Valhalla Season 3: Why It's Good Thing for Vikings Tragic Fate Saved for Alfred
Valhalla, the much awaited follow-up to the hit show Vikings, ended its third season satisfactorially. Although the last episode of the show closed many stories, it left some unresolved plot points, including a particularly sad ending for Alfred, Queen Emma's son: It's a good thing that this sad narrative was never fully explored since Vikings: Valhalla's announcement that it won not be renewed for a fourth season marks.
Tragic Fate: Dark Turn in the Story for Alfred
King Canute's death set off a power struggle for England in Vikings: Valhalla's last season. Seeking to guarantee a quiet succession, Canute made several choices about his sons and their kingdoms. His choice about Edward and Alfred, Queen Emma's sons started a sad series of events that would have fundamentally altered the direction of the show.
Seeking to avoid more strife, Canute chose to send Edward and Alfred back to Normandy, guaranteeing their safety and so honoring a previous promise to Emma. The turn in the story, though, came from Godwin's betrayal—a strong earl who finally proved to be quite important in the tragedy.
Rather than delivering Emma's message to Edward, Godwin set out to arrange Harold Harefoot's arrival to England. Claiming the title of King of England, Harold rose to the throne under Godwin's deft and manipulative strategies.
Unaware of the dangerous scheme, Edward and Alfred headed to England thinking their mother called them. But their arrival was a trap designed especially by Godwin and Harold Harefoot. Driven by his own ambition and thirst for power, Godwin broke off his relationship with Emma and abducted Alfred, bringing him before Harefoot.
Driven by resentment and a need to unite his authority, Harefoot tormented Alfred into an appalling act of barbarism. To represent the merciless character of the power struggle for the English throne, he commanded Alfred's eyes to be gouged out.
Effects on Vikings: Valhalla: Lost Opportunity
If Alfred's murder had been shown in Vikings: Valhalla, the show would have been much different and Harold Harefoot would have been hated villain. It would also have confirmed Godwin's reputation as a merciless and dishonest power broker, so compromising his already dubious integrity.
Although Vikings: Valhalla already included several antagonists, adding Alfred's murder would have surely raised Harefoot's villainy to unprecedented heights. In line with the way the series presents historical violence, the cruel deed would have made Harefoot a lot more complicated and disturbing character.
Moreover, the consequences of Alfred's murder would have gone beyond the direct players engaged. His terrible death would have left a legacy of mistrust and resentment toward Godwin and his family, so further upsetting England's political scene.
For Vikings, avoiding Alfred's terrible fate turned out to be a wise choice. Valhalla Although it would have given the story a darker layer, it might have also diverted the series's attention from the epic travels of the Vikings. By ending with the third season, the show kept viewers' attention on the more general themes of power, treachery, and the complexity of Viking society by avoiding the depressing territory of Alfred's fate.
