Vikings Season 6 Episode 3 Review: Ghosts, Gods, and Running Dogs

Spoilers

Making mistakes is part of the game, and Bjorn would be wise to get a handle on that quickly. 

Vikings Season 6 Episode 3 threw more wild cards into the mix, while also leaving fans with a lot to chew on after a fiery final scene. 

Helping Harald was a controversial move and something Bjorn should have thought more about before charging full speed ahead. 

On Vikings Season 6 Episode 1, Bjorn vowed to make decisions that would benefit the people of Kattegat, so a loss of soldiers is not going to go down well with everyone. 

Bjorn was wrong to think he would be able to use the element of surprise against King Olaf. It felt necessary for King Olaf to get the upper hand on this one because it will push Bjorn in a different direction. 

The fire in the water was a perfectly executed plan because Bjorn and his men were in full view of King Olaf. If you watch Vikings online, you know the series thrives on killing fan-favorite characters. 

For that reason alone, it felt like a possibility we could lose Bjorn. Then again, the conflict that will arise from the deadly encounter in the water will be a far more satisfying direction to take things. 

We must prepare for another attack.

Lagertha

Bjorn is a smart man. Opening up Kattegat to trade deals with other dwellings is a great idea, but he needs to start thinking plans all the way through before making impulsive decisions. 

There are positives and negatives to every plan, and without thinking about them, it makes him feel invincible. The significant loss as a result of King Olaf’s actions should make Bjorn think about that. 

He also needs to decide whether he wants to be with Gunnhild or Ingrid. Ingrid is a slave who desperately wants a purpose in life beyond serving people. 

Getting close to Bjorn is something she can use to her advantage. Whether it will work in her favor in the grand scheme of things, I don’t know, but time will tell. 

As for Lagertha, she’s poised to go back on her promise to the gods. She was adamant about putting her sword-fighting days behind her in favor of living a quiet life in the countryside. 

Looking after Asa and Hali may have seemed like a good idea on paper, but did nobody seriously think people could pop up to exact revenge? 

Like I said in my review of the Vikings Season 6 premiere, Lagertha is not as strong as she once was. Now that she has people threatening her tranquility, and raping and killing the widows she vowed to help, she’s going to put her pain aside to fight back. 

Lagertha is a born leader, so it will be fun to watch her training these defenseless women to become something more. The last thing Lagertha wants is for people who have nothing to do with the battling to be killed. 

One thing I’m thinking is whether to have you killed or not.

King Olaf

Knowing whose knife was on the corpse also fueled Lagertha’s reaction. My one true hope here is that Ubbe and Torvi don’t regret leaving their kids with Lagertha. 

Lagertha having to explain to them that their children died would make for one of the most harrowing scenes of the series. Lagertha’s rise again to warrior status will probably be a slow process, but look for her to train the survivors to become excellent fighters. 

It is a beautiful arc for Lagertha, primarily because of everything that’s happened to her since the Vikings series premiere. From being ambushed in her home to losing the love of her life, she’s been through it all. 

If this turns out to be the final arc for Lagertha, it will be perfect. 

The biggest eye-roll-worthy moment came in the form of Hvitserk leading a team on a trade mission to China. He spent “Ghosts, Gods, and Running Dogs,” imagining his former lover, as well as Ivar. 

Couldn’t they find anyone else to lead that mission? The moment his group gets ambushed, he’s going to have to make some tough decisions. He’s not of sound mind, and that’s going to cause some major problems. 

Unless he gets it together, there’s a good chance he won’t survive for much longer. Being haunted by the past is one thing, but imagining things that aren’t real is something else entirely. 

The best course of action for him would be to force him to take some much-needed respite. 

Which brings me to Oleg. He may well be the best manipulator on the series to date. He’s a new character, but there’s something about the way Danila Kozlovsky is playing the role that makes him tower above some of the others. 

Oleg is crazy. There’s no question about that! Going back on his word to Dir, before putting a chain through his face to make him act like a dog was just out there. 

Hell, you know Oleg is crazy when even Ivar is shocked. Those two are a match made in villain heaven. However, Ivar didn’t look impressed when he noticed what Oleg did. 

Oleg was all about him and Ivar working together because of the way their interests aligned, but we know the latter does not like surprises. 

That’s likely why the show is highlighting the burgeoning friendship between Ivar and the boy Oleg kidnapped from his brother. Oleg will need to be taken down with the element of surprise, but that’s the most likely scenario here. 

“Ghosts, Gods, and Running Dogs” was another solid episode of the series. The plots are moving along swimmingly (no pun intended!), and there are genuine surprises. 

Many shows languish in their final seasons, but Vikings may be the exception to that rule. 

What are your thoughts on Bjorn’s decisions? Would YOU have gone after Harald? Will people turn against Bjorn?

Will Lagertha return to the battlefield?

Hit the comments below. 

Vikings continues Wednesdays on History. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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