Ragnar is setting a precedent for historical events to come-- if you want to know more, google “Gisela of France”.
I only watched a few episodes of Gracepoint, Hulu seems to have removed the full episodes before I finished.
I think Broadchurch is better, although it was fun seeing Devil from Justified as the pastor on Gracepoint.
Awesome season finale! Rollo’s goofy, grinning “hello” cracked me up!
Rollo, who is being offered the Dukedom of Normandy at the end of the finale, was the grandfather of William the Conquerer. So there’s a bit of irony that he conquered England as a Francofied Norman from a Dane.
There doesn’t seem to be any evidence that the Vikings breached the walls of Paris.
The Vikings weren’t literate. It was the French who “recorded” the history, so who knows what really happened.
My kids (American) attended a British elementary school. In class, they weren’t taught that the American colonists were patriots, but, rather, they were traitors to the British Crown. We straightened that out.
Anyone following Season 4?
I enjoyed the first and half of the second season before it got too violent for me. This winter we watched the BBC’s The Last Kingdom and much preferred it over the Vikings.
Being a history nerd, I’ve tried to get into this show several times. I just can’t. Given what I know about Viking civilization, it’s too “off” for me to really enjoy it. (Just my own personal taste- nothing against the show.)
I’m glad that it seems to be getting quite a bit of attention though. Anything that gets people interested in history is A-OK with me 
Ok, I need to watch this show. i believe it’s on OnDemand (?) Thanks!
I am waiting for Amazon Prime to make season 3 free.
@coolweather, season 3 is already free on Amazon Prime. We just finished watching it that way and have now started Season 4 by streaming it from the History channel website.
I made a mistake. I watched season 3 on Amazon 2, 3 months ago. Now I am waiting forseason 4.
Oh I’m watching it. I guess that Bjorn has finally earned his name (third episode). The prophecy of the “woman who rules Kattegat” may refer to a much later monarch. I’m not really sure where “Kattegat” is; the TV show shows a fjord but of course there is nothing like that in Denmark. I may be wrong but I don’t think the Swedish side of Kattegat features fjords either? Who cares, it’s still a good show. I feel kind of bad for Rollo, trying to be all sophisticated in Paris. At least he’ll be the ancestor of William the Conqueror, so that’s something.
Spoiler:
For all of you watching Vikings, do you think Ragnar has TB or something? The blood around his mouth makes me wonder.
I also find myself increasingly rooting for Rollo instead of Ragnar. Ragnar’s actions in the latest episode re his Chinese slave Yidu did not help matters. I love how Gisele admires Lagertha and wants to meet her.
My husband thinks the blood around Ragnar’s mouth is due to the Chinese drugs. Was anyone else shocked when the disabled son killed the other child?
I read somewhere that it’s not blood around Ragnar’s mouth. Apparently, he’s chewing on betel nuts, which turns saliva red, and can stain the lips and teeth.
I missed a few episodes when I was in Europe on business. For the most part it wasn’t that hard to get caught back up - except for one thing: who is/was this Chinese woman who apparently hooked Ragnar on drugs and that he recently killed (to get more drugs)? Under what circumstances did she appear and get in good with Ragnar?
The Chinese woman (Yidu) was a slave who ended up in Kattegat after being captured in Frankia. Aslaug ended up buying her, and then Ragnar took a liking to her because he was interested in her and she filled a hole for him left by Athelstan’s death. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she gave Ragnar drugs to help his pain.
Thanks. One thing I really like about this show are the occasions when the Anglo-Saxon characters speak in actual Old English.
Ragnar is overdue to die. What a completely loathsome person he has become…
Come to think if it, it’s getting harder & harder to find characters in this show that aren’t dispicable-- even children!