‘Vikings’ season 4’s episode 16, titled “Crossings,” is set to follow Lagertha as she continues to fight for power in Kattegat following Aslaug’s death. Meanwhile, Alyssa Sutherland addressed her character Aslaug’s departure from the series.
The brief synopsis for episode 16 posted on TV Guide reads, “Bjorn's (Alexander Ludwig) fleet launches a surprise attack, while Lagertha's (Katheryn Winnick) quest for power continues in Kattegat.”
It seems that Lagertha will continue her ruthless attempt at seizing power in Kattegat while Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and her son Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) are away fighting their own battles. The shield-maiden spent many years building up her strength as a female Viking leader as well as plotting her revenge on Aslaug after losing her husband and kingdom.
In episode 14, titled “In the Uncertain Hour Before the Morning,” Lagertha successfully killed off Aslaug when she returned to Kattegat to reclaim it for herself. Despite Aslaug’s warnings that her four sons would go after her and avenge her death, Lagertha shot her in the back with an arrow anyway.
Showrunner Michael Hirst said, “Aslaug took away Lagertha’s husband, love, belief, future, everything. And so she was always bound to do something about it.”
He continued, “Lagertha wouldn’t be Lagertha unless she did that. And by doing it of course she challenges the gods because she knows that revenge is basic to Viking society, and the sons of Aslaug will be damned to try and avenge their mother. So she makes this huge decision, but it’s a decision to kill that was based on her love for Ragnar.”
Alyssa Sutherland also addressed her character’s demise during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The 34-year old actress and model admitted, “I thought that she’d be gone sometime in the second season, like when I first signed on; I didn’t think she’d last as long as she did.”
She continued, “…Obviously at the beginning of season four when she went to see the Seer and he told her a woman will rule Kattegat, I said, “OK, I can’t imagine that would be Aslaug.”
When asked about how appropriate the battle was between Aslaug and Lagertha, Sutherland replied,
“As a woman, I kind of question a little bit of that, but when you look at the storyline I don’t think it’s woman-to-woman.”
She explained, “I wanted to push Aslaug into this darker place and have her maybe have a questionable relationship with Ivar (Alex Hogh). I also didn’t want her to be a good ruler of Kattegat. I wanted her to be greedy and entitled and to not do it well and fair. I would prefer to think of it not as a woman against woman, “You stole my husband” thing, but as a, “You’re not good enough to lead this town.”
‘Vikings’ season 4’s episode 16, titled “Crossings,” is scheduled to air on History on January 4, 2017. It will be followed by episode 17, titled "The Great Army," scheduled for January 11.
