‘Vikings Valhalla’ Season 2 Recap Ahead of Season 3

Jeb Stuart‘s Vikings: Valhalla is an epic tale of the events surrounding the brutal struggle for the hearts and minds of the Norse people at the end of the 11th century. It is set for a third season, and we need to go over what happened at the end of Season 2 in preparation for the third season, which will debut on July 11. The show revolves around three characters: Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his sister Freydis Eriksdottir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). The first two seasons have seen massive amounts of bloodshed and lost love, and Season 3 will no doubt deliver much of the same. Even though Freydis has been separated from Leif and Harald, the three protagonists’ character arcs will likely dovetail together as the struggle between pagan Vikings of the Old Gods deals, and the Christian movement continues to strike a schism within the many clans of Viking nation. Let’s see where we left off at the end of Season 2 and how it leads into Season 3.

What Happened to Freydis in ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ Season 2?

After fleeing Kattegat and the ruthless King Sweyn Forkbeard (Soren Pilmark), Freydis parts from Harald. She is taken to the Viking stronghold of Jomsborg by Lord Herekr (Bradley James), who shares her vision of a traditional future of the Norse people based on the pagan ideology of the Old Gods. Upon her arrival, there is immediate tension over how Herekr separates the townspeople into a class system. Even though Herekr tries to appease Freydis by making her a high priestess, she challenges him over his treatment of the people of Jomsborg. After Freydis gives birth to her and Harald’s child, the two come to blows over how the religion of the Old Gods is interpreted and applied to the people of Jomsborg. The disagreement continues to escalate ending with the death of Harekr, making Freydis the city’s ruler.

The biggest battle for Jomsborg comes when Jarl Olaf Haraldsson (Johannes Haukur Johannesson) brings his army to the shores of Jomsberg and challenges Freydis and her Old God order. This is the most pivotal sequence at the end of Season 2. Olaf challenges Freydis’s rule, and she is more than prepared to deal with him. After launching a surprise attack that leaves Olaf’s crew dead, she proves she is the biggest and baddest Viking by putting Olaf down with a spear through his chest after hand-to-hand combat. Heading into Season three, Freydis is the most powerful and influential character on the show.

Leif and Harald Make a Treacherous Trip to Constantinople

When Harald realizes that he will need an enormous amount of money and an army to become the leader he envisions, he and Leif embark on a dangerous mission to secure both to challenge King Canute (Bradley Freegard). Following a perilous journey through a brutal and unforgiving icy journey, they arrive in the capital city of Constantinople. Along the way, Leif meets and falls in love with a scholar named Mariam (Hayat Kamille). She teaches him to read and write, but suffers from a terminal illness and dies as they reach the end of their journey. For the second time in two seasons, Leif is left heartbroken with each of his loves dying in his arms.

Meanwhile, Harald also falls for what he believes to be the daughter of the man who sold him his boat. In reality, Elena (Sofya Lebvedva), is the woman who has been promised to Emporer Romanos III (Nikolai Kinski). It’s an ego blow to the cocksure Harald, but Elena reassures him that she still has feelings for him, plus he now has the army he needs to challenge Canute. Another possibility that can’t be dismissed is that Harald will stay in Constantinople to woo Elena. He has been an unpredictable wildcard throughout the show’s first two seasons. The rakish devil has already seemingly forgotten about his child with Freydis.

What is Happening in London With Queen Emma?

There has been a litany of Game of Thrones-esque head games and politics in the London castle ruled by Queen Emma (Laura Berlin). Her tumultuous relationship with the slippery Earl Godwin (David Oakes) has seen its ups and downs. But after an assassination attempt on her life, Emma is more suspicious of Godwin than ever. She has proven to be the wisest and most level-headed character on the show, and now that she has confirmed the mischief is at her doorstep, it will be interesting to see how she deals with it. King Canute backed Godwin by delivering his niece Gytha (Henessi Schmidt) as his bride and bonding the Norse and English families. Jeb Stuart has left a third season rife with delicious possibilities, and it will be fascinating to see where Vikings: Valhalla goes in Season 3.

Vikings: Valhalla is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

WATCH ON NETFLIX