Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

reviewing 3 Body Problem; Black Doves; Bosch; Citadel; Criminal Minds; Dark Matter; Dexter: Original Sin; Dune: Prophecy; For All Mankind; Foundation; Hijack; House of the Dragon; Luther; Outlander; Presumed Innocent; Reacher; Severance; Silo; Slow Horses; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Surface; The: Ark, Day of the Jackal, Diplomat, Last of Us, Way Home; You +books, films, music, podcasts, politics

George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Vikings 5.18: Demented Ivar

Ivar continues to go from bad to worse in Vikings 5.18, burning women, leaving his newborn son to die in the wilderness, because the son is born deformed, just like his father. Ivar's story this season has become a textbook tale of how and why an insane dictator comes to be that way.

In contrast, Ubbe is the soul of reason in England, talking two of the three Danish leaders into accepting his and King Alfred's offer of peace and land. Of course the third wants to attack - the course of war vs. negotiation never did run smooth.

Over in Iceland, Floki was never exactly 100% sane in the first place. From our 21st century perspective, his beginning to doubt the gods - actually, pretty much giving up on them - is a step in the right direction. Of the sundry stories being told this season, Floki's has the least connection to actual, recorded history. I'm therefore especially interested in how this will all turn out - at least, in the near future of this series.

Hvitserk, in contrast, has become more religious, though with an unexpected godly figure, the Buddha. In real history, the Vikings did get around to most of the world, and undoubtedly encountered followers of the Buddha in central Asia. What role this played in convincing King Olaf to join him against Ivar is not clear, but was good to see anyway.

And while we're on the subject of good to see, Judith and Lagertha make a nice pair of sincere conversationists, though it's uncertain how much longer either will continue as characters in this quickening series.

See you here next week.