The end! Here’s a recap of the final episode of Vikings: Valhalla season 1.
London
Where we last left off in England, was Queen Aelfgifu (Cnut’s first wife), arriving in England and being all sorts of threatening. We see Queen Emma summoned to the courtroom. Her brother has come from Normandy to take her home.
Forkbeard is required to validate Cnut’s first marriage, and is annulling the second. With Cnut absent, Emma has no other choice. It appears Forkbeard sold her out to gain knowledge of where the Denmark fleet of ships are.
Kattegat
Back in Norway, Harald is with the enemy camp. It appears he has made the decision to fight alongside his brother. He tries to convince Kare that there is nothing worth taking on his religious quest. When he learns their plan is to wait for the “wolf moon” which causes a high tide for them to sail into the harbor, Harald suggests a parlay instead.
When both sides meet, Jarl doesn’t have any room for discussion. There is no way Kattegat will surrender to terrorists. Perhaps Harald already knew this and the parlay was a guise to deliver a secret message to Leif. He cites a bible passage at Leif.
When they part ways, Leif says they will attack by sea in two days under the wolf moon. Freydis thinks Harald has abandoned them and betrayed her.
The Battle
Battle day arrives. Leif and half the army are at the shores of the harbor with catapults, ready for the ships to come. But they realize the ships are empty. It’s a trap.
Olaf, the fleet commander, sent Kare into battle alone, knowing they would be able to take them out. When Harald realizes he’s been tricked too, he rushes back as quickly as possible to save Freydis.
Meanwhile, Jarl is killed by arrows to the chest. So is her shield maiden general. Liv dies in combat as Leif tries to save her. Freydis and Kare meet in the great hall.
After an intense fight, Freydis is disarmed, but stabs Kare with a small, hidden blade. She tells him that the prophecy of The Cross That Carries The Sword was not him, it was her. (Remember the large cross on her back?)
With Kare out of the way, Olaf takes over as intended without having to lose any of his men. Freydis, head bloodied, goes back out into the village to look for Leif and Harald. She sees Harald on the ground, badly injured. Harald sees her for a second too and the two look at each other. But in a moment, she’s gone.
Harald looks overcome with grief, and resigns to dying. But someone stops at his feet with a horse. It’s Freydis. She gets him on the horse and the two escape together.
Ending
Queen Aelfgifu charges into the throne room in London to inform Forkbread she has gotten Mercia back on their side. Only … it’s not Forkbeard. It’s Emma sitting in her seat. Wasn’t she supposed to be back in Normandy?
Aelfgifu was played by Godwin, Forkbeard, and Emma working together. Forkbeard wanted to know the location of his naval fleet (which he got), and Emma wanted to sit on the throne on behalf of both herself and Cnut.
Cut to Forkbeard aboard his ships. He sails for Kattegat to squash Olaf’s rebellion and his disobedience.
