Vikings season 5: The heroism of Katheryn Winnick’s Lagertha
Based on everything that we have seen through the past five seasons, what we’ve learned about Lagertha is that she is willing to do whatever it takes to lead the vikings in a strong, thoughtful way. She is bold, she strategic, and she is formidable beyond measure. She does have a softer side, but she knows the right times in which to use it.
Lagertha is the perfect addition to CarterMatt’s ongoing TV Heroes article series this month for many reasons, starting just with what she’s done in order to advance herself in this society. It could have been easy for her to just fall into the status of “Ragnar’s wife”, but after his betrayal she showed tremendous strength when she walked away from the man she loved because she knew she deserved better. She already had power as a shield maiden and as the mother of Ragnar’s first born son (Bjorn) yet, that was not enough. She had ambitions to rise and the understanding that she would make a strong leader. While there are many things regarding Vikings that are not applicable to present-day, this is one of the things that clearly is. She shows that you never have to settle and that you can always strive for more.
She also brings leadership in a way that others before her have not, because outside of being a brilliant warrior on the battlefield, she is smart, strategic and she offers something that not all viking leaders before her have: compassion. She is someone who understands that in order to maintain her role, she cannot just be good at one thing. A part of being a hero is understanding what that title means; when it comes to her people, Lagertha gets that and she’ll continue to strive for greatness in everything she does even when she is facing defeat.
She also understands her own weaknesses and finds ways to work around them which is something very few heroes do. If Lagertha knows that there are a group of people that she struggles to communicate with, she will find someone else capable of doing that job. If she realizes that she needs to forge an alliance to move ahead, she is going to be more than prepared to do that. She’s willing and able to tackle almost anything that is put before her and figure out the right way to deal with it.
With all of this being said, Lagertha still bleeds like the rest of us. She still feels sadness and following the deaths of Astrid and Ragnar this vulnerability is what makes her relatable. This is the part of her as a hero that is so appealing — she’s not so out-of-reach of the average person. She’s not an ideal; instead, she is simply a woman who fought and worked hard to land in the pivotal spot she is now in and that’ is inspiring.
How Katheryn Winnick adds to the role
Winnick’s been a perennial Emmy contender for this role and that really should not change at some point in the future. She is exceptional when it comes to conveying Lagertha’s power and vulnerability while also having the ability to shine in battle scenes. She pours her heart and soul into this role, and time and time again, she delivers.
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