The chain.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
A massive, devastating Vikings this week with "The Profit and the Loss," as a drug-addled, red-mouthed Ragnar led his forces right into Rollo's capable clutches, with disastrous results.
Adding to the suspense of the thrilling opening 20-minute sequence of mass death and capsized boats was the fact that we, the audience, knew about the river chain. Not that we couldn't assume Ragnar's plan was doomed from the start, but the chain between the forts was always there to be the final, crushing ruiner of Ragnar's second Paris raid. So while Lagertha faced serious opposition in the form of tall grass and crossbows, causing her to fail at her attack on the fort, the chain was going to still upend everything in the end. It all played out rather brutally, and in a very exciting way.
The Paris raid episodes last year were very impressive, but I'd consider this to be the best action sequence that Vikings has ever pulled off. Just due to all the moving components, the suspense, and the actual emotion involved. Part of me wanted to hate Rollo, and really feel for Ragnar over this second betrayal (after Ragnar spared Rollo's life in the Season 2 premiere, even), but part of me also enjoyed Rollo in his new position of power. And watching him dismantle his former brethren at almost every turn. Shoving their pride down their throats. Pride that led them back to Paris in an attempt to attack a city they'd already attacked before. And in the same way they attacked it before. Not changing their methods at all. Arrogant, greedy, and murderous.
But then to also watch Ragnar's army fall so decisively was crushing in its own right. Add to that the fact that this was a big water sequence, which are way more difficult to pull off from an action set piece standpoint, and this was all easily a recipe for some amazing drama.
The second half the episode saw the Northmen reel from their blunder, and from the attack on the riverfront camp, while Harbard magically seduced all the women back in Kattegat and Ecbert formed a big alliance with a Mercian nobleman seeking redemption over the corruption of his ruling class family. An alliance that could mean big "King of Both Wessex and Mercia" things for Ecbert.
But mostly, we saw the continued disintegration of Ragnar, who retreated even further into "medicine" following his defeat. Bjorn now has grown frustrated with his father's state, and we know Ragnar already has people in place to try and usurp him. From Aslaug to Harald to Floki, his list of enemies continues to grow and he's only making things worse. And crazily mumbling severed heads isn't going to win him back into people's favor.
Let's also dig into that oddball ending with Floki and Aslaug. Where it appeared as if her having sex with Harbard, as she's want to do while Ragnar's away, sort of found its way into Floki's devestated mind. Wherein he took the place of Harbard in the sex act, like a surrogate. Almost as if Harbard was trying to bridge Floki and Aslaug together. I'm not sure of what was going on exactly, but that's what it seemed like. Does this mark the beginning Floki's rise to power? At the eventual side of Aslaug?
The Verdict
"The Profit and the Loss" managed to sneak in some Ecbert stuff, but primarily - via a giant and exciting opening action sequence - it dealt with Ragnar's huge defeat at the hands of his brother and then subsequent spiral in the aftermath. An exciting, suspenseful, intense chapter.
Editors' Choice
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