‘Vikings’ Season 4, Episode 20 Spoilers: “The Reckoning” – Ragnar’s Sons Continue Vengeful War; Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ Warrior Introduced as Ivar’s Worthy Opponent

‘Vikings’ season 4’s episode 20, titled “The Reckoning,” will follow Ragnar’s sons as they continue their vengeful war against the English. Meanwhile, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is set to be introduced as a warrior named Heahmund described as Ivar’s worthy opponent.

The brief synopsis for “The Reckoning” posted on TV Guide reads, “Prince Aethelwulf (Moe Dunford) is targeted by the Vikings' battle plan, while Ecbert (Linus Roache) stays behind formulating his own plan.”

The upcoming episode will continue where episode 19’s cliffhanger left off. Ragnar’s vengeful sons will continue on their war path against English troops following their father’s death. The preceding episode, titled “On the Eve,” featured a clash between the Viking army and Aethelwulf’s troops. Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) also chose to stay behind and defend Kattegat against a violent coup.

According to the recap posted on the A.V. Club, Aethelwulf managed to gather an army in Wessex to cut off the advancing Vikings in Mercia. Meanwhile, Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Ivar (Alex Hogh) managed to work together despite their differences – a strategy that proved wholly successful to their cause.

Although Bjorn has field experience, Ivar clearly had the knack for strategizing potentially victorious tactics. Bjorn took his crippled brother’s advice on changing up the battle plan in order to gain advantage over Aethelwulf.

The upcoming episode will follow Ragnar’s sons as they attempt to claim victory in one of the most historic Viking battles. It will also feature the introduction of Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ bishop named Heahmund, who will play an important role in season 5.

According to Entertainment Weekly, creator Michael Hirst revealed how he first came upon Heahmund. Hirst said, “I was looking at the history books, and I came across these warrior bishops… They were crazy! They believed totally in Christianity and the message, and yet, on the battlefield, they were totally berserk.”

Hirst admitted that he found Heahmund as a particularly interesting character saying, “He’s a man of Wessex, and he’s gonna come in as a worthy opponent to Ivar… His whole life is about deeply passionate commitments. He’s a wild card who happens to be [played by] Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who is himself kind of a wild card!”

‘Vikings’ season 4’s episode 20, titled “The Reckoning,” is scheduled to air on February 1, 2017 on History.