‘Vikings’: How Ragnar Lothbrok Completely Lets Lagertha Down
In the hit series Vikings, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) has been there for her ex-husband, King Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), before. But when the occasion calls for him to take action for her, he’s less than hospitable, and he lets her down. We have all the details from the moment in season 3, episode 5.
Lagertha has helped Ragnar Lothbrok in the past when she had no reason to
Although Lagertha and Ragnar are divorced, she’s been there for him before when she really didn’t have to be. When Jarl Borg (Thorbjørn Harr) takes Kattegat when Ragnar is away raiding, Lagertha and her son with Ragnar, Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig), come to Ragnar’s aid, and they help him fight Borg’s forces, winning back Kattegat. This all comes after a few years previously, Ragnar got another woman pregnant while still married to Lagertha, and she ended up divorcing him. She didn’t have to help him, but she does, and when the time comes for him to do the same, he doesn’t.
Lagertha’s earldom is usurped
In season 3, when Lagertha goes with Ragnar to Wessex, Kalf (Ben Robson), whom she left in charge and someone she thought she could trust, usurps her earldom from her with the help of Einar (Steve Wall), who hates Lagertha but also loves her, and his family.
Obviously, Lagertha is more than upset about the turn of events, and she convinces her ex-husband to go to Hedeby with her in hopes of getting her earldom back, but that’s not exactly how it goes. He agrees to “talk” to Kalf, but he doesn’t approach it how Lagertha hopes he will.
How Ragnar Lothbrok completely lets Lagertha down
Ragnar isn’t in favor of civil war, as it will just lead to the loss of lives. He talks with Kalf, but when the two are alone, Ragnar actually invites him to go raiding with them to Paris instead of forcing him to relinquish his claim on Hedeby back to Lagertha.
Ragnar asks him to sit, and he explains, “I would prefer to avoid the unnecessary loss of lives fighting a civil war with you.” He continues, “Do you mind if I call you Earl Kalf?”
The king goes on to tell him about a planned invasion of Frankia, and he invites him to come with him. “And I would like to invite you, your men and your ships, to join me on this expedition,” Ragnar explains.
“And if I refuse?” Kalf asks.
“You will lose everything,” Ragnar tells him.
“Even my earldom?” He questions.
Lagertha then interrupts the conversation. Ragnar walks away, but not before saying, “That is between you and my ex-wife. And good luck with that.”
She isn’t successful in getting Kalf to concede Hedeby, and Lagertha is more than upset with her ex-husband, refusing to stay in Kattegat after he won’t help her. He said he would talk to Kalf, but in reality, he just invites him to raid with him. He doesn’t champion Lagertha’s cause, and she’s left with nothing. It’s ironic that he won’t help her get her lands back after she did the same thing for him years previously against Jarl Borg. Ragnar lets Lagertha down in the worst way, and it’s surprising considering what she’s done for him.
Lagertha gets her earldom back eventually
Although Lagertha is still furious about the betrayal Kalf inflicted, they form an attachment and become lovers after he saves her from being killed in Paris. However, she warns him that she’ll never “forgive” him, and that she’ll kill him eventually. Kalf doesn’t think she’s serious, and he declares them both joint rulers of Hedeby.
But right before their wedding while Lagertha is pregnant with his child, she kills Kalf by stabbing him, taking back her earldom. She’s declared the sole ruler of Hedeby, and it’s a shocking turn of events.
