Summary
This episode stands out in terms of both animation and emotion, giving fans the most impactful episode of the season so far.
We recap the Netflix and Crunchyroll anime series Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4, “Awakening,” which contains spoilers.
In Episode 3, viewers got a deeper look into Olmar (voiced by Yu Hayashi) and how things work around his father’s farm. Just when it looked like things were going bad for Thorfinn (Yuto Uemura) and Einar (Shunsuke Takeuchi), a new character named Snake (voiced by Fuminori Komatsu) was introduced into the fold. While he did save them, that does not necessarily means he’s on Thorfinn’s side, either. It will be interesting to see what the introduction of this new character means for our protagonist and how this will affect Thorfinn’s place on the farm as well.
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 Recap
The episode opens with Snake chastising the guards for “bullying the slaves” as Thorfinn’s injuries are bandaged. He apologizes to Thorfinn for his men’s behavior before suddenly lunging toward him.
Why does Snake attack Thorfinn?
Snake attacks Thorfinn, and he dodges, shocking everyone with his fighting prowess. Snake tells Thorfinn that by avoiding his attack, obviously, his body is telling him it wants to live. This seems to surprise Thorfinn, as he can’t figure out what he would possibly want to live for.
The strong ones kill the weak ones
As Pater patches Thorfinn up, Einar complains about how unfair the situation is. Thorfinn shrugs it off, saying there’s nothing they can do as “the strong ones kill the weak ones. This upsets Einar, but Pater seems to calm him by apologizing and revealing that Arnheid notified him of what was happening.
Despite being given the day off, Thorfinn and Einar return to work. Einar thinks back to the fight, noting that the way Thorfinn moved was not normal. He thinks back to what Thorfinn said earlier about the strong killing the weak and grows curious about Thorfinn’s past.
What does Einar ask Thorfinn?
Einar asks Thorfinn if he has ever been to war. When Thorfinn says yes, he asks more detailed questions, like if he’s killed and how many times. Thorfinn grows irritated at first, knowing how Einar feels about war. He then reveals that he does not remember how many people he has killed, as he was raised to be a warrior since childhood. Thorfinn asks Einar if knowing this disgusts him, but we do not see his answer.
Why does Einar attack Thorfinn?
That night, Einar lies awake thinking back to what Thorfinn said, along with his own past, when soldiers attacked his village. The more he thinks back, the angrier he grows until he reaches out to strangle Thorfinn in his sleep.
Thorfinn does not wake up or retaliate. Even as Einar pulls his hands back, Thorfinn finds himself stuck in a war nightmare. Finally, Einar wakes him up, which confuses Thorfinn. Einar grows frustrated again, grabbing Thorfinn and wondering why he wishes to die so badly when things could be much worse for them.
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 Ending
As Einar rolls over to get away from Thorfinn, Thorfinn thanks him for always waking him up from his nightmares. The episode ends with an older Canute riding through a cemetery.
This emotionally charged episode showed fans a more intense side of Einar while contrasting it against a softer side of Thorfinn. It added more layers to their characters and made the dramatic scenes more impactful. Einar seems to bring out another side of Thorfinn, which may be exactly what he needs now, as it’s clear he’s lost direction without revenge driving him forward. This episode’s animation also elevated the intensity, with well-timed close-ups and bold line and shading choices.
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