Vikings
Season 4 Episode 11: “The Outsider”
Directed by Daniel Grou
Written and created by Michael Hirst
Starring Travis Fimmel, Clive Standen, Katheryn Winnick, Alexander Ludwig, Gustaf Skarsgard, Maude Hirst, Alyssa Sutherland, Alex Høgh Andersen, Marco Ilsø, Jordan Patrick Smith, David Lindström, Josefin Asplund, John Kavanagh
The History Channel
Air Date: Wednesday, November 30th, 2016, 9:00pm

Last time on Vikings, the final battle between Frankia and the Vikings, brother against brother, Rollo (Clive Standen) against Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), ended in utter defeat for Ragnar, and praise and accolades for Rollo. An epilogue of sorts showed Ragnar gone for many, many years and his little boys grown up, hating him except for Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen). Ragnar finally came back and challenged all to kill him and be king.

Warning! Spoilers below for tonight’s episode!

Vikings 4.11 “The Outsider” review: “Who wants to be king?” Ragnar challenges 2 of his sons but Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) steps up. Ragnar looks proud then hugs him. In comes Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) – “Why did you come back?” He tels Ragnar about Magnus. He came back for his sons and to invite them to England. He has to go. Bjorn wants to go around the Mediterranean Sea. His plans are under way with Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø). The other two want to stay and protect their mom.

Ivar is devilishly wicked. He challenges his brothers and gropes a slave girl in front of his mother.

Ivar crawls to different places to watch his brothers have sex with the same slave girl. We watch several scenes of Ivar being on the outside with yearning. He does prove himself in training.

Bjorn goes to the Seer (John Kavanagh) – “Ragnar brings calamity.”

“Calamity” goes to see Helga (Maude Hirst) and Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard). Floki never told what he knew about Wessex.

Helga:”It’s because Floki loves you. He loves you and he always has.” I never really believed that until now.

Before Ragnar leaves he makes Floki cry with happiness, which makes me cry… and just like that, I am not mad at Floki anymore for Athelstan. Because Ragnar isn’t mad anymore. He and Ragnar are more similar and like brothers than Rollo and Ragnar.

The brothers’ relationship is adorable. It is a perfect mix of competitive tension and camaraderie. They shared the slave girl and gave the slave girl to him for his first time. He cant perform, and almost kills her. Until she gives him the feels and makes him feel better.

Ragnar goes to Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). How many people want these 2 crazy kids back together? Alas, she and Astrid (Josefin Asplund) are together. Although, they both want Ragnar, and I was rooting for THAT scene.

Holy S***!! The gods certainly have a plan for Ragnar, and the last scene between Ivar and Ragnar is one of the best of the series.

“The Outsider” is both Ragnar and Ivar. Ragnar because of his “bad choices,” and Ivar, because of his disability. What happens at the end seems quite right.

The 4B premiere was as engaging and compelling as the entire series. Vikings has definitely evolved into more than a sexy king (and his sexy brother) running around shirtless and lopping off limbs in gruesome fashion. The timeless themes of father-son relationships, and regrets work incredibly. There was no epic battle and it was still fantastic!.

Vikings airs Wednesday nights at 9:00pm ET on The History Channel.

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