Re: Vikings 1x01 "Rites of Passage"

[ariad]

• Less than 10 minutes into the first episode Vikings, I’m already in love because the protagonist’s wife, who was previously seen catching food and weaving with their daughter and generally belonging to the domestic sphere, just BEAT THE SHIT out of the men who came to rape her in her husband’s absence. Less than 10 minutes. They don’t even play at her being helpless, except perhaps by playing on the audience's expectations in spite of visual and verbal cues; from the moment the two men walk in, she (Olgatha?) is in charge. She sends her daughter away, asks the men what they want, tell them how she is willing to deal. When they make it clear what they want, she waits for them to make the first move but easily defends herself. This is not your average story about a married warrior dude.
• Father to son: "And then I strangled the bear with my bare haaaands! That is how I won your mother's hand." Haha. I love the relationship between father and son, how he wants to teach him to be a protector but also clearly loves his son and watches him with such affection.
• I am enjoying all these close-ups of protagonist's magnificent face.
• The legal proceedings make super interesting commentary on mob mentality and collective/individual responsibility.
• I like how the son's introduction to their politics doubles as the audience's. Good narrative structure.
• Just figured out the protagonist's name is Ragnar. At least it took me less than an episode this time.
• Wow, after the chieftain sends Ragnar away, there's a great juxtaposition of the chieftain as unsympathetic against another scene of him as sympathetic.
• We meet Loki, another exciting reinterpretation of the god, though not a god this time. He looks into Ragnar's son's eyes and tells him, "You have your father's eyes. Unfortunately." Ragnar: "Why unfortunately?" Loki: "It means he will be like you, and therefore he will want to do better than you. And you will hate him for it." I hope I hope I hope this comes true, especially given how fond Ragnar is of his son right now.
• Loki: "Do you imagine ships are just dead things?"
• Ragnar and his son return home. He asks if Olgatha missed him and wants him to love her. Olgatha: "I don't want to love now. I want to ride you like a bull." Get sexier, Olgatha, I challenge you.
• Uncle: "Where are your parents?" Son: "They're, uh, having sex."
• Later, at dinner, Uncle: "Is your mother teaching you how to use a shield?" Daughter, sassily: "Yes, I know how to use a shield."
• Ohh, it gets better. Uncle: "Your mother was a famous shield-maiden." Olgatha: "Was?" Uncle: "Is. A famous shield-maiden."
• The uncle decides to ruin happy family time by making moves on Olgatha, who isn't having any of that shit. "Don't insult me," he says. She responds, steel in her eyes the whole time, "I would never insult you; you're too great a warrior. But perhaps not so great a man."
• Ragnar, his brother, and Loki sail out in the ship Loki has crafted. Loki is convinced it will sink, but Ragnar disagrees. Ragnar, if Loki says the ship will sink, it'll sink. One, he's a fucking shipbuilder. Two, he's been pretty well-established as the prophet character, despite nothing he says having come true yet. Then again, what do I know? Loki's unfounded insecurities about his own ship-building could be part of his character.
• Verdict: VERY GOOD. ALL THE STARS. Also, according to Wikipedia, Olgatha's name is actually Lagertha, and Loki's name is actually Floki. Welp.