While things were looking up for Thorfinn (Yuto Uemura) and Einar (Shunsuke Takeuchi) in Episode 7, that unfortunately wasn’t the case for everybody. Even having as much money and power as Ketil (voiced by Hideaki Tezuka) doesn’t seem to exempt you from life’s more challenging decisions, as he struggled with punishing a pair of child thieves on his farm. Although mercifulness is an admirable trait, it is not often found in the men of Ketil’s time, so he fears showing his softer side to anyone but Arnheid. With a son as brutal as Thorgil around, though, it is unlikely that Ketil will be able to remain nonviolent for long.
- Snake and some of the other guards discuss the recent break-ins. Snake decides it is time to teach the thieves a lesson.
- Arnehid tells Einar he is pretty lucky, specifically for getting Sverkel to like him enough to lend them equipment and eat with him. She says Einar is a good man, causing him to blush, and tells him that she looks forward to speaking to him in the mornings.
- Arneheid is slapped by her mistress, Ketil’s wife, for “fooling around while breakfast isn’t even ready.” The woman scolds her, reminding her of her place.
- Thorfinn is excited to see their seeds have finally sprouted.
- Ketil’s oldest son, Thorgil, visits the farm.
- Snake approaches, having caught the thieves. They are just children, but since they have to be punished, Ketil has their hands tied up.
- Thorgil talks about his most recent battle and gives Olamar a necklace made of dried ears he took from various slain Englishmen.
- Thorgil reminds Olmar they are the sons of “Iron First Ketil,” a ruthless warrior.
- Snake tells Ketil they must figure out what to do with the thieves, so Ketil begins questioning them.
- Thorgil suggests taking an arm from each child to make things right, but as Ketil grows more uncomfortable, Pater steps forward, saying that a punishment that severe would not fit the crime.
- Pater suggests the family work on the farm but insists punishment is still in order and decides on flogging.
- Ketil tries to keep the number low, only suggesting ten lashings each. He takes over the punishment when Thorgil is too brutal.
- That night, Ketil lies in bed with Arnheid, admitting that the entire Iron Fist Ketil story is a lie.
- Ketil then says she is the only person with whom he can be honest while begging her to stay by his side.
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 8 Release Date and Time
Episode 8 is scheduled to release on both Netflix and Crunchyroll on Monday, February 27th, 2023. The release time is 11:30 a.m E.T. Episode 8 is titled “An Empty Man” and will have a run time of approximately 23 minutes.
Where to watch online
Viewers worldwide can catch Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 8 with a subscription to Netflix or Crunchyroll on the date mentioned above.
Predictions
While I was hit or miss with my predictions last week, this week’s episode gave viewers much to think about. It specifically showed us different sides to characters we weren’t expecting, which undoubtedly changed how we felt about them in the future. After introducing a few new characters, things are getting even more exciting this season.
- While the exact nature of their relationship is unknown, Ketil and Arnheid are intimately involved. With things going too well for Einar, this is a conflict I could see arising for him next week. I don’t think he would take it well, especially since he still has difficulty understanding what it means to be enslaved.
- Thorgil mentioned Canute to his father. If he stays on the farm, I could see him being the bridge between Canute and Thorfinn, as Thorfinn likely doesn’t know anything that’s happened to Canute in the last few years. He might even be inspired enough to seek Canute out, possibly for revenge, giving Thorfinn more reason to work to earn his freedom.
