Vikings: Valhalla – Season 2 Episode 3 “Pieces of the Gods” Recap & Review

Pieces of the Gods

Episode 3 of Vikings: Valhalla season 2 starts with Leif waking up in the company of a woman called Mariam. She had him brought inside after he almost froze out on the roof. It’s his first time seeing a book too and he flicks through the pages in wonder. This was actually written by Mariam herself, as she admits she’s a traveler and her book is a “book of ideas”. She’s also come from Aleppo, a city in the south. She coughs too, and although she says it’s just a cold, it could well be something more.

Elsewhere, Harald makes a deal with someone called Gestr down on the dock who wants passage to Constantinople. He’s carrying slaves. Leif also decides to jump in and join Harald after all, also encouraging those from the fighting pit for the journey ahead. Kaysan and Batu are their names. They prove to be quite useful as they guide our group to a guy called Kurya, who knows the Dneiper River well and can guide them.

Kurya is convinced that they’ll meet the Pecheneg whether they like it or not… given Kurya himself is infact a Pecheneg warrior. He’s also blind but knows the river inside out as it’s all in his mind. With the voyage about to take place, Leif also encourages Mariam to join them given they’re heading for Constantinople.

Meanwhile, Freydis settles into her role over at Jomsborg. However, there are some who aren’t as well fortuned as her. In one of the camps, the refugees there are put to work crafting weapons and helping to load the boats ready for the upcoming raid. Word of Freydis’ pregnancy is also made public, with Harekr standing atop crates and telling everyone at the dock.

While combat training, Freydis is encouraged to bring in a girl called Hrefna to take up a sword and fight. Jorundr and the others aren’t so enthused with that, given they have a sacred ritual that needs to be undertaken before fighting. Freydis though undermines their rule and allows her to fight. Hrefna is good too and can more than hold her own, but those watching on aren’t as pleased.

In fact, later on Hrefna disappears in the forest. Freydis learns that Jorundr encouraged her to head off to the boneyard alone to conduct this ritual. Freydis is not happy and heads out to try and track her down.

Freydis heads into this eerie, where she discovers blood on the leaves. Calling out for Hrefna she eventually finds her hiding out in a hollowed out tree. She’s also gained a piece of Skuld, which means she’s completed the ritual we heard about earlier. Anyway, on their way back, Freydis kills a boar that rushes at them.

In London, the assassin is eventually killed, having had all his intel exhausted. Godwin is currently focusing on the assassin’s accomplices and figuring out who they could be. He’s convinced that whoever is behind this will make a mistake sooner or later.

Emma realizes that Aelfwynn knows who the assassin is, given she saw her weeping in view of everyone in the town square. Emma soon learns that the assassin is actually Aelfwynn’s brother. Not only that, but Aelfwynn is also due to wed Godwin, which is a secret that’s been kept for a while between them. Although Aelfwynn claims that her brother is estranged and she hasn’t seen him for months, Emma is not so sure.

The Episode Review

The situation involving Emma is reaching fever pitch now as it seems like her list of allies that she can trust are growing thinner by the day. With the assassin now dead and her unable to really trust Godwin, it seems her life isn’t quite so protected as she once thought.

Meanwhile, this trip out to Constantinople begins and the rabble group are almost certainly going to face hardships along the way. You can tell that Harald and Leif aren’t exactly comfortable with Gestr and his slaves, and it could undermine the entire trip.

Freydis is discovering now that Jomsborg isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and I wouldn’t be surprised if she finds this paradise turning into a nightmare before long.