Vikings (season 4)

File:Vikings Season 4.png DVD cover art
Country of origin	Canada / Ireland
Release
Original network	History
Original release	February 18, 2016 (2016-02-18) – present (present)

The fourth season of the Canadian-Irish historical drama television series Vikings premiered on February 18, 2016 on History in Canada and in the United States. The season will consist of a double order of 20 episodes, which are to be split into two parts of 10 episodes, with the second half set to air later in 2016.

Filmed in Ireland, Vikings is inspired by the tales about the Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best-known mythological Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of France and England. It portrays Ragnar as a Viking farmer who pioneers the first daring raids into England with the support of fellow warriors, his ex-wife, the shieldmaiden Lagertha, and his brother Rollo.

Series overview

The series is inspired by the tales of the raiding, trading, and exploring Norsemen of early medieval Scandinavia. It follows the exploits of the legendary Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok and his crew and family, as notably laid down in the 13th-century sagas Ragnars saga Loðbrókar and Ragnarssona þáttr, as well as in Saxo Grammaticus' 12th-century work Gesta Danorum. Norse legendary sagas were partially fictional tales based in Norse oral tradition, written down about 200 to 400 years after the events they describe. Further inspiration is taken from historical sources of the period, such as records of the Viking raid on Lindisfarne depicted in the second episode, or Ahmad ibn Fadlan's 10th-century account of the Volga Vikings. The series is set at the beginning of the Viking Age, marked by the Lindisfarne raid in 793.

Plot

Ragnar and the Vikings have returned to Kattegat after raiding Paris. While Ragnar recovers from his wounds suffered in Paris, he meets a new slave, Yidu, whom he grows close to. He must also deal with Floki, who has been imprisoned by Bjorn for the murder of Athelstan. Bjorn also reveals to Ragnar that he intends to travel into the wilderness to find himself, but not before Kalf and Erlendur plot against him. Meanwhile, the Viking women have growing ambitions, as Lagertha and Aslaug both attempt to plot themselves back into power. In Paris, Rollo and the Franks prepare for the eventual return of Ragnar and his Viking warriors, and Rollo attempts to build a relationship with his new wife Princess Gisla. In Wessex, relationships are tense as Ecbert grows closer to Judith, while his son Aethelwulf forms a relationship with Queen Kwenthrith. Along with King Aelle, this alliance prepares to restore Kwenthrith to power in Mercia, while also keeping in mind the eventual return of Ragnar and the Vikings, whose settlement was slaughtered by Ecbert. King Harald Finehair arrives in Kattegat with his brother Halfdan, both eager to raid with Ragnar in Paris. However, Harald has desires to become the King of all Norway, but in doing so must overthrow Ragnar. Older, wounded, and lacking the desire to explore like his early years, Ragnar faces enemies on all sides.

Cast

Main

• Travis Fimmel as King Ragnar Lothbrok, the head of the Viking Earldom of Kattegat who became king after Horik's death
• Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, a shieldmaiden and Ragnar's ex-wife; she controls the Earldom of Hedeby calling herself Earl Ingstad.
• Clive Standen as Rollo, a warrior and Ragnar's brother; the character is based on the historical person who was the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror.
• Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki, a gifted shipbuilder and a friend of Ragnar
• Alexander Ludwig as Björn Ironside, Ragnar and Lagertha's son, who has fallen in love with Torvi
• Alyssa Sutherland as Queen Aslaug, Brynhildr's daughter and Ragnar's second wife
• Ben Robson as Earl Kalf, a Viking warrior; he shares the control of Hedeby with Lagertha.
• Lothaire Bluteau as Emperor Charles
• John Kavanagh as The Seer, the seiðr of Kattegat
• Peter Franzén as King Harold Finehair, an ambitious viking who seeks to become the first King of Norway
• Jasper Pääkkönen as Halfdan the Black, Harold's violent younger brother
• Kevin Durand as Harbard, a charismatic wanderer and storyteller
• Linus Roache as King Ecbert of Wessex, the ruthless king of Wessex

Recurring

• Maude Hirst as Helga, Floki's long-suffering lover and wife
• Owen Roe as Count Odo of Paris
• Morgane Polanski as Princess Gisla of West Francia, the daughter of Emperor Charles
• Jordan Smith as Ubbe, eldest son of Ragnar and Aslaug
  • Luke Shanahan as young Ubbe
• Marco Ilsø as Hvitserk, second son of Ragnar and Aslaug
  • Stephen Rockett as young Hvitserk
• Huw Parmenter as Roland, Count Odo's first-in-command and Therese's brother
• Karen Hassan as Therese, Roland's sister and Count Odo's mistress
• Amy Bailey as Queen Kwenthrith of Mercia
• Dianne Doan as Yidu, Queen Aslaug's new servant
• Moe Dunford as Prince Aethelwulf, son of King Ecbert
• Edvin Endre as Erlendur, son of King Horik
• Jennie Jacques as Princess Judith, daughter of King Aelle, wedded to Aethelwulf
• Seán T. Ó Meallaigh as Prudentius of Troyes, a monk serving at the court of King Ecbert
• David Lindström as Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, third son of Ragnar and Aslaug
  • Elijah O'Sullivan as young Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye
• Alex Høgh Andersen as Ivar "The Boneless", fourth son of Ragnar and Aslaug
  • James Quinn Markey as young Ivar "The Boneless"
• George Blagden as Athelstan, an Anglo-Saxon monk and friend of Ragnar. He was killed by Floki and appears in Ragnar's and Ecbert's dreams.
• Georgia Hirst as Torvi, wife of Erlendur
• Philip O'Sullivan as Bishop Edmund, serving at the court of King Ecbert
• Conor Ó Hanlon as Alfred, Princess Judith and Athelstan's son
• Des Carney as Waerferth the Scout, serving King Ecbert
• Ivan Kaye as King Aelle of Northumbria
• Nathan O'Toole as young Bjorn, Ragnar and Lagertha's son
• Rosalie Connerty as Angrboda, daughter of Floki and Helga
• Niall Cusack as Abbot Lupus, serving at the court of Emperor Charles
• Maxim Boshell as Ivar's Axe Boy

Guest

• Søren Pilmark as Stender, a farmer whose family was killed in Wessex. He was killed by Ragnar and appears in his dreams.
• Frankie McCafferty as Sinric, a former drifter and Rollo's adjutant
• Steve Wall as Einar, a scheming troublemaker
• Cillian O'Sullivan as Eirik, a Viking warrior in Paris
• Robban Follin as Berserker, an assassin recruited by Erlendur and Kalf
• Ruby O'Leary as Gyda, Ragnar and Lagertha's daughter
• Declan Conlon as Wigstan, a relative of Kwenthrith and the head of the Royal Family of Mercia

Episodes

See also: List of Vikings episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
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30	1	"A Good Treason"	Ciarán Donnelly	Michael Hirst	February 18, 2016 (2016-02-18)
Ragnar, wounded and near-death, has a fever dream of walking towards the welcoming open gates of Valhalla, only to see them close before him. Aslaug asks The Seer if a woman would rule Kattegat should Ragnar die. Bjorn has Floki arrested for killing Athelstan. When Ragnar finally awakens, he chastises Bjorn for publicly imprisoning his friend. Bjorn decides to prove himself to Ragnar and plans to survive deep in the wilderness. Aslaug procures a new slave girl, Yidu, to use as a weapon against Ragnar. In Hedeby, Earl Kalf announces that he and Lagertha will share the Earldom, much to the dislike of Einar. Kalf invites Einar and his men around a central post so they can vote to exile Lagertha, however turns on them, killing the dissidents and allowing Lagertha to deliver the final insult to injury, castrating Einar. In Paris, Rollo is settling in to his new life of Frankish nobility. He marries Princess Gisla, who weeps through the ceremony and holds a knife to his throat on their wedding night. Rollo rides to the Viking encampment outside Paris, and orders the massacre of every man, woman, and child.
31	2	"Kill the Queen"	Ciarán Donnelly	Michael Hirst	February 25, 2016 (2016-02-25)
Bjorn has ventured off alone and must contend with the harsh conditions of the Scandinavian winter. Engaged in a love/hate relationship with her self-centered husband, Helga frees Floki from his bonds. Ragnar confronts Helga, who admits what she has done, and he tells her he understands. Bjorn's younger half-brother Ubbe accompanies the manhunt and discovers Floki hiding in the stream. Ragnar chains Floki in a cave. When Aslaug defends Floki's actions, Ragnar knocks her down. Ragnar finds Helga digging a grave in the frozen ground for her deceased daughter, of whose death she has not yet told Floki. In Wessex, King Ecbert proposes a military buildup and a plan to rescue Princess Kwenthrith of Mercia and her child, who are being held by rebel nobles. The king's son, Aethelwulf engages in brutal hand-to-hand battle and eventually rescues Kwenthrith. Little does Aethelwulf know, his wife Princess Judith is now sleeping with his father. Duke Rollo makes an attempt to fit in by cutting his hair and dressing appropriately, but continues to be mocked by his new wife Gisla. Rollo suggests building forts to prevent the Vikings from sailing up river.
32	3	"Mercy"	Ciarán Donnelly	Michael Hirst	March 3, 2016 (2016-03-03)
Ragnar and King Ecbert both experience separate visions of Athelstan, who relays the words "Mercy". Rollo attempts to learn the language of his new home, while enduring more of Gisla's mistreatment. Kalf hires a Berserker to assassinate Bjorn on King Horik's son's behalf. Bjorn obsesses over killing a bear that has managed to escape his traps. Floki and Helga struggle to cope with the death of their daughter. Ragnar approaches the cave with an ax, tells Helga that she has suffered enough and frees Floki. Lagertha sleeps with Kalf and he tells her he loves her – however she fails to reciprocate. Aethelwulf has returned with the rescued Queen Kwenthrith and her son Magnus. Judith's obsession with Athelstan continues. Wessex continues preparing its soldiers, Count Odo readies a defense of Paris, and Ragnar cleans fish giving the impression that he is not ready to resume exploring distant lands.
33	4	"Yol"	Helen Shaver	Michael Hirst	March 10, 2016 (2016-03-10)
After being set free, Floki visits the Seer who tells him that he has waited a long time for his arrival. He is then instructed by Aslaug to teach Ivar the way of the gods. Ragnar grows closer to Yidu and lets her live in his private home in the woods. Ragnar and Yidu discuss how she came to be a slave. She then gives Ragnar some "medicine" from her native lands, which leads to a drugged night of hallucination. In the wilderness Bjorn encounters the Berserker, sent by Kalf and Erlendur, and kills him. He discovers a ring in the Berserker's possession. Bjorn arrives in Hedeby and intends to leave with Erlendur's wife, Torvi. Rollo is served divorce papers, but has learned the French language, leaving Gisla impressed. He then gives her his Viking band to show his allegiance to her. In Wessex, King Aelle confronts his daughter Judith over her transgressions with King Ecbert. Meanwhile during the Yol celebrations in Kattegat, King Harald Finehair arrives and declares that he intends to become King of all Norway. Ragnar then arrives to see Harald sitting in his great hall.
34	5	"Promised"	Helen Shaver	Michael Hirst	March 17, 2016 (2016-03-17)
Ragnar and Bjorn discuss whether or not they trust King Harald, parenting, and being husbands, while Ragnar claims he has failed at both. Ragnar appears addicted to Yidu's "medicine", and the two discuss their deepest secrets. Yidu's father is a Chinese Emperor, while Ragnar reveals the slaughter of his England settlement, and that he has lost the desire to explore distant lands. King Harald's brother, Halfdan the Black, arrives in Kattegat and lets Ragnar know he is eager to raid and kill Christians. Meanwhile, Torvi reveals to Bjorn that the ring he is carrying, which he took from the Berserker, is Erlendur's. In Wessex, Aethelwulf and Judith argue over both of their wrong doings, and Judith tells him that they are husband and wife only in name. Aethelwulf agrees with Queen Kwenthrith, and tell his father and King Aelle they need to fight together and restore Kwenthrith's power in Mercia. In Paris, Therese and Roland reveal to Charles that Odo plans to overthrow him. In Hedeby, Lagertha reveals to Kalf she is pregnant, and Kalf asks her to marry him. Moments before their wedding, Lagertha stabs and kills Kalf, reclaiming her status as Earl Ingstad, ruler of Hedeby.
35	6	"What Might Have Been"	Ken Girotti	Michael Hirst	March 24, 2016 (2016-03-24)
Ragnar announces the Paris raids, and gives his sons Ubbe and Hvitserk their arm rings, so they can travel with him to Paris. Before they leave, Ragnar asks the Seer how he will die. He replies that Ragnar will die when "the blind man sees him". In Wessex, Ecbert sends his son Aethelwulf and Alfred on a pilgrimage to Rome. In Paris, Charles begs Rollo to not return to Ragnar, and Rollo assures him that he will not betray Paris or his wife. Odo reveals to Therese that he will have Charles killed and overthrown. Meanwhile in Kattegat, after the warriors have set sail, Harbard arrives. While sailing for Paris, a storm throws the Viking ships off course. Ragnar, Lagertha, and Harald arrive first in France, where they set up camp. Harald and Halfdan take their French prisoners and burn them alive while Bjorn watches from a distance. Once the rest of the ships arrive, the Vikings sail up river towards France, and notice there is no sign of Rollo's camp. Ragnar takes more "medicine", and hallucinates of his days as a farmer. As the ships approach closer to Paris, they see Rollo waiting with his new French allies.
36	7	"The Profit and the Loss"	Ken Girotti	Michael Hirst	March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)
Ragnar suggests attacks from the river and the land. Rollo notices Lagertha's attack as her warriors become stuck in the marsh, and fires upon them and the Viking ships. As the ships approach the forts, Rollo orders the Franks to raise a large metal chain between the forts, which capsizes Harald's ship. Lagertha's ground attack retreats, and the Franks begin to light the Viking ships on fire. Harald and Halfdan are rescued by Bjorn, and Ragnar saves Floki from drowning. As the Viking ships retreat, Ragnar angrily yells to Rollo that he saved his life when everyone wanted him dead. In Kattegat, Sigurd watches from a distance as Harbard and Aslaug kiss. In Wessex, Ecbert leaves for Mercia. He arrives to meet with Prince Wigstan of Mercia, who informs him that the Mercians will never accept Kwenthrith as their Queen. He tells Ecbert that he will hand over Mercia to him. In Paris, the Vikings arrive back at camp, which the Franks have ambushed. Helga is alive but severely wounded, while Ragnar's sons and Yidu are unharmed. Ragnar demands more "medicine" from Yidu. Floki has a vision of Harbard having sex with Aslaug. Bjorn demands a plan of attack from Ragnar. Ragnar responds they will retreat tomorrow, while mumbling to a severed head.
37	8	"Portage"	Ken Girotti	Michael Hirst	April 7, 2016 (2016-04-07)
As the Vikings retreat, Ragnar's leadership is questioned by Harald. Ragnar tells Bjorn to halt the ships at a cliff face, and reveals a new plan. They will lift the ships over the cliff, walk them around the Frank's forts, and slip them back into the river on the way to Paris. In Paris, Odo tells Charles they cannot trust Rollo, and Roland agrees. Gisla reveals to Charles that she carries Rollo's child. Odo meets with Therese, who along with Roland betray him, and execute him. Rollo is then given the Iron Hand of Frankia. In Wessex, Ecbert returns after victory over the royal council of Mercia. He tells Kwenthrith that she is no longer Queen, as he has been sworn in as King of Mercia. Meanwhile in Kattegat, Aslaug sees Harbard with other women and grows jealous. She confronts Harbard, who then leaves a second time. In France, Ragnar asks Yidu for more drugs, but she denies him again. He tells her she is not free, and she threatens him with his Wessex secret. Ragnar drowns her in a fit of rage. Back in Wessex, Kwenthrith sneaks into Ecberts bed and threatens to kill him, but Kwenthrith is then killed by Judith.
38	9	"Death All 'Round"	Jeff Woolnough	Michael Hirst	April 14, 2016 (2016-04-14)
As the Vikings move the ships across land, Harald and Halfdan slaughter a Frankish family. Lagertha has a miscarriage, and is comforted by Ragnar. In Rome, Aethelwulf and Alfred arrive, and the Pope makes Alfred a consul of Rome. In Wessex, Ecbert is crowned King of Wessex and Mercia. King Aelle voices displeasure, and Ecbert tells him they are no longer equals. In Kattegat, Sigurd discovers Siggy dead in the river. He tells Aslaug, who shrugs off her death, and makes jokes with Ivar. In Paris, Charles makes Roland the protector of Paris, and they share each other's bed. The Vikings arrive in sight of Paris, and slip the ships into the river. Erlendur tells Torvi she must kill Bjorn or else he'll kill her son. Torvi approaches Bjorn with Erlendur's crossbow, but instead turns and kills Erlendur. Bjorn tells Ragnar, who is in withdrawal without his "medicine", that Paris cannot be taken without him. Ragnar replies he does not care about Paris, and that he is here for Rollo. As the Vikings sail for Paris, Ragnar mutters to himself that he must kill Rollo.
39	10	"The Last Ship"	Jeff Woolnough	Michael Hirst	April 21, 2016 (2016-04-21)
On the river, a fleet of Frankish ships approaches the Vikings, with Rollo leading the way. In Paris, Charles has Roland and Therese executed, while Gisla says prayers for Rollo. The Vikings and Franks battle on the river, with the Vikings defeating the first fleet of French ships. Rollo then leads his remaining ships into a bloody battle. Halfdan, Floki, and Lagertha are all wounded. Ragnar and Rollo begin to battle and come to a stalemate. The Franks win the battle, and Ragnar tells Bjorn to take Lagertha and retreat to the ships. Ragnar charges Rollo, but is grabbed and thrown into their ships, as they sail away in defeat. Rollo is greeted by Charles and Gisla, and crowned to the applause of Paris. In Kattegat, many years pass. Ragnar has disappeared. A messenger delivers news to Aslaug and Bjorn that the Viking settlement was slaughtered, and that Ragnar has a son named Magnus in Wessex. Bjorn tells his brothers, who now resent Ragnar. Bjorn prepares to sail into the Mediterranean. Ragnar returns to Kattegat a hated man, and challenges his sons to kill him if they want to be King.

Production

An Irish-Canadian co-production, Vikings was developed and produced by Octagon Films and Take 5 Productions. Michael Hirst, Morgan O'Sullivan, John Weber, Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, James Flynn and Sheila Hockin are credited as executive producers.

The production team includes cinematographer John Bartley, costume designer Joan Bergin, production designer Tom Conroy, and composer Trevor Morris.

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating, with an average rating of 8/10 based on five reviews.

External links

• Official website
• Vikings at IMDb