The second half of Vikings' fifth season is about to get interesting for Ivar and Lagertha. As fans have already seen from the promo for Vikings Season 5B, Ivar's reign will be a brazen one. Besides power, there will also be another force in Ivar's life -- a romantic one. Vikings' creator Michael Hirst teased Ivar's budding romance and its dynamics, saying:
Anyone who shows [Ivar] what he thinks is real affection, even perhaps love, he's going to be at their mercy. It doesn't mean that he doesn't personally do terrible things, but you can understand the syndrome that he has. So she sets him in motion, in a way, some of the greater cruelties that happen in Kattegatt. And yes, he's vulnerable, he's vulnerable to that [manipulation]. She is an interesting character and of course she manipulates the situation to give him what he seems to want, but it's clearly also to her advantage to do so.
Ivar in love? Or at least under the influence of infatuation? It would seem so. What is interesting about what Michael Hirst told TV Guide is how Ivar's newfound romance will impact him. Traditionally, you think of a relationship helping soften a person. Not Ivar. The person he is attracted to sounds like she will only emphasize Ivar's more menacing impulses. It is hard to imagine him being any more diabolical.
One of the most unsettling aspects of what Vikings' creator teases is what Ivar's love interest will bring on Kattegat. As she helps influence great cruelty to abound in the town. It sounds as though Ivar will have a lot in common with his girlfriend, which is bad news for Kattegat.
As for Ivar's enemies, a season of introspection lies ahead. Following her defeat to Ivar, Lagertha is reassessing things. We already knew she would be engaging in a pretty heavy romance with Heahmund in Season 5's back half. So, what else is in store for the ousted Queen of Kattegat? Michael Hirst revealed:
Lagertha actually sort of reinvents herself. She has an interesting season ahead, a season of great and profound changes. A season in which she really comes to question who she is and what she's been doing.
This is a particularly promising tease. Lagertha has been in need of some self-evaluation for a while. Now that she is in the midst of great adversity -- again -- it is time to take a closer look. Also interesting is what exactly Lagertha will be doing a double take on in her life.
Vikings' creator also teased that Lagertha will have to face "hard truths" regarding Rollo and her ambition. The potential truth surrounding her former brother-in-law is highly intriguing. There are a lot of possibilities for what could go down between Rollo and Lagertha considering their past. If Rollo wanted to get on Lagertha's good side, he should not have sent troops to help Ivar against her.
Whether the mystery of Bjorn's paternity will in some way come into play will be interesting to learn, as well as seeing what the result of Lagertha's reinvention will be. It will be one of many reboots for her. The Lagertha from Season 1 is an entirely different person than the one when Season 5B begins. Ever since the show started, she has undergone many trials and tribulations.
It is hard to believe it is the same character. Lagertha has become what she was destined to be. The question is what that fully-realized destiny will entail. Ivar hates Lagertha for killing his mother, and he never lets any grudge go.
Vikings will return for Season 5B, a.k.a. the second half of Season 5, Wednesday, November 28 at 9 p.m. ET on History. The historical drama is among many shows returning with new seasons this fall and the midseason.
