Vikings (2013–…): Season 5, Episode 4 - The Plan - full transcript

Steer towards us!

Take the forward line!

Here?

Bring them there!

BJORN!

BJORN, wake up!

The Pillars of Hercules.

There to starboard.

What?

Those mountains.

Known to the ancients
as the Pillars of Hercules.



But to our purpose,
more importantly,

they mark the entrance
to the Mediterranean Sea.

How fortunate I was
to run into you, Sindric.

What are you thinking?

How lucky we are
the gods gave us
this opportunity.

For what lies ahead
are new cities, worlds,
people and places.

My father would have
relished this opportunity.

I would still urge caution
about these lands and peoples.

They will not know
who you are,

and you in turn don't know
how strong anyone is
in this new world.

I want to go to Rome.

Rome is at the center
of the map.

Rome is the center
of the new world.

Not anymore, BJORN Ironside.



Since this map was drawn,
the whole world has changed.

The Roman Empire is no more.

Its power is mostly gone.

What's left is just
a sad shadow
of its former glory.

Then if not Rome, then where?

There is an island
not so far away.

It's an interesting place.

And what do they call
this interesting island?

Sicily.

Even though we saw
some of their armies leave,

we cannot be sure
that they are much weakened.

And after all, Alfred, it is
our armies which suffered
terrible defeat and loss.

So, in truth, we cannot think
of attacking and trying
to reclaim the town.

I agree.

Well, that is why I wonder
if it was wise of you to
dismiss their peacekeepers.

They didn't come here
to make peace.

They came here
to make trouble.

You cannot trust them.
They are heathens.

Well, then, we must retreat.

Return to Wessex.

Raise another army
and leave them, for now,
in possession of York.

I disagree.

-We have no choice.
-On the contrary.

I don't understand.

I had a vision.

I saw the two witnesses
who are the prophets

standing before
the God of the earth.

And if any man should
harm them,

fire would
proceed from their mouths
and devour their enemies.

And if any man should
harm them, he must be killed.

You speak in riddles,
Bishop HEAHMUND.

What I saw was real.

I saw all the dead bodies
of the wicked

lying in the street
of the great city,

for there was no one left
to bury them.

And I saw that this
great city was York,

and all those dead bodies
were of pagan Northmen.

They died
because they starved.

They died because
they had nothing to eat

and nothing to drink

and were walled up
in a great city.

Is that what we should do?

Yes.

Close all roads to York.

Blockade all rivers.

Prevent the Northmen
from coming and going.

And in that way, trap them,

starve them,

force them to surrender.

And when they
realize our plan,

they might emerge
and attack us

while our forces
are much depleted.

What do you say, Father?

I say,

you go and order
our commanders to close
the roads, the rivers,

passageways that lead to York.

We will starve them out.

With God's help.

Oh, He will help us,
King Aethelwulf.

Be assured of it.

Ubbe!

Ubbe!

Ubbe!

You're more
than ever welcome back
to our hearth, Ubbe.

We have all heard
of the successes
of our great army,

how you revenged
Ragnar's death,

overcame both
Aelle and Ecbert.

I thank my own son,

but also you
and all the sons of RAGNAR

for these immortal events.

Then you must have heard
of Sigurd's death at
the hands of IVAR.

And his challenge to BJORN
that he was the leader
of the great army.

I want to tell you both...

BJORN Ironside behaved
himself throughout with
great honor and courage.

I love and admire him
as a brother.

Thank you
for your words about BJORN.

He is a good man. I know that.

But IVAR is a different story.

He tore us apart.

As far as I am concerned,
I am now at war with IVAR.

My brother Hvitserk,
he has decided with IVAR.

So he is now my enemy.

Let us make a pact.

I will support you
against IVAR and Hvitserk

if you agree to support me
against King Harald.

You see, that would make me
an ally of my mother's killer.

Mmm. I know.

Your choices
are all difficult, Ubbe.

But for the sake of the
good folk of KATTEGAT,

can we not be allies?

Skol.

Skol.

I had hoped
that BJORN would return.
- Mmm.

He will come back.

I know he will.

But, until then, don't put
all your trust in Ubbe.

Why do you say that?

It's just that, after you,
BJORN should rule KATTEGAT.

- Who knows what the gods
have in store for us?

You understand I won't be
sharing you with Hvitserk
anymore.

I'm glad.

You're the man I married.

You are my husband.

-Hvitserk is a traitor.
-Mmm.

I think Lagertha
is losing her power.

I think the gods
have deserted her.

I have seen it.

I have watched it happening.

Her weakness when
she dealt with King Harald,

her uncertainty.

He tricked her
and made a fool of her.

Truth is,
there is only one man

who can replace RAGNAR
as the ruler of KATTEGAT,

and that man is not BJORN,

since BJORN clearly
has no interest in KATTEGAT.

It's you, Ubbe.

And you know it.

Sicily.

Tell me about it.

The ruler
is a Byzantine commander
called Euphemius.

He is already legendary.

His ambitions are so limitless

that he attempted to overthrow
the Holy Roman emperor.

He failed and came here
to Sicily,

with his ambitions undimmed,
so far as I know.

What is Byzantine?

Who is the Holy Roman emperor?

Michael II.

But don't worry about it.

In a few months' time,
he may not be.

All things change.

This world is impermanent
and deceiving.

Many things are not
what they seem.

When we go ashore
in the morning, remember,
we are traders.

We will have
many adventures here

and, if we live,

many stories to tell
at the Great Hall.

If we live.

Look! Another fat one!

Shh.

This one
still breathes.

Get all
their weapons.

Well done.

Is that all of them?

Looks like they will go
hungry again.

Yes, my Lord.

So, the hunting party
did not return today.

- I said, the hunting...
I heard
what you said.

We are almost out of food.

And there is sickness
in the town.

What are we going to do?
We have to do something.

The Saxons
are in their own country.

They can be reinforced
and grow stronger,

while every day
we just grow weaker...

What are you really saying,
huh, brother?

That I was wrong not to
negotiate with the Saxons,

and that Ubbe was right?

No.

No? Are you sure?

Ubbe was wrong.

That's why
I didn't sail with him.

But now you regret it?

I just told you no.

Ubbe treated me
like his little faithful dog.

I am no one's dog, IVAR.

Woof, woof.

Astrid
was spirited away from here.

There was nothing
Lagertha could do.

She was powerless.

-Isn't that more proof?
-Proof?

That the gods
have turned against her.

How can you say that?

You're talking about Lagertha.

And you were just a slave.

I am not a slave now,
and in my head I never was.

We are equal to Lagertha,
Torvi, you and me.

-We are all equal.
-You are right, Margrethe.

We are all equal.

I didn't know
you were listening.

What does it matter?

If I wasn't listening,
then the gods were listening.

It's all the same.

I have no feelings for you
either way.

I could kill you
for your talk of betrayal,

but I am sick of betrayal.

I have known betrayal
all my life.

Every man I've ever known
has betrayed me.

Now most women betray me.

What am I supposed to think?

Not every woman
wants to betray you.

Of course not, Torvi,
but given the chance...

Margrethe,
conspire against me
if you want to,

but if you can find
the courage to be loyal,

then I will respect you
like no other.

You were a slave
who had no choice,

but now...

Now, as a free woman,
you choose to love me.

Approaching!

Look, riders.

Who are they?

Northumbrians.

My mother's people.

-Mannel.
-Queen Judith!

This is my cousin Mannel.

This is my husband,
King Aethelwulf.

Sire, as Bretwalda,
king of kings,

I offer you my allegiance
and my absolute loyalty.

You are more welcome
than I can say.

There is much business
to be done here.

This is my eldest son,
Aethelred,

and HEAHMUND,
the bishop of Sherborne.

Bishop HEAHMUND,
your reputation as
a religious scholar,

and as a warrior,
goes before you.

And since
I came here to fight,

I can think of no two men
I'd rather stand beside
in the shield wall

than King Aethelwulf of Wessex

and HEAHMUND,
the warrior bishop
of Sherborne.

Don't flatter them too much.

You'll make them vain.

It's true.
The Bible tells us
that all is vanity.

And yet here we are,
about God's work.

The Bible also tells us
to show no mercy
to unbelievers.

Against these devils
and pagans,

we are the wrath of God.

Please, come.

What is he asking?

If we are traders.

Tell him, of course
we are traders.

Look at how few boats
we brought.

He says, "Welcome."

Commander Euphemius
wants you to understand

that you are not
the only Northmen

who have appeared
in the Mediterraneans.

The Emperor Michael himself
has a personal bodyguard

of Rus Vikings
from the Kievan Empire.

Commander Euphemius
wants you to be his
bodyguards.

He will pay you
and your men very well.

It would be better
if you agreed.

Tell him we agree.

Who is she?

Kassia.

Her name is Kassia.

Apparently,
she is a Christian.
A nun.

She was in charge
of a monastery
and writes holy songs.

A nun?

A woman of God?

The commander says
that he stole her from
the holy city of Byzantium,

and that she is so famous,

the emperor sentenced him
to death for abducting her.

Will I ever
see my son again?

Yes, you will see him again.

But in terrible circumstances.

What do you mean?

The consequences of Ragnar's
death are not yet played out.

You have only seen
the beginning of the end.

So now prepare yourself
for what is to come.

What is to come?

Tell me!

Why?

Do you suppose
that you could change
your fate if you knew it?

So now, after all,

you want to fetter yourself

and bind yourself
in delusions?

No! I was thinking of my son!

Only my son!

It's a mother's weakness.

I have told you that
you will see him again.

Is that not enough?

Too much knowledge
is an agony.

Prepare yourself.

Lord Odin,

did I make the right choice?

Give me a sign. Help me.

What is my fate?

Kassia.

What about her?

She's up there. Look.

It's Sindric.

We saw you.

What was all that about,
my friend?

I told you.
Nothing is as it seems.

Meaning?

Commander Euphemius
isn't really the commander
here after all.

I don't understand.

An Arab leader
called Ziyadat Allah,

the Emir of Ifriglya,
in Kairouan,

agreed to invade the island
on Euphemius' behalf

in return
for a yearly tribute.

Where is Kairouan?

In Africa.

And where is Africa?

Another world.

So this Commander Euphemius,

he is a, uh, client ruler.

He has no real power.

So it appears.

And Ziyadat Allah?

At the moment, he is probably
the most important ruler
in the Mediterranean.

Many, many stories
are told of him.

Both Arabs and Christians
go to him to ask for favours,
which he often grants.

For it increases his influence
and his power.

-Have you met him?
-No.

That was Kassia.

Yes.

So, who was the man?

I don't know.
But almost certainly a spy.

They looked like lovers.

It's possible.

A spy for who?

For the emperor, perhaps.
Or perhaps for Ziyadat Allah.

Who can tell in this place?

You wouldn't happen to be
conspiring against us,
now would you, Sindric?

I was only trying to find out
what was going on here.

Some wanderers
are really gods in disguise.

Are you?

Do I look like a god?

I want to meet
this Ziyadat Allah.

Why?

- 'Cause it seems like
he is the true leader.

In my vision,

I saw the bodies of the pagans
heaped in the streets,

dead of disease
and starvation.

And so it has come to pass.

-Now surely, they are
burning their dead.
-Mmm.

So, indeed, it seems.

Let us fall upon them now.

No.

If you take my advice,

let their condition
worsen further still.

Let them suffer more dismay,

until only creatures
of rags and bones

wander the streets of York.

Then we attack.

Oh, we can't always
be guided by your visions,

Bishop HEAHMUND, hmm?

But surely you see
the signs for yourself.

Now, I also see other signs.

How you put yourself forward,
above me, to take command.

Even though
I am your king under God.

Forgive me, sire,

king of kings.

I am your humble servant.

Do with me as you will.

I think you're not humble,
Bishop HEAHMUND.

But still, you are my servant,
as well as the Lord's.

And we shall proceed together,

for the sake of our country,

for the sake of England.

My king.

I don't understand.

What is it that you do not
understand, Hvitserk?

I don't understand why you
pretend to burn the bodies
of our dead.

-It's part of my plan.
-Ah.

What plan?

Did you really think that
I didn't have a plan, huh?

Of course I have a plan.

I'm a cripple, not an idiot.

I've found something out,
Hvitserk.

The Romans were
very clever.

My plan is based upon
what I have found out.

What is it?

I need to know.

And you will know, my brother.

In good time.

Astrid.

I haven't seen you
for many days.

-You were avoiding me.
-Mmm. Naturally.

Then why are you here now?

I have made up my mind.

To do what?

I asked the gods for advice.

I thought about my own life,

my own ambitions and hopes.

But there is only so much
that humans can do
to deny the force of fate.

What is your decision?

What kind of whale is that?

A minke.

And why do we hunt whales?

Because every part
of the whale is useful.

Down to the smallest drop
of its oil,

which keeps our world alight.

I think the whale is a god.

And each killing a sacrifice.

Don't you?

What is your decision?

I agree to marry you.

Good.

I couldn't have waited
any longer.

So, you come to be married.

You want to be man and wife.

Yes.

In the sight of the gods?

In the sight
of Freyr and Freya?

Yes.

And are you agreeable?

Is this what you want to do?

Think carefully.

For although the fetters
of marriage will be invisible,

like the cords
that bind Fenrir,

they will still bind you.

Yes, it is what I want to do.

Very well.

Then we call upon the gods
who are gathered invisibly
here round us

to bless and make fecund
this marriage.

The ring.

Perhaps my luck
has finally changed.

Thanketh you, Allfather.

Thanketh you.

What does he say?

That he won't go.

He has changed his mind.

He will come.

It was something she said.

Yes.

It was something she said.

Who is that woman?

Perhaps she is the all-woman.

Or perhaps just a pain
in the neck.

Sire!

Your Highness!

- What is it?
- They are gone.

The Northmen, the ships.
They are all gone!

Why are the rats above ground?

.srt Extracted, Synced and Corrected
by Dan4Jem, AD.XII.MMXVII