Another week, another fantastic episode of Vinland Saga. If last week dialed in on Canute, then this week was all about Thorkell and by extension Thors. And boy did I enjoy it. As Vinland Saga dives into their shared history, Thorkell’s regrets and Canute’s future. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Before we get to the meat however, like always, PRODUCTION. WOOOOO TECHNICAL STAAAAAAAATS. Everyone’s favorite I know, but it’s something I love, so I am gonna keep talkin about it. Once again, Vinland Saga gave us two ends of the spectrum this week. From the fantastic animation of Thorkell’s short fight with Thorfinn, to the CGI boats on the ocean. Now to be fair, the CGI boats actually weren’t the bad. The pan out really helped hide the lack of detail, and there was enough going on on screen to distract you while they were there. The same can’t be said for the CGI soldiers in the background for a number of scenes, but hey. At least they were standing still so it might pass your notice if you weren’t paying attention. For the most part though, I enjoyed the picturesque visuals of it all. Now onto the meat!
The big thing this week was clearly Thorkell and his history with Thors. Vinland Saga spent a lot of time fleshing him out as a character this week. Though it goes without saying all of this was built up to. We finally get to see beyond the laughing, warmongering front, to see Thorkell emotionally open up. Effectively going through the Five Stages of Grief, as he cries and argues and eventually, in the modern day, accepts what all had happened. This one flashback effectively contextualizes his whole 50 year life in my opinion, or at least the most recent 15. As Thorkell has been spending the whole time searching for what it means to be a “true warrior”. So much so that he regrets not following Thors all those years ago. And it is this that informs his decisions throughout this episode.
What I mean is that this regret is what eventually leads him to following Canute. To not make the same mistake he made with Thors. Vinland Saga showed us the comparisons between the two throughout the episode. Though most of it was focused on the eyes. What is really interesting is how we see a similar change in Askeladd, who we learned about previously. Waiting for the next Artorius to cross the see, to be his King. At the start of the series we saw him offer that to Thors. Only now, just like Thorkell, he is falling in behind Canute, who has attained the same thing Thors did. The only one unable to see the resemblance at this point is Thorfinn, still wrapped up in his own rage and anger. Everyone else is moving on without him, just like Thors and Thorkell. And we saw how that turned out.
The consequences of this whole episode between Thors and Thorkell even reverberate through the story today. Resulting in both a physical and metaphorical weakness for Thorkell in his jaw. As Askeladd saw in the battle those year ago, Thorkell has a weak jaw. Most likely a result of Thors effectively laying him on his ass when he escaped Jomsborg. Something that Thorfinn, Thors son, is then able to capitalize on. It’s a tiny thread in the whole episode without a doubt. But it’s the small details like this, and how they connect characters through the ages and scenarios, that I really love about Vinland Saga. And as a little cherry on top, we also get to see how much Thorkell’s men care for him. Willing to sacrifice their own honor or die to keep him alive, because he is the heart and soul of the warband. Good episode for Thorkell.
Finally, we have to get back to Canute, who is the new driving force for Vinland Saga. We have known for awhile that Sweyn didn’t love Canute, that he sent him out here to die. For most of that time though, Canute has longed for his father to love him. Its why Ragnar was such an effective surrogate father, he gave Canute what he wanted. However it appears with his realizations last episode that Canute is no longer deluding himself. He acknowledges what Sweyn wants, and refuses to give it. And with this new charisma born of purpose, is bringing Thorkell and Askeladd along for the ride. The question here then becomes: What is Canute’s greater goal? Is he doing this just to stop his father? Or does this relate more deeply to his conversation with Willibald the Priest, and Bjorn’s “Redemption”? Personally, I can’t wait to find out.
So all in all, for me, this was another good episode of Vinland. At this point its just one high after another, as the series begins to run to the finish line. Part of me wants to spoil it, and write 2,000 word long posts for each and every episode. Pointing out the connections and meaning every little thing will have in the future. However I must resist. I must let you experience what is to come on your own, so you to might see the greatness that is Vinland Saga’s prologue. So yeah, suffice to say I enjoyed it like I do most every week. How about you though, for those that are still stickin around? Vinland Saga to your taste?
It is great. What a great adaption of the manga, and even better, as stuff I missed or mis-remembered in the manga are more clearly stated here.