‘Vikings’ Season 6 Episode 8 Review: Alexander Ludwig nails role of grieving son and helpless king to perfection
Alexander Ludwig stole a lot of hearts and drew quite a bit of attention ever since he started his journey on ‘Vikings’. As a teenage Bjorn and then as an adult, fighting alongside his father and mother, Bjorn gradually became a character to reckon with. But his character came into the limelight after we lost Ragnar, and Bjorn became the lead protagonist of the story, who would start to walk in his father’s footsteps. When he was crowned the King of Kattegat, we knew Ludwig would leave no stone unturned to prove his mettle. And so he did.
From the initial struggles as a leader to standing up as an icon for his people, Ludwig’s portrayal of Bjorn has always been on point. That being said, there also have been a few down moments when we saw the actor a little over the top, pushing it too hard to make his character shine. But as they say, a good actor always recognizes his flaws and turns them into something more worthwhile in the future.
Ludwig took this aspect of his acting to the hilt in episode 7 ‘Ice Maiden’ when he came back to Kattegat and landed directly at his mother’s funeral. It might have been a very sentimental monologue but it paved the way for this week’s episode where he proved his depth as an actor.
Bjorn Ironside might be a king to his people, a leader of hundreds of Viking warriors, but he is also a son to his mother, whom he just lost to his brother. This is perhaps one of the most difficult emotions to feel, let alone portray through acting. Choosing between his duty as a king and his sentiments for his drunk and drugged brother made his character very complex and caused a lot of confusion.
That particular scene where we see Bjorn remembering his times with his father, sitting in front of a fire and silently shedding a tear, just swept us off our feet. The scene could be interpreted in different ways. To us, the flame signified the fire that the Viking ruler still tries to keep alive within and the tear that rolled down his face represents his helplessness, as he the time with his father, and how he and his mother were left alone.
As a young boy, Bjorn learnt from his father that a true king is one who takes care of and protects his family. As a king, he should have been able to protect his people, not to mention his own mother, who retired from warfare and was living a humble life. As even Gunhild pointed out, it all started with Bjorn branding Whitehair and his people instead of killing them. Had they not been allowed to leave the town, they would never find and attack Lagertha. And if Lagertha hadn’t died, the people of Kattegat would not be doubtful about Bjorn’s ability to protect the kingdom.
Alexander Ludwig brings out all the finer nuances of his confusion, helplessness, and tinge of failure. On one hand, he must bring Lagertha’s killer to justice; on the other is his brother, his family, who expect him to be just and fair. And then there is his father’s teaching that run through his head, telling him to live with his heart but lead with his mind. The balancing act of a ruler with responsibilities and a son and a brother, tears him apart, making us see Ludwig shine at his thespian best.