Vikings (2013–…): Season 5, Episode 9 - A Simple Story - full transcript

Previously, on Vikings.

What we need to build is a temple.

Why should we build a temple
before our own houses?

- We came here to die.
- No!

We will turn this land into
somewhere wonderful to live!

You should talk to your father.

He's too busy training my brother

- to be a great warrior.
- My son!

If you want war, then let's have war.

I'll pull back a third of our army.

And send Hvitserk to outflank them.



I agree.

Attack!

- They need us!
- It's too late!

Retreat!

Who is this?

He's a Saxon priest.

- Save him.
- Why?

I don't know why.

His wounds will heal.

You saved my life.

Thank you.

But if I had not spared your life,

you would now be in heaven.

I believe you are a Christian priest?



Isn't that where you would prefer to be?

I am a priest.

But I am also a man.

I love God.

But I also love life.

And what is it about life
that you love so much?

Its joy.

Its pain.

And do you love human beings?

Our Lord loved all human beings.

His love was agape,

not eros.

A great, embracing love.

And do you have that same
embracing love, priest?

Do you love men and women just the same?

I am not our Lord.

Agape is too hard for me.

I love women.

Not just spiritually.

We have no problems loving
the spirit and the flesh.

Our gods encourage it.

Then you have no guilt?

No remorse?

No.

I envy you.

I have spent many years
of my life living sinfully.

Why didn't you kill me?

I don't know.

Perhaps we'll find out.

You were too clever
for your own good, Ivar.

We had the advantage and we lost.

As I remember, you approved the plan.

Up until that moment,

you proved yourself a good tactician.

I believed in you.

I might not be so quick

to endorse your plans next time.

You do as you see fit, King Harald.

Ivar, Uncle Rollo once told me

on his ship on our way
back from the Mediterranean,

he said that
if I ever needed his support,

all I had to do was ask.

What do you think?

Come on.

What do you think?

Do you want the Franks to help us?

I think you ought to leave
at first light tomorrow.

Yes, come on!

Steady! Here, I have it!

You have to let me through!

That one there!

I have been thinking about Eyvind.

About his behavior.

What about it?

You told him that
if he did not like it here,

he could always go back home.

And he said that we had
burned all our bridges

and can never return home again.

But that's not true.

He could always sail home.

What really is to stop him?

- Nothing.
- No.

No, he has a reason to stay.

Far from wanting to leave this island,

he wants to stay because
he wants to be king of it.

He could never be king in Kattegat.

But here, an uninhabited land,
a new world...

Harsh or not, he could be king of it all.

But first he has to undermine
your authority.

He has to turn people against you.

That's what he's been trying to do.

Can you not see?

I have watched Eyvind from the start,

and the truth is, he is trying
to provoke a reaction.

He wants us all to fall
into violence and chaos

from which he can rise to power.

But we mustn't give him
that satisfaction.

We must remain calm.

What are you thinking?

Are you thinking about our child?

Of course I am.

Then I'm glad.

If we go to war again,

don't tell me I cannot fight.

Don't tell me to go away.

Let me do what I have to do,

what I want to do.

I want our child
to hear the cries of battle.

I want him to be a warrior.

You should be so happy.

But you're not. You're not happy.

We just lost a battle.

So many died.

Do you really think I should be happy?

Pull!

Good. Pull!

Hold there!

Hey, Bul!

Come and help us! Thor is heavy!

We don't want anything to do
with your temple, Thorgrim.

It's your business.

And we won't be paying
any taxes for it, either.

The way you talk,

you don't sound like a bull.

You sound like a dog.

So that's what I'm going to call you.

Bul the Dog.

Say that again.

Do yourself a favor, Bul.

Step back.

Say it again.

Bul the Dog!

Bul, stop!

- Hey! Stop it!
- Stop him!

- Get him off!
- No!

- Stop it!
- Get him off!

- Ketill, let him go.
- Father!

Father, stop.

Stop it!

Put your weapons down.

Come away, Bul.

The boy has learned his lesson.

Come away, Bul!

You are sure they were Frankish soldiers?

Yes, I'm sure.

And there are a lot of them.

There are so many.

Many, too many to count.

Why would Rollo send soldiers to fight

for Hvitserk and Ivar?

I don't know.

Maybe he is there.

Maybe I could go talk to him.

- I'll go with you.
- No.

Ivar would kill you.

I'll go alone.

Maybe we can negotiate
some sort of agreement.

Perhaps King Harald
and Rollo will see sense.

I wouldn't count on it.

They are in a position of strength now.

Where is Rollo?

Rollo couldn't come.

He had too many responsibilities.

But he also told me
that he would come back

and celebrate with us afterwards.

He only asked for one thing.

And what was that?

That we spare Bjorn's life.

Perhaps we will.

This temple is dedicated to oldman Thor.

Thor the hurler.

Thor the wide wanderer.

- Odin's son.
- Odin's son.

God of farmers.

The god who fished out

and fought the world's serpent.

The god who fought a giant,

and who was left with a piece of stone

forever lodged in his head.

God of the thunder.

God of ordinary folk.

Hear our prayer.

Hear our prayer.

And bless our temple

and receive our sacrifice in your name.

Return the bowl.

This is sacred. Thor is here.

Give me the bowl.

Give me the blood.

All right.

Have it.

No!

Floki, no!

Christian!

Down in the mud, Christian.

Get up, Christian!

What are you doing?

I wanted to talk to you.

What did you want to talk to me about?

Everything.

The gods.

Life and death.

My soul.

The hanged man.

Despair.

Hope.

Eternal life.

Why with me?

I think you may know some of the answers.

What gave you that idea?

Do you believe in fate?

Of course.

Then fate has brought us together.

Don't flatter yourself.

No.

I think we are equals.

I think you know that, too.

I'm interested in you.

Fascinated.

I want to know more.

I think we have more
in common than you know.

And there is some urgency
to this conversation.

What is so urgent, priest?

I know we're going
to fight again, and soon.

You don't have to fight for us.

Of course I do.

That's why you saved my life.

You hoped that I would take up my sword

and fight for you against Ivar.

Will you?

I will fight for you, Lagertha.

I will die for you.

Even though you don't know me.

I know you.

I've known you my whole life.

You really want to sin again?

I shouldn't have married her.

I was too young.

She is not what I thought she was.

She has such ambitions.

Unfortunately, I have left
my young children

in Margrethe's care.

She will not hurt them.

It seems we'll do battle again soon.

Either of us could die.

It is almost certain that one of us will.

I don't want to die without saying

I wish it was you who carried my child.

No, Mommy.

Margrethe.

Margrethe, what is wrong?
We were calling you.

Mommy?

How stupid you are.

What do you think
your mother is doing now?

Perhaps she is getting ready to fight.

Or maybe she's dead.

Maybe she has already died in battle.

She's not dead.

My advice to you is to
forget about your mother.

Don't think of her.

Don't imagine she's ever coming back.

Except as a ghost.

But where is Rollo?

Where is my uncle?

I went to meet him.

He sends his love to you, Bjorn Ironside,

and hopes you're not willing
to fight against his forces.

Then why would he commit
his forces to you?

He didn't tell. That's the truth.

Only that he was prepared to do so.

I can tell you.

Rollo sees justice in our cause.

Lagertha murdered our mother
and usurped her kingdom.

All that is in the past now, Ivar.

I must avenge my mother's murderer.

And I think you would do
the same if it was you.

For the sake of our father...

for the sake of our father's legacy

and everything he believed in,

I am asking you, Ivar,

do not put our people's lives at risk.

The only reason why you are saying this

is because you see all the might
gathering against you.

If you still thought you could win,

you would not be here, Bjorn.

The fact is, you are afraid.

I'm not afraid.

This changes nothing.

Well.

What is this?

You know as well as I do

that this is not our way.

It's not our way!

It was worth a try.

I'm sorry Rollo had to involve
himself in our quarrel.

Doesn't he have worlds enough to conquer?

My lords,

I have summoned this witan
because it is now imperative

that all of us recognize

the new and urgent dangers we face.

After the depredations
brought to this island

by the great heathen army,

we might well have thought
that the storm had passed.

That great heathen army has proved to be

just the precursor of more attacks.

Now their raiding parties,
their fleets, their armies

come from everywhere.

They attack Scotland
and Ireland with impunity,

and they attack us,

like so many mad wolves,
like stinging hornets

swarming from north to south,
east to west!

They are now a threat
to every English kingdom.

Once, they would sting us
and quickly leave again.

But now they stay!

They winter on this island!

They refuse to leave,
unless they are paid to do so.

York has a Viking stronghold.

How much longer

before more towns and kingdoms
have fallen before them?

Our land and our faith

are together in the greatest peril.

That is why I have summoned you.

Tomorrow we will discuss

the best ways of dealing
with this threat.

We must make plans.

We must be strong and resolute.

And in that undertaking,

I know that our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ

will be with us.

And if he's with us,

then we shall not fail.

I've brought you Alfred.

All our sins are washed away
in the blood of Christ.

Love one another.

Do what is best for Wessex
and nothing more.

My son.

My son.

Father.

Come here. Come here.

I never knew my own mother.

She died when I was born.

But you boys...

you have a care for your mother.

Listen to her.

She's wiser than both of you.

Sweet Judith.

Don't weep for me.

The angels are already here.

Can't you see them?

Can't you see them?

In nomine patris,

et filli, et spiritus sancti.

Amen.

They won't make a deal.

We have to fight.

We have to fight.

In the end, we are all fighting
for my father's legacy.

We've all believed in it,

and we've all come to understand

how a young farmer from Norway

risked his life to explore the world

so that our people could farm.

That was his life's purpose.

That was his life's ambition.

I want us to achieve that.

If Ivar wins...

Ragnar's dreams are lost.

Let us prepare.

There's something to be said
for simple choices, no?

We cannot leave Kattegat totally exposed.

We don't know Ivar's plans.

I think we should send

a significant number of warriors back

to defend the town.

No, you don't know what I saw.

The number of Franks.

The gods have already decided

the outcome of this battle.

The witan will reconvene tomorrow.

They must select a new king.

They will offer you the throne.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Not only are you Aethelwulf's eldest son,

but they know how he has been
training you for kingship.

Moreover, there are none
among them, not even Cuthred,

who has the power to claim it.

Then in all humility, I will accept.

No.

You will refuse the crown.

But why on earth should I?

You said yourself that my father
had prepared me.

Yes. Yes, Aethelred,

he has prepared you
to be a king in his own image.

A warrior king.

But these times demand
a different kind of ruler.

Your grandfather made that very plain.

What could Ecbert know of these times?

- Everything!
- No.

You only invoke his name
because you were his mistress!

Which goes against
all Christian conscience!

- Brother...
- Don't you speak!

On the contrary, he must speak!

Whatever the circumstances of his birth,

Ecbert saw in Alfred

the future ruler of
the country he was creating!

Yes!

That is why he sent Alfred to Rome.

Not you, Aethelred.

He sent Alfred.

And the Pope blessed him

and crowned him because he knew.

No!

He didn't know.

It could just as well have been me.

But it wasn't you.

Ecbert saw in Alfred

gifts you didn't have.

Abilities you didn't have.

He educated him in ways of statecraft.

He equipped him to be the future king.

But they will still ask me to be king.

Yes.

I am certain they will.

Well, then.

So, tomorrow the witan
will decide upon our new king.

It must decide for Prince Alfred.

- My lady, this is not...
- It must,

and it will decide for Alfred.

And you, Lord Cuthred,

you will be the first
among its supporters.

No. I cannot, in all conscience, agree.

But let us say you were able to.

Would your conscience
allow you, as a reward,

to accept the vacant
bishopric at Sherborne?

As you know,

such a high role confers
much more power and prestige

than anything enjoyed
by the temporal lords.

And surely, My Lord,
you have long aspired

to be prince of our holy church?

As we know,

King Aethelwulf,

King of Wessex and Mercia,

Bretwalda, and my beloved father,

is dead, and is now
at peace with his maker.

We still don't know
the cause of his death.

It was so sudden. So calamitous.

How such a mighty warrior
could be taken away from us

at such an hour of need
is beyond understanding.

Our Lord surely works in mysterious ways.

But now we must choose a new king.

For that is our solemn and sacred duty.

And I have no hesitation

in nominating the king's eldest son,

Prince Aethelred!

May he be anointed

as our new ruler!

Fit to face the terrible
challenges ahead of us.

I say, let us elect Aethelred
as our king!

Thank you, my Lord Cuthred,
for my nomination.

To be your king would be
the greatest honor of my life.

Even in these times of great danger.

Unfortunately...

I must decline the honor.

I am not fit to be your king.

You must choose someone else.

My lords! Be quiet!

Silence, my lords, please!

We have a great decision to make. Please!

In view to the fact that
King Aethelwulf's eldest son

has refused the crown,

then I think we must offer it

to his younger son, Prince Alfred.

All those in favor?

- He's no warrior!
- He's too sickly.

My lords!

- My lords!
- Silence, my lords, please.

Silence.

For the sake of Wessex and England,

in the name of my father,
King Aethelwulf,

and my grandfather, King Ecbert...

I do nominate my brother, Alfred...

to be king.

All those who agree, say, "Aye."

Aye!

- Aye.
- Aye.

- Aye.
- Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

- Aye.
- Aye.

- Aye.
- Aye.

Aye.

There's a fire!

A fire! Come quickly!

A fire at the temple!
All of you! Quickly!

The temple is on fire!

Thor is burning!

I've come to offer you
my fealty, Queen Lagertha.

My sword is at your service,
now and forever.

Hey, Bul!

Bul the Dog! You did this!

Long live the king!

Long live the king!

Long live the king! Long live the king!

Long live the king! Long live the king!

Long live the king!

Long live the king!

Long live the king! Long live the king!

Burning the gods?
You've gone too far, Bul.

I don't think so.

- Bul! No!
- Thorgrim, watch out!

Long live the king!

Long live the king! Long live the king!

No!

No! No!

No!

No!

No!

No!