‘Vikings’: Michael Hirst and show lead Katheryn Winnick explain Lagertha’s death in Season 6 Episode 6
When it comes to an epic running for six long years, you should expect the end of some major characters at some point or the other. From Ragnar to Rollo, Floki, and many more, we have seen some of our most loved characters die or leave us mysteriously in the course of time. But the latest death did leave us more upset than we had expected to be. In episode 6 of Season 6, our leading lady, Lagertha, faces an untimely demise, as a hallucinating Hvitserk stabs her repeatedly.
In all honesty, we knew this was coming sooner or later this season since the Seer had prophesized earlier that she will die in the hands of one of Ragnar’s sons. But we were rooting for ‘later’ rather than right now! And that too to be mistakenly killed by Hvitserk! After all, a warrior like Lagertha not only deserves a more honorable death but also a good fight. In simpler words, Lagertha’s death has been not only sad but also disappointing.
However, while we are mourning the death of the mighty shield maiden, and a character who became a powerful inspiration for many, we look at what creator Michael Hirst has to say.
In a recent interview with Gamespot, Hirst shared his views on Lagertha’s death and how he perceives it. As the creator and director of the series, he has been playing god to his characters for six seasons now. And yet, he was “surprised” with the way things turned out. “I thought it would be Ivar for a long time," he said in the interview. He also went ahead to explain how he dealt with Hvistserk’s character arc.
As the lead female character and the one behind Lagertha’s remarkable journey, Katheryn Winnick also added her two cents on Lagertha’s death and said that her character’s death was “a long time coming.” “Not many actors in their lives can say that they had a chance to play such an iconic character like Lagertha,” she added in her interview and shared how the end of Lagertha just aligned to her expectations.
Talking about Winnick’s performance, Hirst described her work in the goodbye scenes as “one of the best jobs she did in this whole show.” And we couldn’t agree more. Winnick has been a star in her own right and taken her character above and beyond what any of us had ever expected. But her fight with Whitehair and then her ending scenes when she takes her last breath in Hvitserk’s arms, she knocked it right out of the park!
But is this the final goodbye for the historical shield maiden? Perhaps not! As Hirst further explains, there will be a grand funeral to honor Lagertha and send her away to Valhalla. Now, whether there could be any future appearances for her or not, is something we have to wait and watch.
‘Vikings’ Season 6 airs Wednesdays, 10 pm, on History!