Vikings recap: Can Judith ever forgive Aethelred?

After the reveal that Aethelred led the coup against Alfred, Judith has to decide whether she can forgive her elder son in Vikings Season 5, Episode 16. Meanwhile, Floki learns what happened to those he banished from the settlement.

Vikings Season 5, Episode 16 picked up exactly where the previous episode left off. With Heahmund dead and Lagatha missing, it was time to move on with the England storyline. For that, it meant moving forward with the coup storyline quickly.

Meanwhile, over in Iceland, Floki and his followers met their first harsh winter. While they managed to find a way to survive, they soon learned what happened to the ones Floki banished.

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Offering land to the Vikings

Alfred opened the episode with offering the land Ecbert had promised to the Vikings. After all, they’d fought for Alfred and helped him defeat Harald.

However, Bjorn had other things on his mind and decided to find out where Lagatha was. If you guessed that Bjorn was going to end up sleeping Gunnhild, well done! Is it really that surprising? Bjorn seems to have the same storyline ever season with at least one woman!

The two, once Gunnhild is freed, do bond further over their religion and the view that Ubbe and Torvi have turned against their gods. Bjorn is still angry that the two wear the cross of Jesus around their necks, but at the same time, he sees that they’ve accomplished something that Ragnar wanted: to farm in England.

In the end, Bjorn can’t stay in England. With still no idea where Lagatha is, he decides it’s time to join forces with Harald and attack Kattegat. Funny how fickle the loyalties are!

Floki learns about Eyvid and co.

During the long, harsh winter, Floki and his followers are just about coping. Okay, so the food isn’t that tasty, but it’s keeping them alive. The same can’t be said for the others.

Helgi shows up frozen and suffering such severe frostbite that his fingers on one hand have to be amputated. It turns out the bad luck started as they left. Eyvid became ill and slowly each one of the family members started coming down with sickness. Some of the kids have died and Helgi thinks they will all die should Floki and the others not help them.

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Floki doesn’t want them to die but he also doesn’t want the killing. It’s been peaceful without Eyvid’s family and Floki doesn’t want to go back to the darker days. Yet, Helgi says that Eyvid has changed.

Flatnose believes Helgi is telling the truth and wants to go out in search for Eyvid and his family to bring them back to the settlement. So, we leave them heading out in the awful weather. So much for a peaceful settlement! I really wonder whether Michael Hirst is getting a little stuck with Floki’s storyline as it’s been the same since the beginning of Vikings Season 5.

Hvitserk learns about the Buddha

The title of the episode, “The Buddha,” comes from Hvitserk’s storyline. Still struggling with his identity crisis, he sees a Buddhist in Kattegat and learns about the Buddha. Most of the story he’s told he forgets, but he loves the ideology of it.

There’s little time spent on this episode and I’d actually love to see more of Hvitserk’s character development. He’s had the least, constantly following his brothers. It’s time for him to step out on his own. That’s not going to be easy when Ivar still views himself as a God.

Oh, but Hvitserk does call Ivar out on one thing: the sacrifice. Ivar hears that Lagatha is missing and that means he always knew the sacrifice wasn’t Lagatha, after all.

Can Judith forgive her son?

Finally, Alfred has all the conspirators against him arrested. Well, all but one; his brother. After Aethelred saved Alfred on the battlefield, Alfred decided to forgive him.

Judith is struggling with that, though. She decides to find out why her elder son would conspire against her younger son. It doesn’t help that Alfred falls ill with the same illness that has plagued him in the past and Aethelred still seems to have good control over the court.

So, with the news that Aelswith may be pregnant, she decides there’s only one thing she can do. She poisons her own son! Although that decision clearly didn’t come easy, as she was shaking all the way through dinner knowing what would happen. In the end, she’s crying over Aethelred’s bloody body.

Even blood isn’t enough to ensure your safety in England!

What did you think of the shocking twist at the end? Were you surprised to see Floki decide to help Helgi’s family? Where do you think Lagatha is? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Vikings continues on Wednesdays at 9/8c on HISTORY.