Ep 3. Mercy

The episode Mercy is the third installment of the fourth season of the popular historical drama series Vikings. The episode takes place immediately after the events of the previous episode, in which Ragnar Lothbrok suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of his brother Rollo in the Battle of Paris.

The episode begins with King Ecbert of Wessex making a surprise visit to the Viking camp to negotiate a peace treaty with Ragnar. King Ecbert offers Ragnar a truce, but Ragnar is skeptical of his true intentions and refuses to agree to anything until he has had time to think it over. Meanwhile, Lagertha is still mourning the loss of her lover Kalf and seeks revenge against Aslaug for betraying her. She discusses her plan with Bjorn but he is not entirely supportive of it.

Aslaug is still struggling with the guilt of betraying Lagertha and her desire to be with Harbard, the mysterious traveler. She turns to Floki for advice, but he is not sympathetic to her situation and questions her loyalty to the gods. Floki himself is still struggling with his guilt over the death of Athelstan and is consumed with thoughts of revenge against the Christians.

Ragnar, who is suffering from a severe injury, is visited by his daughter Gyda in a dream, who tells him that he needs to stop being consumed by revenge and learn to show mercy. This encounter leads Ragnar to question his motives and seek forgiveness from his family. He also begins to consider possible alliances with his former enemies in order to defeat his current adversaries.

In Kattegat, Queen Aslaug is struggling to maintain control over the community in the absence of her husband Ragnar. She is facing opposition from her own people, who are unhappy with her decisions. She turns to her son Ivar the Boneless for support, but he is more interested in causing chaos and destruction than helping his mother.

The episode concludes with Ragnar making a decision about the peace treaty with King Ecbert, and Lagertha putting her revenge plan into action.

Overall, Mercy is a character-driven episode that explores the themes of forgiveness, mercy, and redemption. The episode sets up some exciting storylines for the rest of the season, including the potential for alliances between former enemies, the fallout from Lagertha's revenge plan, and the ongoing power struggle in Kattegat. The episode also features some standout performances from the cast, particularly Travis Fimmel as Ragnar and Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha.