Summary
Characters are tested, and the war for power is bubbling in another good chapter in the Vikings: Valhalla series.
Harald is in a messy situation in Vikings: Valhalla Season 3, Episode 6. It’s a situation that changes his story arc forever, as the consequences of his actions are brutal. Regardless of how he was set up, I must admit that he brought it upon himself in this cruel world.
In this recap, I summarize the key points in “Return to Kattegat” and give my honest opinions.
Harald sacrifices himself for his friends, but it does not work
Queen Empress visits Harald’s cell in ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 3, Episode 6 (Credit – Netflix)
Seeing Harald in a prison cell is sad because he looks powerless. He still has his strength, but the situation has no answer. It’s made even worse when Empress Zoe admits to him that he was used due to fertility issues and that she never wanted it to end this way. This apology surely hurts Harald’s pride, especially with all that ambition he claims to have.
To compound the issue, his trial is held by the church, which usually means the worst outcomes. George Maniakes also knows Harald was having an affair with Empress Zoe, which is punishable by death, including his friends, who he believes covered for him.
To be fair to Harald, he makes salient points at the trial as to why he would not kill Emperor Romanos, including his years of service and loyalty to him. He raises how it was a random woman who killed him, but then George Maniakes turns on the manipulation and tries to imply that the woman was Empress Zoe. Maniakes deepens the conspiracy and explains that Harald was ambitious, which is why he killed the Emperor in a joint plot with the Empress, as well as sleeping with her.
But Harald is truly wounded when Maniakes brings out one of Harald’s men as a key witness and pressures him into confessing to knowing about Harald’s affair with Zoe. He even brings a beaten and bruised Dorn to worsen the situation.
Harald buckles under pressure and protects his friends: he tells the court that he raped Empress Zoe and falsely confesses to killing Emperor Romanos. He’s sentenced to execution.
But the most significant blow, and what is a pivotal moment in Harald’s story so far, is that his friends are still executed, and he has to see them hung as he’s lowered into a pit. It would not be hasty to think that Harald is currently running out of lives. You’d think that George Maniakes is winning this bitter rivalry.
King Canute gathers his sons in Kattegat in a pre-swansong
King Canute (middle) returns to Kattegat (Credit – Netflix)
How can you not respect Canute at this point? His growth in Season 3 has made him my favorite character. His understanding of death and the need for a long-lasting, healthy, and respected legacy that appreciates the family’s history is great to see.
Canute returns to Kattegat and is excited to talk about the Viking history that led him here. He’s proud of the history and their achievements. King Svein is confused that Emma’s sons, Alfred and Edward, are there, but there’s no immediate sign of resentment or danger. It’s clear what Canute is trying to do.
Even Queen Emma understands the situation and tells Queen Aelfgifu privately that King Canute is dying. She wants a peaceful transition of power within the families, with no blood. Queen Aelfgifu seems to understand, and it helps that she’s surprised by Emma’s honesty.
But the sweetest moment is when Leif arrives after investigating the abandoned Jomsborg, where it’s clear that Freydis and her people have fled. Leif tells Canute that he’s the reason he became a Viking and asks for a ship from Canute. And so the king gifts him one and asks Leif to bring Viking glory with his discovery of the “Golden Land.”
All this peace and union between everyone, but you can sense that it could all explode at any moment. When Harald Harefoot arrives in Kattegat with Godwin, they tell Canute that his father, Forkbeard, is dead. Canute usually has good intuition, but there’s no sense that he finds Forkbeard’s death suspicious.
Privately, Godwin tells Queen Aelfgifu that Harefoot can be the next king.
It’s a shame that a dying King can swallow his pride and try to provide a healthy, peaceful transition, but those around him who he loves and respects can’t.
Erik the Red takes extreme steps to stop Freydis from leaving Greenland
Erik the Red (L) and Freydis (R) in ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 3, Episode 6 (Credit – Netflix)
It’s not looking good for Freydis and her people as tensions with her father, Erik the Red, peak. Half of their supplies have been siphoned, and a boat has been taken. Erik the Red thinks he can take anything and disrespect Freydis’ leadership.
Feeling impatient due to her father’s actions, Freydis announces they are leaving and that there’s space for four more Greenlanders, which shocks Erik. His leadership feels challenged, and the father and daughter argue about their respective domains.
At the end of the episode, Erik kills Aki, Freydis’s sea captain, and then kidnaps Harald II. He’s snapped. Freydis means less to him than his land. But, I feel his manic behavior was projected in Episode 5 when he seemed tired, angry, and ready for violence when his people were losing food and supplies.
Read More Season 3 Explanations: Episode 7
