‘Vikings’ season 4, episode 19 preview: Brotherly battles
Rest assured that there is going to be a lot of great stuff coming up on the final two episodes of “Vikings” season 4 in terms of grand battles — just look at the size of the army the sons of Ragnar have put together! Not only that but we just saw an epic battle (or we should really call it a slaughter) as the brothers and their army descended on king Aella. Next up – king Ecbert.
As much as we may want to say that this is a show about some of the battles and the brutality of this world, it is equally as much a show about people and what drives them to do with they do. There’s no better example of that than with Ivar. We know that this is a character destined to become one of the most notorious rulers in all of Viking history, which is why watching his evolution on this show is so important and so impactful. He started off as a smaller cog in the world, but he’s been affected tremendously by every major milestone in his life along the way – especially his trip to England with Ragnar. This was a major turning point in Ivar’s thinking as Ragnar assured him that he is the son he believes will have the biggest impact out of all his children (and he’s not wrong). Ivar may be ruthless and full of rage, but he is also highly intelligent and thinks outside of the box.
First, there was the systemic poor treatment of Ivar by others (especially his by his brothers), and the devaluing of him as someone who would never be an equal because of his disability. All Ivar ever wanted was to be treated like every other person, and the poor treatment that was shown to him was fire in him to be better, stronger, and smarter than the rest. When he finally did find someone who treated him like an equal to everyone else in his life, it was Ragnar, who is unfortunately no longer with us. We are seeing though, that Ragnar’s words (and treatment of him as an equal) is enough to guide Ivar on his path to becoming one of the greatest vikings in history.
To say that Ivar has a chip on his shoulder would be an understatement, and you can see that further in the latest sneak peek below (via Nerdist) for tonight’s new episode. This is a guy who is quick to fire back at Bjorn when he’s ready to show him the door; not only does he respond furiously, but he does so with an assertion that he is the one true heir to the throne. Ivar’s certainly got an ego, but he’s also earned that to a certain degree. He’s the only of Ragnar’s sons with the best ability to lead from a strategic point of view.
Think of this sneak peek as a window into where the brothers lie entering the battles ahead; if they can’t work through their issues, odds are there will be some difficult losses facing them.
Do you think that Ragnar’s sons will be able to beat king Ecbert and get vengeance for their father? Leave us a comment in the box below. For some other news when it comes to “Vikings,” including another preview for tonight’s episode, head over to the link here. (Photo: Vikings.)