Vikings Season 3 Premiere Recap and Review! Mercenary! Do Not Mess With Lagertha!

Vikings premiered last night on History and it was an amazing premiere. We’re going to have interviews with Clive Standen and newcomer Kevin Durant coming up in the next few days. But for now, check out Anushika’s review of Vikings S3E1: Mercenary.

Okay, check out Anushika’s recap below!

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Vikings S3E1: Mercenary

I LOVE VIKINGS!!! Did I mention how much I LOVE Vikings. I mean I really really really do LOVE this show. After a wait that felt like an eternity, season 3 aired last night on the History channel. Trust me when I say this, the premiere episode did not disappoint us what so ever. It had everything from secret coy glances to pure bloody madness. BRILLIANT!

The opening scene was a bit eerie. It showed Lagertha inside the seer’s hut seeking answers about her future. Let’s just say that she did not walk away too pleased. The seer said , “I see a harvest celebrated in blood. I see a trickster whose weapon cleaves you. I see a city made of marble and a burning broiling ocean.” This definitely raises some concern.

Ragnar ends season 2 and begins season 3 on top of a frosty mountain. However, this time around he has his oldest son Bjorn right beside him. Bjorn has truly grown into a man, but it seems like he still has a lot to learn. Ragnar recognizes his misplaced ambitions and impatience. Ragnar attempts to open Bjorn’s eyes and mind to the true sense of power. He goes on to say that it, “Attracts the worst and corrupts the best”.

Meanwhile, Lagertha deals with her own conflicts in her land. We are introduced to Lagertha’s trusted 2nd in command Kalf. I think I speak for the ladies when I say Kalf got “Boy Toy” written all over him. We soon learn what he is really hiding behind those dimples as the story progresses. Anyway, it was really nice seeing Lagertha being more forward and flirty for a change, since she had to keep warding off scumbags the past two seasons. Well, who knows? Maybe she is dealing with a new and improved set of low lives this time around.

We get a glimpse of the young love lovebirds and they might have a new surprise for us. It’s funny to see how much they remind us of Ragnar and Lagertha.

Ragnar loves all his children, but there’s still some tension between him and Aslaug due to Ivar, Ragnar’s youngest son. Aslaug questions his love towards Ivar and herself. The diminished light in Aslaug depicts her pain and frustration. You get to see how much they’ve grown apart.

Oh how much I love Floki. We get to see Floki’s little daughter grown into a toddler. He lies near the river looking like an Emo kid absolutely bored out of his mind. He is so happy that it actually ended up bothering him saying, “Families aren’t happy” and that he is “Trapped in happiness”. Floki even blames Helga for being “too reasonable” and “horribly good” to him. Floki is an agent of madness and thrives in chaos.

Ragnar and Athelstan have a special trust and bond between them. Their unconditional bromance have been growing with each season and of course Ragnar just took it to the next level when he said, “wherever you go, I will follow.” They seem to share the same conflict when it comes to their faith in the Gods. Let’s just say that they are on the same wave length spiritually.

After being stuck in the village, all the warriors have gone a bit stir crazy and they are more than excited to sail away to Wessex to claim their promised land by King Ecbert. They are all essentially running away from their problems at home. Rollo is distant with Siggy, Ragnar has tension with Aslaug, Torstein has baby momma drama, and Floki just wants to escape from bliss. We can’t forget Bjorn, he is the only poor soul taking his trouble aka Porunn along with him.

Once in Wessex, King Ecbert persuades Ragnar and company to help Princess Kwenthrith with her ongoing battle in Mercia. While they helped with the battle, Lagertha agreed to establish the new settlement and help farm the land. King Ecbert suggests Athelstan to join them since he could be the bridge of communication. He goes on to say that, “We need you, I need you”. Dam! Athelstan is getting more action than the ladies. This is not the first time we notice the hidden struggle between Ragnar and King Ecbert. This little priest better feel awesome about himself with two kings fighting for him. Don’t be surprised if he gains another groupie along the way.

Lagertha and Athelstan are joined by King Ecbert on their journey to the new farm lands. Athelstan pretty much played the messenger boy in King Ecbert’s game of “Pass the Note”. He was a shameless flirt and it’s safe to say Lagertha didn’t completely hate it. She enjoyed the attention.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Vikings head towards Mercia to battle it out with Princess Kwenthrith’s brother and uncle. Is it me or does Princess Kwenthrith always seems to be undressing everyone with her eyes? Those crazy eye gives me the willies every time! I think Ragnar is totally on her “To Do” list. Her intentions were quite clear when she said, “I could give you something worth more than land or riches”. Even though Ragnar agreed to fight for her, you can tell he does not trust her. When Ragnar questions her about her family, she explains how her brother is swayed by some trickery or magic. Ragnar clearly does not believe in magic. He replied, “I’ve been deceived many times, but magic was not the cause of it”. He comes off as being practical and realistic.

Ragnar appears to be not too pleased with Bjorn and Porunn’s relationship and simply thinks Porunn is just a distraction. Hope the young couple will prove him wrong. Distractions could be deadly on the battlefield, so we can’t really blame Ragnar for those disapproving glances.

The episode ends with a brutal fight. The Mercian troops made a huge mistake that the Vikings took advantage of on the battlefield. Princess Kwenthrith’s reaction to the outcome of the fight just left me with more questions about her true nature and her family relationship.

I can’t wait for episode 2 next week!!! I absolutely loved all the new outfits and hair. They keep getting fiercer every season. Happy Raiding!

From left to right- Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) Queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig), King Ecbert (Linus Roache), Rollo (Clive Standen), Athelstan (George Blagden), King Ragnar (Travis Fimmel)