• Home
  • Movies
  • Music
  • TV
  • Video Games
  • Wrestling
  • Topics
  • Latest Comments on Cult of Whatever
Search
Cult of Whatever logo
  • Movies
    Featured
    • The Living Daylights: Timothy Dalton as James Bond

      The Living Daylights is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 28, 2022
      Movie Blogs
    Recent
    • Lethal Weapon: Danny Glover and Mel Gibson as Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs

      Lethal Weapon is still awesome thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 9, 2022
    • Nope: Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya

      REVIEW: “NOPE” wants to be more than it is, which is just good enough

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 22, 2022
    • Brave: Kelly Macdonald voices Princess Merida

      Ten years later, BRAVE remains Pixar’s most underrated film

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 21, 2022
    • A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Heather Langenkamp as Nancy

      A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 is still awesome, thirty-five years later

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 20, 2022
    • Where The Crawdads Sing: Daisy Edgar Jones and David Strathairn

      REVIEW: Where the Crawdads Sing deftly blends genres to good effect

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 19, 2022
    • Thor Love and Thunder: Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth as The Mighty Thor and Thor

      REVIEW: THOR – LOVE AND THUNDER is an adventure of mirth and sadness alike

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 9, 2022
  • Music
    Random
    • Led Zeppelin 1977 Promo

      Fifty years of Led Zeppelin

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 4, 2019
      Music
    Recent
    • The Beatles: Get Back

      What GET BACK reveals about the Beatles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 15, 2021
    • Simon And Garfunkel at Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam1982

      The Boxer is a song about being conned

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 4, 2021
    • Lady Gaga: Chromatica Album Cover

      Lady Gaga’s discography is totally out of order

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 3, 2021
    • Michael Jackson Thriller Album Cover

      Thirty years ago music fans said “Nevermind” to Michael Jackson

      By Matthew Martin
      | March 21, 2021
    • Queen II Album Cover

      On Queen’s The Miracle, and the importance of track ordering

      By Matthew Martin
      | February 16, 2021
    • Linda Paul Mccartney 1976

      50 years ago, McCartney dropped “Lennon” and went solo…

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 5, 2020
  • TV
    Featured
    • Nancy Drew S03e01: Kennedy McMann as Nancy

      Nancy Drew S03E01 Review: The Warning of the Frozen Heart - Uh-oh!

      By Salome G
      | October 10, 2021
      TV Blogs
    Recent
    • Roswell New Mexico S04e09: Allie Myers and Jeanine Mason as Shiri Appleby and Liz Ortecho

      Roswell, New Mexico S04E09 Review: Wild Wild West- Okay…

      By Salome G
      | August 11, 2022
    • Evil S03e09: Party Time

      Evil S03E09 Review: The Demon of Money – Dark moments…

      By Salome G
      | August 8, 2022
    • American Horror Stories S02e03: Bella Thorne as Marci

      American Horror Stories S02E03 Review: Drive – Unsettling experiences

      By Salome G
      | August 8, 2022
    • The Orville S03: Penny Johnson Jerald and Mark Jackson as Dr. Claire Finn and Isaac

      The Orville season three finale review: Don’t say goodbye

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 8, 2022
    • Roswell New Mexico S04e08: Michael Vlamis as Michael Guerin

      Roswell, New Mexico S04E08 Review: Missing My Baby – The truth hurts

      By Salome G
      | August 3, 2022
    • Riverdale S06e22: Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom

      Riverdale S06E22 Review: Night of the Comet – Ambitious…

      By Salome G
      | August 2, 2022
  • Video Games
    Featured
    • Arkham Knight

      Batman: Arkham Knight - A fitting end to a trilogy

      By Tom Farr
      | July 18, 2015
      Video Game Reviews
    Recent
    • Legend Of Zelda

      Can a Legend of Zelda movie work?

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 6, 2022
    • Super Mario 64

      Which system had the better launch: A battle of four Nintendo consoles

      By Matthew Martin
      | December 1, 2021
    • Luigi's Mansion

      Happy twentieth to Nintendo’s underrated gem, the Gamecube

      By Matthew Martin
      | November 18, 2021
    • Metroid Dread

      Metroid Dread – Post Game analysis and sequel needs

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 29, 2021
    • Mario Headphones

      The SNES Turns 30: A look at some of the system’s best soundtracks

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 22, 2021
    • Metroid Dread Poster

      REVIEW: Metroid Dread reawakens the old gamer in me

      By Matthew Martin
      | October 11, 2021
  • Wrestling
    Featured
    • Wwe Payback 2017 Poster 2

      Your SO OF COURSE preview of WWE Payback 2017

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 30, 2017
      WWE Blogs
    Recent
    • AEW Forbidden Door 2022: Claudio Castagnoli

      ROH Death Before Dishonor 2022 kickstarted a new era with a bang

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 25, 2022
    • Vince Mcmahon Stone Cold Podcast

      Vince McMahon is out as WWE chief. First reactions here…

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 22, 2022
    • AEW Double or Nothing 2022: CM Punk vs Adam Page

      REVIEW: AEW Double or Nothing 2022 delivered an up-and-down show

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 30, 2022
    • MJF on AEW Dynamite 17th November 2021

      Getting AEW to the next level…

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 29, 2022
    • Raw 210501: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

      May 21, 2001 – A (forgotten) date that will live in WWE infamy

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 20, 2022
    • WWE WrestleMania 39 Logo

      Your WAY TOO EARLY predictions for WWE WrestleMania 39!

      By Matthew Martin
      | April 20, 2022
  • Topics
    • site logo
    Latest
    • Roswell, New Mexico S04E09 Review: Wild Wild West- Okay...
    • Lethal Weapon is still awesome thirty-five years later
    • Evil S03E09 Review: The Demon of Money - Dark moments...
    • American Horror Stories S02E03 Review: Drive - Unsettling experiences
    • The Orville season three finale review: Don't say goodbye
    • Roswell, New Mexico S04E08 Review: Missing My Baby - The truth hurts

    Vikings S05E05: The Prisoner – An exciting episode brings the season a much-needed focus

    By Kevin Boyle
    | December 21, 2017
    TV Blogs

    Season five of Vikings feels like a spin-off of the original show. With Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi being at the forefront of the cultural conversation, and all I’ve been thinking about for the past week, it’s remarkably easy to view Vikings with a Star Wars filter. Like the new Star Wars films, Vikings is enamoured with the new generation, with the exploits of the older generation falling into myths and legends, and the main female character in a position of power that could be taken away at any moment: Lagertha=Leia. Don’t worry, I’m not going to bog down this review with a faux-scholarly conversation of Star Wars character archetypes and how they turn up everywhere, that would only interest me. The reason I bring up The Last Jedi is that this type of story-telling, and world-expansion, is becoming increasingly prevalent, though maybe not popular.

    The death of Ragnar, I’ll never be finished with how this effects the show, is such a bold, brave move on Vikings part, as was his gradual disintegration from folk hero to pariah. The reason the show is still going, after his death, is to examine the consequences of his failures rather than his achievements. If Ragnar succeeded in everything he set out to do there would be colonies of his people in both Wessex and France. He wouldn’t have left his children to grow up into flawed and complex characters, except for Hvitsek but I’m still waiting, who are defined by his absence. This is how Vikings differs from something like Game of Thrones, out with the obvious historical conceit. As much as Game of Thrones is a subversion of fantasy tropes, it’s the story of one period in that universes history. The novels are called A Song of Ice and Fire because that’s how Jon and Dany’s exploits will be remembered. Whoever ends up on the Iron Throne at the end of the show will finish as ruler. We will never see what kind of ruler they become, whether they make fatal mistakes like the Mad King, or just aren’t fit like Robert. Vikings was about the rise and fall of Ragnar, but it’s ambitious enough to follow through with exactly what that means.

    The Prisoner felt like a familiar episode of Vikings because of this. Not familiar in a boring, “we’ve run out of ideas way”, but providing a new context with new characters in the same old positions. The Battle of York is a perfect example. Both sides are led by the sons of Ragnar and Eggbert, sons that had a complicated, and sometimes abusive relationship with their fathers. Aethelwulf and Ivar are fighting a battle that their fathers set in motion decades ago. They both have motivations to win that stand apart from typical glory and conquest. Ivar wants to be powerful, but he is Floki’s ward as well as Ragnar’s son. No one hated the Christians more than Floki, ask Athelstan if you don’t believe me, and that influence in Ivar is always present. Aethelwulf has good reason to hate the Vikings. They were indirectly responsible for the worst humiliations of his life. They brought the Monk who shagged his wife, that same monk was treated like more of a son by Eggbert than he was, and he is consistently outwitted by the Vikings in battle. That’s not even mentioning Alfred.

    Vikings S05e5 Ivar Alex Hogh Andersen

    It goes deeper with Heahmund’s capture. While it’s a different situation to Ragnar and Athelstan, the aim is similar. Ivar wants to gloat, sure: he’s captured the warrior Bishop, but he also wants to expand Heahmund’s knowledge. I’m sad that the Battle of York is over, it provided some intense action, and Alex Hoch’s best acting, but Aethelwulf was starting to look like Wiley Coyote to Ivar’s Roadrunner. It’s end also brings a new sense of focus that was sorely lacking last week. While I’m delighted that Harald wasn’t in this episode (it gets a full point just for that) Ivar’s plans for an alliance with him against Lagertha and Ubbe are an intriguing development.

    Ragnar’s presence is felt throughout the episode as characters continue to repeat his mistakes. Lagertha give Floki, and his obvious madness, far too much wiggle room with he is utilising gleefully. Floki feels like a wild card, and I’m not sure how successful combining his plot with Kattegat will be, but the problems are really piling up for Lagertha. My only complaint about The Prisoner is Lagertha. Of all of the really important characters in the show, Lagertha is getting the worst treatment. She needs a show of force if she wants to keep what is hers by conquest, but she has enemies coming from all sides.

    Vikings S05e5 Gustaf Skarsgard Floki

    As does Bjorn who repeats Ragnar’s classic mistake of curiosity. While he has travelled further than his father ever has, his thirst for knowledge and experience has got him embroiled in local politics. Like Ragnar fighting for Kwenthrith, Bjorn and Halfdan have bitten off more than they can chew, in this case literally.

    8/10 – It’s this repetition, the cyclical nature of history repeating itself, and the consequences that trickle down through the generations that make Vikings one of the most ambitious shows on TV. Not everything works, but the focus on how failure can shape a narrative is a great direction for this show to go.

    Share this article:

    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit

    Tags

    Vikings

    COMMENTS

    Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

    Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

    Subscribe
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    Notify of
    guest
    Connect withD
    I allow to create an account
    When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
    DisagreeAgree
    guest
    3 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    PoisonIvy
    PoisonIvy
    4 years ago

    Finally, we have some much needed focus! It seems like the pros of this show can also be the cons of this show. With Ragnar gone, it feels like a new show, but with Ragnar gone it isn’t the same show. How we the fans continue to react will be telling as we get to the end of the season.

    0
    Reply
    Gavin the BingeWatcherD
    Gavin the BingeWatcher
    4 years ago

    I could honestly do without Loki just as much as I could do without Harald, but I did enjoy having the story more focused this round. Their costumes are spectacular, even if they don’t match true Viking wear.

    0
    Reply
    Lone Wolf
    Lone Wolf
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Gavin the BingeWatcher

    Once Floki killed Athelstan I stopped liking his character. I love Gustaf Skarsgard and think he is an amazing actor, but that one act ruined the character for me. Try as I might, I have never gotten past that.

    0
    Reply

    You might also like

    • Vikings S05E04: The Plan – Five stories compete for top spot and no one wins

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 14, 2017
    • Vikings S05E03: Homeland – It’s the Battle of York in a thrilling episode

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 7, 2017
    • Vikings S05E01 & E02: The Departed – A new chapter begins

      By Kevin Boyle
      | November 30, 2017
    • Vikings S04E20: The Reckoning – A transitional season of Vikings ends with more transition

      By Kevin Boyle
      | February 2, 2017
    • Vikings S04E19: On the Eve – Vikings raises its game by one and a half battles

      By Kevin Boyle
      | January 26, 2017
    • Vikings S04E18: Revenge – Vikings finally gets moving again with mixed results

      By Kevin Boyle
      | January 19, 2017
    • Vikings S04E17: The Great Army – It’s not time to go back to England yet so Vikings spins its wheels.

      By Kevin Boyle
      | January 12, 2017
    • Vikings S04E16: Crossing – Kattegat rebuilds on a plodding but necessary episode

      By Kevin Boyle
      | January 5, 2017
    • Vikings S04E15: All His Angels – A major chapter comes to a close on a season best Vikings

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 29, 2016
    • Vikings S04E14: In the Uncertain Hour Before the Morning – Those that gain knowledge also gain sorrow

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 22, 2016
    • Vikings S04E13: Two Journeys – Like Ivar, season four’s weaknesses have become its strengths

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 16, 2016
    • Vikings S04E12: The Vision – Vikings really needs to hurry up, it has a tide to catch

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 8, 2016
    • Vikings S04E11: The Outsider – Back from its long break with an intriguing episode

      By Kevin Boyle
      | December 5, 2016

    FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

    TV Topics

    Recommended for you

    • Roswell, New Mexico S04E09 Review: Wild Wild West- Okay…

      By Salome G
      | August 11, 2022
    • Evil S03E09 Review: The Demon of Money – Dark moments…

      By Salome G
      | August 8, 2022
    • American Horror Stories S02E03 Review: Drive – Unsettling experiences

      By Salome G
      | August 8, 2022
    • The Orville season three finale review: Don’t say goodbye

      By Matthew Martin
      | August 8, 2022
    • Riverdale S06E22 Review: Night of the Comet – Ambitious…

      By Salome G
      | August 2, 2022
    • Is Rick C-137 our original Rick from the Rick and Morty series, does it really even matter?

      By Jason Collins
      | July 26, 2022
    • Breaking down Time Lord biology one heart at a time

      By Jason Collins
      | July 24, 2022
    • Dark Winds S01E06 Review: HózhóoNaasháa – Satisfying

      By Salome G
      | July 21, 2022
    • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Episode 10 review (season one ends with a whopper)

      By Matthew Martin
      | July 9, 2022
    • REVIEW: Obi-Wan Kenobi had a good season and little else

      By Matthew Martin
      | June 22, 2022
    • Stranger Things S04 Part 1 Review: Almost perfect!

      By Salome G
      | June 5, 2022
    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every episode ranked! (Part 5/5)

      By Matthew Martin
      | May 30, 2022
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy and Settings
    • Terms of Use
    • Photo Credits
    • RSS
    All Cult of Whatever articles, logos, illustrations and graphics are copyright CultOfWhatever.com. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2021 CultOfWhatever. All Rights Reserved.
    • facebook
    • twitter
    wpDiscuz