Vinland Saga (Season 2) Episode 17: Viewers should be used to how wonderful Vinland Saga is by this point. But it still manages to surprise us by being even better in ways we didn’t think it would. The latest episode has some action at the start but is mainly an emotional tale as Gardar and Arnheid’s heartbreaking, shared journey comes to an end in a manner that will have many reaching for tissues. Although it doesn’t break new ground, we see the cost of warfare and its consequences through Gardar and Arnheid’s tragedy, which makes for yet another great episode.
Vinland Saga (Season 2) Episode 17 Recap:
The episode begins right where the previous one ended, with Thorfinn dodging all of Snake’s very fast attacks. He thinks to himself that Snake is the fastest person he has ever fought, also noting that Snake expertly uses the curve of his unusual blade to his advantage, making up for their difference in reach.
Similarly, Snake is also thinking to himself how skillfully Thorfinn is fighting despite being barehanded while he has a sword. He himself is a warrior from Miklagard, which is no mean feat in itself. Snake then recalls their first meeting, where Thorfinn had said he had never once been happy in his life, and questions what kind of monsters he grew up with as Thorfinn charges at him.
Thorfinn’s plan of attack is to dodge Snake’s strikes and respond with his own punches and kicks, managing almost to get him off his feet. However, Snake, in turn, successfully cuts him on the cheek. Thorfinn wonders internally what such a skilled warrior is doing being a bodyguard on a farm, while Snake asks himself how he ever became a slave in the first place.
Telling himself to calm down, Snake reminds himself that he can’t let Thorfinn set the pace as he charges at Thorfinn once again, his attacks now even faster than before. He then catches Thorfinn by surprise with a kick, who is able to dodge a follow-up sword attack before noticing that Snake used the maneuver to position himself right next to an unconscious Gardar in the wagon.
At this point, Arnheid, who had been watching silently until now, begs Snake not to kill Gardar and to let him go. Snake refuses as Gardar killed five of his subordinates, which he cannot forgive. Sverkel, also silent until now, says he will do all he can to honor their deaths, even if it means selling his farms. But Snake interrupts him saying it isn’t about the money.
Snake says that it may be true that they are small-time crooks and the like who can’t even use their real names owing to past offenses, and then questions if that means they don’t care if his men died. He then asks if Gardar’s life is worth more than five of his subordinates, to which Thorfinn and Arnheid are silent. He then stabs Gardar in the chest while saying he will have him pay with his life.
Arnheid falls to her knees in shock and grief as Snake asks Thorfinn if he still wants to fight and if he wishes to avenge Gardar. He reveals that he knows Arnheid is the one who freed Gardar. He further says that both Thorfinn and Arnheid will be tied up and punished when Ketil returns for their actions.
Suddenly, a still-alive Gardar starts choking Snake from behind him and doesn’t let go even when Snake stabs him in the leg multiple times. Thorfinn tries to free Snake as well but isn’t able to as Gardar is too strong, and Snake is now unconscious.
Arnheid approaches Gardar and speaks to him in a calm, soothing voice, saying that it’s alright now and that no one is trying to get in their way anymore. She then lies by saying that their deceased son Hjalti is waiting for them, as Gardar doesn’t know that he is dead. He lets go of Snake.
Gardar asks where Hjalti is currently, to which Arnheid lies once more by saying that he is with his brother as she sent him there before the war for his own safety. Gardar says his brother is always looking after him and must take him as a thank–you gift.
He then requests to borrow the wagon he is riding in, thinking it belongs to Thorfinn but is informed that it belongs to Sverkel instead. His whole demeanor has changed now, and he is calm and polite, unlike before. Sverkel says he can borrow the wagon and introduces himself, following which Sverkel thanks him. Arnheid thanks Thorfinn and Einar as well, even though Thorfinn says that Gardar doesn’t have a long time, considering his wounds. Arnheid, however, says it’s okay, and the two leave on the wagon, riding off into the sunset.
Vinland Saga (Season 2) Episode 17 Ending, Explained:
How does Gardar’s story end?
As Gardar is in the wagon with Arnheid, he begins to feel a chill, and his mind wanders, envisioning himself among many slaves. He reminisces about the birth of his son Hjalti and the promise he made to fight for his honor and prosperity. Gardar’s head is filled with images of his son Hjalti taking his first steps and him changing the child’s diapers before the image shifts to Gardar’s former master thrashing him.
Curious about Hjalti’s age, Gardar asks Arnheid about it, wondering if he is now eight or nine. Arnheid replies that he is six, and Gardar apologizes, acknowledging that he lost track of time during his slavery. He regrets missing Hjalti’s adorable years and fears that his son may have forgotten them as well, owing to how long it has been since he last saw them.
Gardar imagines Hjalti as a mischievous prankster, perhaps lighting horses’ tails on fire, just like he did as a child, getting in trouble with his father, which prompts an amused reaction from Arnheid. Although Gardar anticipates that Hjalti will want to embark on a Viking adventure like many children, he vows not to permit it.
As Gardar’s energy wanes due to constantly losing blood, he rests on Arnheid’s lap and has a flashback of agreeing to join the fight for the iron when beckoned by other men, leaving Arnheid and Hjalti behind. He reassures Arnheid that he will never leave her or Hjalti’s side again, and Arnheid starts crying as he is about to die.
A younger Gardar awakens in a cart, drenched by the rain and laughing while playing in it. The same version of Gardar is then seen riding through a forest, reaching a dock and a village, and running through it with a joyful expression until he meets his six-year-old son Hjalti at home. The father and son embrace, expressing their happiness to see each other, and Gardar utters the words, “I’m home.”
Sadly, in reality, those were his final words before passing away on Arnheid’s lap. Arnheid is sobbing, holding him tightly, and several of Snake’s mercenaries arrive as the episode comes to a close.
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