Vikings recap: What does Floki find in the cave?

In the last episode, Floki found a cave. Does he find the gods in Vikings Season 5, Episode 19? And can Ubbe win in single hand-to-hand combat?

While on a mission to find the gods in the last episode, Floki found a cave. Vikings Season 5, Episode 19 sees him venture into that cave, but what will he find? Meanwhile, Ubbe faces a king in hand-to-hand combat and Bjorn sets his sights on revenge.

As it’s the penultimate episode, there are plenty of character deaths and tension. There are also many spoilers in this post.

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Alfred loses a family member

We’ll start in Wessex, where we find out that Alfred is in a state of mourning. In the last episode, we learned that Judith had a lump in her breast. Just as she expected, she died towards the beginning of this episode.

There wasn’t too much fanfare for a character who has been around for so long. Instead, the focus was on Lagatha, as she encourages Alfred to be a strong king for his country. That’s what the people need now.

Sure enough, that’s going to be what he becomes. He just needs to win against the Black Danes first. He has Ubbe for that, but how does the Viking-turned-Christian fare?

Ubbe reignites his faith

After challenging the only Black Dane king who didn’t want to farm to single hand-to-hand combat, we pick up with that storyline. Most of the Danes are cheering for the king and at one point, it’s not easy to tell who will win.

However, much to Torvi’s relief, Ubbe gets the upper hand and kills the king. However, that’s not the shocking moment. Just as he thought he was going to lose, Ubbe prays out to a particular god: Odin.

He certainly takes a beating and is taken back to Wessex, where Alfred’s doctors can tend to him. After recovering, he admits to Torvi that he is not a Christian. He believes in Odin and the other Norse gods. This is sure to create some tension, especially with so many Danes now in East Anglia, but that is going to have to wait for the Vikings Season 5 finale next week.

Within this storyline, we also find out more of what happened to Lagatha. She thinks back to everything she did after the battle until she was found. When Ubbe has recovered, she decides to head to the land with him and Torvi. It’s time to do the thing that Ragnar always wanted for his people when he first found England.

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Hvitserk and Bjorn join together

While Ivar is dealing with his people (and yes, his baby did die and Freydis knows Ivar had something to do with it), Hvitserk and Bjorn are planning their separate attacks on Kattegat. There are problems in the ranks, especially when it comes to Bjorn’s group. One particular Viking isn’t happy that Magnus is praying to the Christian God, while Harald isn’t too happy that Bjorn is commanding leadership.

The two brothers come across each other along the way. If you noticed in the trailer that Hvitserk had joined Bjorn in the fight against Ivar, we’re starting to get to that. Both brothers discuss whether it’s right to kill one of their own. It’s something they know they need to do, though.

They may have the numbers and the surprise. However, Ivar knows that something is coming. He’s not a stupid man.

Floki discovers a volcano

Throughout the episode, Floki discovers the cave that he found at the end of Vikings Season 5, Episode 18. For those who wondered whether it would be Mount Eyjafjallajökull, that may be the case. It’s not been given a name of course, so it could be Katla, Hekla, or one of the many other volcanos in Iceland.

Whichever one it is, it’s getting ready to errupt. Floki works his way through where he finds the cross of the Christian God. Someone has been here before and you can tell he’s broken. Considering he was searching for the Norse Gods, that’s not too surprising.

However, there isn’t time to think about that. As the volcano starts to erupt, the walls around him start to come down. Ash and dust blow everywhere and it looks like we may be saying goodbye to Floki.

In a way, it may be time. Floki’s storyline just hasn’t been that interesting this season. It started with potential but has dragged for so long. The episode with Flatnose’s surprise attack was actually the most interesting of the lot.

But at the same time, losing Floki like this will be bittersweet. He’s been such a force for so long that his death seems a little pointless and devoid of meaning. Maybe that is supposed to be the case since not everyone dies a meaningful death.

What did you think of Vikings Season 5’s penultimate episode? What are you excited to see in the season finale? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Vikings Season 5, Episode 20 airs on Jan. 30 at 9/8c on HISTORY.