“A Good Treason” shows us the culmination of
every wretched, petty jealousy Rollo felt
toward his brother, Ragnar. It’s not his first
betrayal, but it’s by far his most dire and
unforgivable. There’s simply no coming back
from this—a slaughter of his own people
down to the last child. Even after Ragnar
brought Rollo back into the fold time and time
again, forgiving him and embracing him,
Rollo could never escape his shadow. Until
now, with the shadow of the Holy Roman
Empire to run and hide beneath instead.
And perhaps we should have seen it coming.
Treason and betrayal are the driving themes
throughout the season premiere. None are
quite so huge as Rollo’s, but they’re not small
either.
First we have Queen Aslaug asking the Seer if
she will take power if and when Ragnar dies.
It’s not exactly a betrayal, but it unveils
what’s hidden in her heart: A wish for
Ragnar’s death, and for her own power.
There is no love lost between the two of them,
as we see ever so clearly when Ragnar finally
drags himself from bed.
Then there is Floki, the once beloved
shipbuilder turned traitor and murderer.
Bjorn surprises everyone when he has Floki
arrested for the murder of Athelstan. Ragnar
is unhappy about it when he awakens,
chastising Bjorn for being foolish. “Do you not
think if I wanted him arrested I would have
done so by now?” he snaps. Ragnar had been
content letting things lie for the time being
with Floki, and now his hand has been forced.
In a sense, Ragnar feels betrayed—or at least
gravely disappointed—by Bjorn, and Bjorn
feels much the same about his father,
incapable of making him proud no matter
how hard he tries, no matter how fierce his
loyalty.
Finally, there is the betrayal of Lagertha’s
vassal Einar at the hands of the manipulative
Kalf. It’s the one betrayal in the entire
premiere that’s satisfying and makes you want
to cheer along. Not that I trust Kalf at all, but I
do like how viciously he ended the dissent and
those looking to unseat Lagertha. What
surprised me most was the participation of
Erlendur, who I assumed would team up
against Lagertha. I guess he’s playing the long
game, whatever that may be.
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