Vinland Saga (Season 2), Episode 15: After a comparatively lackluster episode last week, the latest episode of Vinland Saga’s second season is a strong return to form as we see just how powerful, destructive, and determined a storm Gardar is. The episode also introduces us to the first long-term plan that Thorfinn and Einar have while also advancing the plot of this season in a shockingly brutal way. Overall, the fifteenth episode does a commendable job of balancing the story of the series as a whole, along with the more immediate concerns about the farm’s problems.
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 15 recap
The episode opens with Gardar gazing up at the moon, still trapped in the mercenary camp. The focus then shifts to Arnheid, who is walking towards the camp alone. Upon reaching the entrance, she pauses for a moment before ultimately deciding to proceed. However, her journey is abruptly interrupted by Snake bursting out of a nearby building, followed by Fox, who informs him of Ketil’s wife’s insistence on addressing Snake’s apparent frustration.
Snake is taken aback when he sees Arnheid, and she takes the opportunity to request permission to see her husband, Gardar. However, Snake denies her request, dismissing her concern for Gardar’s injuries and citing his killing of one of their own men. Snake then orders Fox and the other mercenary to escort Arnheid back to her home.
Unfortunately, the soldier who was supposed to escort Arnheid back to her home realizes that there are no horses available, so he must walk with her himself. Initially, he grumbles about this inconvenience, but as he steals glances at Arnheid, he becomes enamored with her beauty. Arnheid pleads with him to allow her to see Gardar, assuring him that she has no intention of helping him escape. The soldier is hesitant at first but eventually agrees, clearly eager to impress Arnheid and win her favor.
Arnheid and the soldier enter the camp, causing the other mercenaries to question their presence. The soldier claims that Snake has given Arnheid permission to tend to Gardar’s wounds. When Arnheid sees Gardar tied to a post and badly beaten, she rushes over to him, and he springs to life upon hearing her voice.
As Arnheid kneels before him, Gardar’s emotions are written all over his face, and she expresses her sorrow for the way he is beaten. He implores her to cut his ropes so that they can escape together. The other mercenaries express their doubts about this plan, but the soldier who vouched for Arnheid insists that she has nothing to cut the ropes with.
The other mercenaries mock Arnheid in a perverse way, but she remains composed and requests to release Gardar so she can tend to his wounds temporarily. The soldiers refuse and continue to taunt her in the same way while Gardar apologizes for the situation. He promises never to leave her or their son Hjalti again, unaware of Hjalti’s death.
Arnheid breaks down in tears, collapsing to the ground on her hands and knees. Gardar continues to apologize and suggests that they can return to the way things were if she frees him. Arnheid apologizes in return, also sobbing. This prompts Gardar to point out that he should be the one begging for forgiveness and tells her to compose herself.
As a result of these events, the other mercenaries become disgruntled and head inside, their moods soured, with only the mercenary who vouched for Arnheid left outside. The soldier asks Arnheid if she’s finished, but she doesn’t respond. He admits his weakness for women and touches her shoulder. Gardar attacks him, biting his exposed neck.
As the soldier stumbles away, Gardar spits out a bloody chunk of flesh. The mercenary draws his sword but dies after a few moments, falling onto a nearby table. Gardar urges Arnheid to grab the soldier’s knife and cut his ropes, but she is too horrified to respond. Another mercenary hears the commotion and alerts the others to come outside. Gardar continues to implore Arnheid to cut the ropes and regain her composure, but she remains silent in shock.
The scene then cuts to a black screen before showing the aftermath of the escape later that night. The knife and cut ropes are shown, along with Snake’s anger and the dead mercenaries. It appears that some time has passed as Snake tells Fox that all the soldiers have died. As a mercenary calls him over to show a sword covered in grease, Snake deduces that it must be from Gardar’s injury and that the two are still nearby. He orders his troops to search for them and promises to execute Gardar as soon as they are found.
After that, the scene jumps to daybreak, where Thorfinn and Einar are sitting at the door of their shed where they sleep. Einar comments on how they were living peacefully until the chaos disrupted their lives, stating that it’s wrong for freedom to be taken away by violence. He asks Thorfinn if he is keeping watch on him and muses on the sudden turn of events while Thorfinn remains silent.
Thorfinn clenches his fists and admits that despite being a former soldier, he believes war and his past actions were wrong. Einar remarks that Arnheid probably doesn’t see him as a warrior. Thorfinn admits that he’s afraid for someone like her to discover his past and questions how he was once unbothered by all the people he killed or hurt. Einar brings up Thorfinn’s recent inquiry about the possibility of eliminating slavery and war from the world, asking if he was serious.
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 15 Ending Explained
What is Thorfinn and Einar’s plan for the future?
Einar expresses his admiration for Thorfinn’s perspective, acknowledging that he must have some good ideas. He asks Thorfinn his thoughts on how to eliminate war and slavery. Thorfinn responds by explaining how war and slavery are interconnected, with the line between warriors and slave traders often blurred. He asserts that fewer wars would result in fewer slaves. Unfortunately, Norse society values war and its profits, leading to a never-ending cycle of violence. Thorfinn laments that the Nord culture has perpetuated this mindset for generations without questioning it.
Furthermore, Thorfinn admits that it is hard to change what one perceives as natural. Einar suggests that there might be others who feel the same way. Thorfinn responds by saying that in Norse society, cowardice is not tolerated. Nevertheless, he admits that he would rather be an outcast than be associated with those people.
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When Einar presses him for more information, Thorfinn reveals his nightly visions of the people he has killed tormenting him, which was seen in previous episodes. He talks about how they point out his own hypocrisy regarding his father’s death, as he killed so many people who were brothers, sons, and fathers despite suffering the pain of separation from loved ones himself.
Thorfinn believes that he needs to make amends for his sins and help these souls find peace. He plans to do this by growing more wheat than he destroyed, rebuilding more homes than he burned down, and so on, as he believes that changing one’s ways isn’t enough to atone.
Thorfinn further acknowledges that he doesn’t have a solution to end war worldwide, but he believes that creating a single village where people don’t need to carry swords is a start. Einar watches him silently and eventually asks how he plans to defend that land, admitting that he also dislikes war but believes that the Vikings will eventually show up everywhere.
Thorfinn argues that fighting for peace and freedom is not enough and that the cycle of violence can’t be broken by fighting for peace. Einar responds that it’s just a dream, as one would have to travel beyond the ends of the earth to find a place that Vikings can’t reach. He calls it land for outcasts while Thorfinn stands silently with his eyes closed.
The episode then depicts an unknown voice inquiring about what exists on the other side of the ocean, which then transitions to a snowy environment with a blond woman walking and expressing skepticism towards finding anything worthwhile. This sequence appears to be a vision experienced by Thorfinn, who then returns to the present and describes a place far to the west, beyond the sea. Thorfinn proceeds to explain that this land lies beyond the control of any authority and remains unknown to slave traders. Einar questions the existence of such a place, prompting Thorfinn to affirm its reality and recollect what Leif Erickson had shared with him about it.
After that, the scene shows a young Leif sailing through tumultuous seas while Thorfinn talks about a pristine, fertile land beyond the sea to the west. Einar expresses his awe, suggesting that they go there, but Thorfinn dismisses it as impossible. He explains that the location is unknown to him, and the journey would be incredibly long, requiring them to bring many outcasts to establish a nation. Despite this, Einar still finds it to be good news. However, their conversation is interrupted by the sound of approaching horses as Fox and other mercenaries ride over the horizon.
Fox and his group approach Thorfinn and Einar with their swords drawn. Fox warns them of someone’s strength, and they enter the living quarters, ignoring the two. The men start stabbing at the hay piles and clearing out the shed to check if Gardar is hiding there. Einar is confused, but Thorfinn realizes that Gardar has escaped, which is the only reason they would search their shed. Einar’s thoughts turn to Arnheid as the scene shifts to a stern Snake sitting in Sverkel’s home with his sword in hand and waiting for Gardar to be found. Sverkel is shown to be awake, and the episode ends.
