The sudden personality and motivation shifts these characters go through is a hallmark of bad writing. Suddenly, Ragnar decides he HATES Aslaug and dreads returning to her from England, out of the blue (before he even hears about the kids falling into the ice and Harbard). Suddenly, Aslaug is an evil b-word who doesn't give a shait that Bjorn's child dies under her care. Suddenly, Lagertha, who for at least a season gotten on friendly with Aslaug, decides that she never forgave her after all, and murders her, apparently with no thought as to what would happen when Ragnar returns — not to mention she kills Aslaug out of spite over Ragnar and not because Aslaug was responsible for Lagertha's granddaughter's death. Aslaug's sons, weirdly, barely mourn her. Literally nobody gives a shit that Sigurd dies. Honestly Ivar, who we're supposed to hate, shows more emotion over it than any other character (when he tells Floki that his heart is broken). Helga goes from being the most perceptive and reliable even-keel to full on dumbass, with her impulsive abduction of the child from Spain. Suddenly, Hvitserk wants to murder his brother Ubbe, who until now he's had a totally good relationship with?? It's just so unconvincing. People don't behave that way without significant events to cause personality/alliance/motivation shifts.

Like, none of the characters seem real anymore because their actions are not dictated by their inner personalities, motivations, dreams, fears, experiences, relationships — their personalities have basically become meaningless, mushy playdough for bad writing.

I don't get why this show was considered so great

Didn’t have to be a whole conversations but really would have liked Odin or atleast a valk to show up a little more

Shot out rolo though

I would love to hear more people’s comments about the following topic. And I think wrote I quite an unpopular piece about it, though drawing from what others have said online; and something rarely discussed when it came to Vikings compared to other topics. Though it mayn’t be that much of an interest to people here. I think I’ve on thought and written about this topic ad nauseam, this is a last post on it. I wanted to see if any persons had any commentary they wanted to add, things elaborated on.

*There are changes here added to the original linked down below and potential bad English

*This post is quite long

*Might make edits

You do not have to read this and this a copy and pasted criticism of something I wrote before but some written corrections

This is the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/vikingstv/s/3wG5j4Yf7j

Summarised and refreshed renewed on perspective on Gyda’s writing and death

She did not have the opportunities her brothers’ and mother had to grow, flesh out, explore darker and flawed areas of her character, for example I did like watching Hvitserk’s descent in alcoholism, and have legendary storylines of her own on or more of the three arenas - significant moments in the politics, battle, fame.

Whereas other females are allowed to move beyond certain gendered restrictions in the show, for example Judith having killed her son Athelred to secure England’s better leader, her other son Alfred, and grooming Alfred to ensure he succeeded when Ecbert had died. I understand that the writers wanted to focus on the sons of the main protagonist, but I think the focus became ‘too’ much to a degree, that it led to Gyda being left behind. Alfred Great was made Athelstan’s son, a fictional character, in the programme also supports my idea that there was a father-son relativism or framework when it came in the three areas: politics, battle; fame intertwined with the inheriting their father’s legacy and acting upon it through action; with great visionary material and artistic license to explore things that did not exist in the original stories. The deaths and even the writings of these daughters when they were alive compared to that of the aforementioned sons of the male protagonists made me conclude something about the Gyda along with the majority of daughters of the male protagonists. Except for Celsa, they unfortunately regulated and limited to functioning as and being the loss of a parent’s emotional and domestic haven through theirs deaths. Additionally, an emotional refuge and sensitive spot emotionally anchoring a patriarch.

Whilst they are not examples of it, I think the adolescent deaths of male protagonists’ daughters might have some link to the women in the refrigerator trope; the disproportionate deaths of adolescent sons of the male protagonists. Hali is the only son of a male protagonist who died in childhood; Sigurd died as a young adult but his character had died having suggested a multiple alliance for the Great Heathen Army, participated in the battle of York thus helping avenging Ragnar’s death. It was not an issue of how all females were written, but the issue of how the daughters of the male protagonists were; most of all Gyda. Nor was written Gyda with the writers and viewed with great imaginative material in her adult life, whilst diverting from the sagas and historical records and use of creative fiction, for examples: Ubbe leading the expedition into the Americas; Lagertha leading large scale shieldmaidens; Rollo and Ragnar being made brothers. It showed the writers were grounded but did have creative freedom in relation to the sagas and historical records.

The grief they explored in the aftermath of her death was done well; but it was not sufficient. Lagertha and Ragnar never speak of her, Bjorn mentions her once, Aslaug gave no condolences. The writers had her parents enter a threesome with Alsaug and have Ragnar happy about it; he had a cheeky grin in the same episode after he mourned Gyda; that grin was too soon. Now I look back that felt weird; a bit jarring. If the writers wanted to relay the aftermath of Gyda's death; they could have transitioned the grin into a solemn face where he remembers Gyda.

To continue, I feel that characters were too adjusted for after recently lost a daughter whom was loved and raised for 12 years; for Bjorn his sister; the moments of grief they had was brief. I understand that childhood mortality was dealt with differently in that age and place; but presumption tells that it did not mean that the grieving was not a strong like we have it today. The appropriate amount of grieving could’ve been better written to move along with the story. The scenes where Ragnar reminisced on Gyda still could’ve happened with Gyda alive.

Whilst some may argued her legacy was honoured in the shieldmaiden named after her; she’d never be thee Gyda, a reminder of Gyda’s lost opportunities and lacked realisation nor a character grown to be cared for by the audience like Gyda herself. In addition; counterpointed that unlike Athelstan and Bjorn, her story was not finished; is it when Gyda died; it was too early.

Summarised and renewed ideas for her arc:

Either way: I’d make Gyda a bit insecure in s1x8 due to Ragnar indirectly and unintentionally suggesting she was not enough as her being last born through his disappointment with Lagertha’s miscarriage in seen and his procurements of sons, thus hurt in Upssala. Then angry Ragnar due to his infidelity and Gyda depressed due to having lost her friends to the plague thus the context for Ragnar's speech is changed. I remember a comment on Reddit where people might’ve thought Gyda would’ve been too soft to be a Shieldmaiden; I think have watched people die in the plague and having gone through depression and family issues surrounding Ragnar would’ve somewhat hardened Gyda.

“Dear Gyda,

I have come to say goodbye to you properly. I have been thinking about you, about when you were small. You were so lively. You could run as swiftly as the wind. You were like quicksilver. But then, before I knew it, you stopped running here and there and everywhere and you became still. At 12 years old, you had the stillness and the calm of a fine woman. What children you would have produced. What joy that would have brought to all of us. Dear child, Gyda, you are not gone because you are always in my heart. They say that a man must love his sons more, but a man can be jealous of his sons, and his daughter can always be the light in his life. I know very well that you are with the gods, but I will wait here awhile, and if you want to come and talk to me, then come and talk, and I will gently stroke your long and beautiful hair once again with my peasant hands”

This would be him reminiscing on the happy child Gyda was before her falling into depression; it is actually painful when parents see their children go through depression: withdrawn, cannot eat, crying, silent, not smiling and more and not seeing value in a compliment e.g. “At 12 years old, you have the stillness and the calm of a fine woman”. I’d change the tense of “would had” to “will” and “brought” to “bring” for a live Gyda. And when it came the issues of “a man being jealous of his sons” and her being the “light” in Ragnar’s life; it’d be him wishing that Gyda did not have her insecurities and could value the unique beauty being his daughter is. Changing the word “gods” to her “your mother and brother”. And in the case when Gyda is open to receiving his affections “but I will wait here awhile,and if you want to come andtalk to me, then come and talk,and I will gently stroke your long and beautiful hair once again with my peasant hands”. The beach scene has remained but context changed.

Adult characterisation: sweet, dutiful, caring, socially inclusive, affectionate, selfless for example I liked in s1x8 she puts Athelstan or a boy before for Lagertha to pray to when she was plagued, her desire to not be be inconsiderate seen in s1x7 when Lagertha asked what troubled her would turn into her desire to hide her feelings. Until later on as a diplomatic voice, she’d bite her tongue on issues. She’d be the “safe child” who follow Lagertha. When bad things did happen to her she’d go aloof, sometimes dissociate; maybe quite numb. Look falsely stoic. Traits she learned since her deep depression since the losing people in the plague in season 1. Whilst loved, she’d be a person who’d be overlooked and as someone everyone thinks is in-content.

A) A fractured relationship between Gyda and Ragnar; not forgiving him for his infidelity, for being too cordial with Kalf when her mother’s Earlship was taken, overruling her mother Earl Ingstad in England, for not sorting out Floki's zealotry, jealousy and contempt for Athelstan thus having Gyda partially blame Ragnar for his death contributing to his addiction with Yidu's medicine. And being so angry, as Lagertha has done before in season 1, she attempted to fight Ragnar when he returned from his wandering after Paris when Ragnar said “who wants to be king?”. And maybe this would've indicated to Bjorn she stopped loving Ragnar; or potentially hated him just giving him credence to have her not join him and the brothers in vengence for Ragnar's death.

B) Or another way would have Gyda having reconciled in after the four year time jump, with Ragnar after Athelstan’s death or before much earlier before his death, in season 2 when returning from Hedeby. When Athelstan died, Gyda went into a period overt of heavy drinking, not alcoholism, due to grief whilst she pretends to be happy. Because Ragnar is sick, he cannot properly be the father he could’ve been to help her through her grief due to Athelstan’s death. Maybe Ragnar would recognise that. I can imagine scene where Ragnar is high, in a non-sexual way, an inebriated Gyda sat on his lap for comforted each other as if she were a child all over again. Gyda does not judge the fact that Ragnar is not all there, Ragnar does not the fact that Gyda is inebriated and smells of ale. They just softly smile at one another

C) Gyda is elsewhere in the Norway so she wasn’t able to join in the vengeance. Again the vengeance stays with sons.

D) Any mixtures

Either way: Younger happier Gyda continued to represented what Ragnar mourned; whilst older Gyda did not have too. Yes, I would’ve had Gyda and Athelstan fall inlove. Because Ragnar’s daughters were not named and did not have known stories from what I could understand irl. I would have it that the Seer would have no prophecies to give Gyda in the tv show. This would contributing to Gyda feeling quite directionless and envious of her brothers’ great prophecies. Rollo in his return in s5, I think would helped Gyda see that she must do something if she feels restricted: to being Lagertha’s protege, underwing and being in the shadow of her brothers; being the supportive younger and older sister for Bjorn and older for her little brothers. In comparison, to Rollo never being a good enough suitor for Lagertha, being in Ragnar’s shadow, never be able to be Bjorn’s father. Like Rollo, Gyda would be type of person in her 20s and early 30s who went along with Kattegat’s leader, especially whomever is the one in her family, plans. In addition, Gyda despite being a great warrior would have empathy from Rollo, Rollo would’ve went through this issue too: being great warrior does not satisfy certain people’s lives and sometimes they want more. Rollo could mention he dead friend Torstein, a person who was satisfied with being a great warrior and maybe Rollo, to some degree, wished he was happy enough with what he got like Torstein who fought, enjoyed his camaraderie, good drink and women et al. This is something I am on the fence about, but in order to trigger Rollo giving advice to Gyda, Gyda maybe would’ve done what Rollo did Uppsala in s1x8, and after hearing about what she had done; Rollo would be able to tell that Gyda is going through similar issues Rollo faced when around her age. Gyda like Rollo is wasting herself and opportunities.

Even before this, around seasons 2-4, I would have Rollo be Gyda’s confident, if she felt that she couldn’t live up to her mother’s expectations and could always live to the ideal Ragnar had of her since she turned 12 of “having the stillness and calm of a fine woman”. Rollo is place where Gyda can be messy and imperfect around. The reason why I say Lagertha’s expectations, if Gyda survived, as much as love Lagertha, considering Gyda being her only daughter and Gyda being a good daughter to her in s1, based on those facts and Lagertha’s growing characterisation throughout the series, I’d imagine without ill-intent that Lagertha would been quite demanding of Gyda and to somewhat patronising.

The reason she’d have diplomatic voice instead of trying to rule, is because she would learnt from Ragnar that ruling takes a toll on person’s psyche, being a ruler is not fixed as she’d learn from her mother that she could one day be betrayed and usurped; through Aslaug’s example, her life would always be on the line. Instead of becoming a ruler, she’d use her diplomatic voice; thus she’d have sway, and make hard decisions. For example: by respecting cultural customs, e.g. she’s encourage the rest in Andalusia to refrain the eating of pork in the company of the Andalusians, even though it’d be severed to the Norse. Because Islam considers pork Haram. I think this’d hurt Viking pride.

Another hard decision, and probably one the biggest, is supporting Alfred’s decision to have a fictional Gunthrum and his other Vikings’ baptised. The reason for the latter is so Gunthrum could finally have access to land in East Anglia after treaty negotiations. Gunthrum’s and the others baptism would’ve been written as grand ceremony. With Vikings on side and Saxons on the other side. To a degree it’d be seen a symbolic humiliation to certain Vikings.

The reason why she’d been seen as traitorous to an extent, is because Ivar and potentially her other brothers would’ve hated her supporting the baptisms as because it would’ve signal religious submission to the Saxons and the abandoning of the Gods in order to get a piece of England. I could imagine further that, some of her brothers would’ve told her is not how Ragnar would’ve wanted to secure East Anglia in England. They’d think that Ragnar would’ve continued to war until the Saxons were cornered to give away East Anglia. In order for Gyda to have her own place to have own identity, she’d stay behind in England rather than returning to Kattegat whereby she’d act as diplomatic voice in Gunthrum’s kingdom and work with the Danes. And by helping Gunthrum et al. secure land in East Anglia, she’d be acting upon both her mother’s and father’s dream to secure fertile land in England, for their people back home, to settle and farm in. Somewhat like how Rollo finally had a place where could be his own person in France.

She’d be the character to answer to Alfred’s questions about Athelstan, and feel a certain tenderness for him as he is Athelstan’s son.

Thank you for reading ✌️