Handlung

Lagertha attempts to fulfill a long-held ambition; Ragnar negotiates an unexpected concession from King Ecbert.

In Wessex, Aethelwulf arrests Ragnar and Ivar and when King Ecbert returns, he has a long conversation with Ragnar. The talk about faith, God and gods and Athelston, and Ragnar asks Ecbert to kill him. He refuses but accepts to deliver Ragnar to King Aelle and to take Ivar back home. In Kattegat, Lagherta kills Queen Auslag despite her renounce as a queen in favour of Lagherta. Ubbe and Sigurd arrive in Kattegat and Ubbe tries to kill Lagherta but they are imprisoned by her warriors.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tired of life, Ragnar marches to the Wessex royal capital, without resisting arrest of his whole Viking party by crown prince Athelstan, who looks forward to executing his people's 'hereditary foe', but king-philosopher Ecbert stops his son, taking Ragnar prisoner in a cage to reminisce and after the revelation of Ragnar's royal Mercian bastard daughter at the court. Queen Auslag proudly resigns the throne to Lagertha, who still kills her after the arrival of stepsons Ubbe and Sigurd, who are jailed after failing to kill Lagertha. Ecbert refuses to execute Ragnar but decides to send him to his bloodthirsty ally, king Aella of Northumbria while cripple Ivar will be returned safely to Kattegat.—KGF Vissers

In Kattegat, Aslaug renounces herself as Queen, promising Lagertha that her sons will not seek revenge. Aslaug claims that Ragnar chose to be with her, but Lagertha maintains that she bewitched him. Aslaug claims that Ragnar is dead as she dreamed it that both Ivar and Ragnar died in a storm. Aslaug says that she has fulfilled her destiny of giving Ragnar many sons.

Aslaug wants safe passage to leave. Lagertha initially agrees, but then kills Aslaug.

Margrethe eventually releases Ubbe and Sigurd from captivity in Hedeby and asks them to go to Kattegat. Ubbe and Sigurd arrive to find Lagertha in the great hall. Ubbe challenges Lagertha's warriors in an attempt to kill her but fails. Lagertha says that Aslaug took Kattegat away from her and she wanted it back.

Astrid tells Ubbe and Sigurd that they will die if they harm Lagertha. Astrid tries to befriend Ubbe and Sigurd. Sigurd knew that Aslaug never really loved any of her sons except Ivar and wants Ubbe to let it go. Sigurd also is adamant that Ragnar is alive as he cannot be killed.

In Wessex, Ragnar and Ivar are seized by Aethelwulf. Ragnar had told Ivar to act like a cripple and helpless, so that Ecbert would not perceive him as a threat. Aethelwulf recognizes Ragnar and orders his men to beat him and to put him in his cage. Ragnar tells Aethelwulf that he killed all his other men and admits that Ivar is his son.

Ecbert arrives and promises no harm will come to Ivar, then introduces Ragnar to Magnus (Dean Ridge). Ragnar states he and Kwenthrith (who is now dead) never had sex and Magnus is expelled. Aethelwulf expels Magnus from the castle with only a packet of food and a knife for survival.

Ecbert admits to ordering Aethelwulf to kill the Norse settlers, expresses regret, and frees Ragnar from his cage. Ecbert says that Ragnar had the right idea, but at the wrong time. The two drunkenly discuss the afterlife and the death of Athelstan, which Ragnar says weighs on his conscience. Ragnar admits that Floki killed Athelstan in a fit of jealousy as Ragnar loved Athelstan more Floki. Ecbert says that even he was jealous when Athelstan chose to return with Ragnar to Kattegat.

Ecbert says that he has used his power to unite the various squabbling Kingdoms of England into a single entity, which is now capable of defending itself against any enemy. Ragnar wonders if the Gods really exist. Ecbert says that it is necessary to have Gods as men fear Gods.

The next day, Judith introduces Ragnar to Athelstan's son Alfred (Conor O'Hanlon).

Ragnar asks Ecbert to kill him as reveals that death was his sole purpose of coming to England, but Ecbert refuses as he considers Ragnar to be his intellectual peer. Ragnar remembers that the Seer had told him that he would die on the day when a blind man sees him. Instead, Ecbert agrees to hand Ragnar over to King Aelle (Ivan Kaye) and arrange a safe passage for Ivar to go home. This was also Ragnar's idea as he knew Aelle would take great pleasure in killing Ragnar.

Ragnar promises that Ivar will tell his brothers that Ecbert did everything in his power to save Ragnar, and instead of Aelle who killed him. This way his sons will seek vengeance against Northumbria, not Wessex.