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Vinland Saga Season 2
Episode 22

by James Beckett,

How would you rate episode 22 of
Vinland Saga (TV 2) ?
Community score: 4.7

vinland-saga-22.png

I'm not going to pretend that it is in any way easy to produce compelling action animation—there is an absurd amount of artistry that goes into staging, choreographing, and editing even a minute or two of decent cinematic action, not to mention drawing all of the cells necessary to make it look good in motion—but one of the litmus tests I always use to determine the core strength of a show's storytelling chops is to assess how effective it is at making the audience feel riveted when there is virtually nothing “happening” at all. “The King of Rebellion” is a textbook example of what it looks like when a show is firing on all cylinders both on and off the battlefield. I know, I know. Big surprise, considering that this is Vinland Saga that we're dealing with, but it still deserves to be recognized for the achievement it is.

The closest thing we get to the action, or even visually dynamic conflict, comes at the top of the episode, and it takes the form of Thorfinn getting the ever-loving shit knocked out of him precisely 100 times so that he can earn his audience the King. Given the circumstances, this is played as exactly the kind of tragic, melancholy, and deeply stupid ritual of violence that it is, and the catharsis comes not from Thorfinn striking back, but from his explanation for why he chooses to stand there and take it. He's only just met these men and has no reason to hate them. What's more, neither he nor the other soldiers have anything to gain from fighting each other, since the quarrel lies exclusively between the obsessed autocrat and the would-be warlord who may as well just settle things with a friendly game of Hnefatfil (aka Viking Chess). After all these years, Thorfinn can not only understand his father's most important lesson, but he can speak those words with his voice and mean them with utmost conviction: He has no enemies. None at all.

It's a goosebumps-worthy climax to Thorfinn's entire arc of development, and it lands perfectly because of this season's commitment to avoiding cheap, violent spectacle, not despite it. The same thing goes for the entire rest of the episode, which consists of nothing more than a group of men standing around in a field and discussing their dedication to their opposing ideals. I mean that in the best way because it is genuinely captivating to witness Thorfinn and Canute facing off again after their four long years apart and hearing them both confront each other regarding the other's perceived cruelty/naivety/hypocrisy/foolishness.

I especially loved the way that the author, Yukimura, was able to put a twist on the historical legend of Canute demanding that the ocean obey his God-given authority as the King of the Danes and the English. Is it stretching credulity a bit to think that a Christian King of the 11th Century would openly declare his intent to "do battle with God" in his mission to create an earthly paradise? Sure, perhaps, but it's such a clever way to reinterpret the original historical account in a manner that aligns with the themes that Vinland Saga is exploring.

I find myself empathizing the most with Einar, who has no patience whatsoever for all of this high-and-mighty bullshit rhetoric when it's obvious that Canute is simply amassing land and power, which is the same motivation that has driven every autocrat throughout history. Neither Einar's rage nor Thorfinn's newfound wisdom is enough to deter the ambitious and untamed young king. I cannot express how eager I am for the next episode to arrive so we can discover the lengths Canute is willing to go to seize the power he believes is rightfully his, and what fate awaits our heroes in his wake.

Rating:

Vinland Saga Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.


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