense. But that’s not a bad thing. In the first episode, the creators managed to build a great atmosphere and solid tension. The plot had a very good pace, the cast is stellar, and overall, I was very pleased with this opener.

I don't know if it's because I've become somewhat numb, but this time I actually enjoyed it in some places. Louis' annoying mother is still in the series for now, but surprisingly, the newcomer Maggie didn't annoy me at all, quite the opposite. I even laughed at Morwenna's needle phobia, so I would rate it 3*+.

I appreciated that the creators finally decided to kill off some major characters, but the execution left much to be desired. Interrupting the battle with the preceding events was fine, but the silly visions and strange states of some characters got on my nerves. And Halfdan’s stupid death — really, they couldn't have come up with anything better? He could have at least accidentally stabbed himself in the gut while shaving. Oh, and Ivar surviving it all? I need to try that myself.

At times, I felt like I was watching Game of Thrones with its absurdly fast travel. Hvitserk’s journey from Norway to Francia and back to Norway must have been divine intervention; there's no other explanation. And he still had time to negotiate with Rollo and prepare an expeditionary force. As for Alfred's bizarre coronation? That was a bad joke.

I decided to ignore minor flaws because the creators clearly tried to bring back what made the series great. The pre-battle negotiations and the battle itself were well-executed, and for the first time in a while, I was genuinely satisfied.

The episode wasn’t packed with frantic pace or amazing action. There was a lot of talking, but it was meaningful. Bjorn found a new bride, which was entertaining, and I learned how to properly castrate a reindeer. Plus, watching Floki try to establish a communist society was quite a sight.

The episode was full of unpleasant surprises. It started with a local sandstorm — by local, I mean it was confined to a tiny oasis while the surrounding area was bathed in sunlight. Floki gets to establish a religious community in Iceland, which I’m thrilled about (not). The peak of absurdity was Astrid randomly picking a messenger from the enemy camp to send to Lagertha, and he actually fulfills the mission. Brilliant move. And right on cue, Bjorn shows up again... Remembering how great Vikings used to be makes me sad.

I’m completely baffled by the story development again. How did Floki, the sly goat, make it from Iceland to Kattegat without any trouble? Oh right, the gods. I’ve never claimed to be a great military tactician, but even I wouldn’t come up with something as ridiculous as Ivar’s plan. I wonder if a renowned mathematician could calculate how many Vikings can squeeze through a narrow opening before someone chops off every head that pops out? Lame.

I was more entertained by what was happening in Norway, with fresh intrigue brewing in Kattegat and Vestfold. Bjorn’s storyline didn’t grab me at all, and I’m not sure if spreading the plot all over Europe and possibly beyond is a good move.