The Way | Ragnar Lothbrok

That Ragnar could hold his own against Rollo was a bit shocking, considering what the drugs have done to him physically and mentally. What should be a fair beating by Rollo instead turns out to look a lot more like the bout between Rocky and Apollo Creed in Rocky—both men landing blow after blow until the only thing allowing them to stand is their grip on each other. That no one should expect Ragnar to hold his own is made explicit by Floki, Bjorn, and Lagertha fighting to get to Lothbrok. The ones closest to him know he’s in no condition to fight; his condition is so obvious that his own men throw him into the ship with the wounded to get him away from his brother. That the wounded included both Lagertha and Floki, both of whom have seemed almost untouchable in previous battles (am I the only one who loves watching skinny, habitually weird Floki turn into a fearsome berserker in combat?) catches us off guard and really brings home just how complete Rollo’s victory really is. Once the storm has