“I win.” Ragnar Lothbrok certainly did. He pulled the wool over the eyes of the French Emperor, his own followers and I’m sure more than a few viewers when he faked his death in order to gain access to the heart of the city.

Sure, Ragnar used his love of Athelstan’s religion to his advantage, but that’s what you do in war, right? What I found interesting is that Ragnar was content with simply getting into Paris and having the Vikings do a little bit of looting before retreating rather than attempting to gain control of the city outright. He doesn’t really have the manpower to run Paris, but I was expecting a lot more violence than what happened during Thursday’s season finale.

By all accounts, it looked like “The Dead” was going to be all about the death of Ragnar. He’s been peeing and coughing up blood for the last several weeks, so I was expecting his death. And when Bjorn came forward with tears in his eyes, I fell for the act. Instead, Ragnar lay inside that beautifully carved ship-shaped coffin and listened to what his key followers said to him. There weren’t many surprises—my favourite quotes are at the bottom of this review—but it was still cool, in retrospect, to hear Floki admit he’d killed Athelstan. That closing scene where Ragnar revealed he knew Floki had done it was wonderfully dramatic and left me chortling with glee.

But despite all of that, I’m most excited to see what happens with Rollo. He chose to winter over outside Paris so that the Vikings have a presence there until spring when Ragnar plans to return. The Emperor smartly offered Rollo land, the title of Duke and Princess Gisla’s hand in marriage in exchange for Rollo agreeing to defend Paris against Ragnar. This is just the latest power play pushed in Rollo’s direction and it appears he’s on board. History documents Rollo really did marry a French princess as part of an agreement to stop attacking the capital, so I’m chuffed to see what Michael Hirst does with Rollo’s story.

Actor Travis Fimmel told me Vikings would go on without Ragnar and he was just a small piece of the story. And while that’s true, Fimmel’s shoes are tough to fill. Ragnar is compelling, funny, serious and easy to cheer for and it’s going to be tough for Clive Standen’s Rollo and Alexander Ludwig’s Bjorn to shoulder that load once Ragnar does make the journey to Valhalla.

Notes and quotes

• “I am dying. But at least I’ll see Athelstan again.” — Ragnar
• Floki has been on a fascinating journey this season. Far from the giddy genius, we saw his deep, dark side and commitment to the gods. He was willing to kill the man he looks up to, Ragnar, to appease the gods.
• “If you have gone to Heaven, then we will never meet again.” A killer line from Lagertha.
• “I’m sorry you’re dead, but it happens to all of us sooner or later.” Rollo’s matter-of-factness was snicker-worthy.
• “I hate you Ragnar Lothbrok. And I love you with all my heart.” — Floki
• Count Odo certainly has some odd tastes, doesn’t he? #whipsandchains

What did you think of this season of Vikings overall? What were some of your favourite moments? Let me know via the Comments below or @tv_eh.

“Today went badly.” — Bjorn
“Yes, it did.” — Ragnar

That pretty much summed up the sad result of “To the Gates!” Ragnar’s attempt to plunder Paris. I have to say, things started out so well that I honestly thought the Vikings were going to make mincemeat out of Count Odo and his soldiers. But, thanks to history, we know this actually never happened. The Vikings waged three major attacks on Paris in the past and none of them were successful. That isn’t to say show creator Michael Hirst will stick with what happened in history, but he’s been pretty accurate in his dramatic re-telling so far.

For those who are interested, historical documents actually place Rollo at the centre of one siege on Paris and find him marrying a French princess, something that certainly seemed to be in its initial stages when Rollo and Princess Gisla made goo-goo eyes at each other mid-mayhem. And what mayhem it was. I can’t imagine how long it took to choreograph, rehearse and film the multiple angles of the siege, from  the waterline to atop the towers, from outside the bridge to the drawbridge leading into Paris. It was horribly magnificent to behold, that blood-soaked fight for control of the city.

I had assumed Ragnar was setting up Floki for failure, and that was confirmed during his very Shakespearean parley with Athelstan at the end of the episode. He gave Floki the responsibility, knowing the blame would fall on the  mad genius when things went south. Ragnar may be a patient man, but his damaged kidneys and broken ribs could mean his survival past the end of this season may finally be in doubt. Speaking of survival, I did—for a moment—wonder if Bjorn had been killed. Thankfully it will take more than crossbow bolts to put Bjorn Ironside into the ground.

Vikings airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History.

Before I get into this week’s Vikings review, I’d like to pause for a moment and remember Athelstan. Unlike Siggy, I didn’t really see his death coming. Sure, Floki has been giving Athelstan major side-eye this season, but still, I thought Ragnar’s Christian friend would last until the end of the Viking king’s reign. He will be missed.

When Clive Standen told me earlier this year that the siege of Paris was coming, I was excited. Then I spoke to the folks at Mr. X Inc. and Take 5 Productions, who do the visual effects for Vikings. From what they told me, this Thursday’s episode, “Paris,” would blow my mind.

And it did. Wasting absolutely no time with the journey around Europe, Ragnar and his supporters cruised up the Seine and had Paris in their sights. (That staring fight between Ragnar and Floki was amazing, wasn’t it? Floki looked pretty scared, if you ask me.) Unfortunately, the battle didn’t take place this week. But heck, you have to set up camp and prepare. And what preparations! I’m assuming Ragnar is playing Floki like a lute by giving him the important role of leading the first siege against Paris. If Floki fails, it will be his fault and because the gods are angry with him. But he might just succeed, what with those cool and impressive-looking siege towers he’s constructed.

“Paris” also introduced viewers to a pair of real historical figures in Count Odo and Emperor Charles, the former a bold, brash, calculating man and the latter a weakling paranoid he’s not as revered as his predecessor, Charlemagne, and relying on his daughter, Princess Gisla, to keep him focused. Charles clearly wanted to run off as soon as Odo reported the Northmen were on the way.

Meanwhile, back in Wessex, King Ecbert and Queen Kwenthrith were involved in a pissing match over who was the most powerful and it looks like Ecbert is going to win out. He has, after all, stayed ahead of Ragnar and is plotting to take over the land lorded over by Judith’s father. (Did anyone else find it a little creepy that Ecbert kissed his daughter-in-law passionately on the lips?)

The teaser’s for next week’s episode shows Floki leading the charge against Paris. A quick Google search revealed the Vikings didn’t sack the city, so we’ll see if Michael Hirst’s story sticks to historical events or goes off in a new direction.

Notes and quotes

• The throbbing background beat during Ragnar’s voyage up the Seine set the tone for the episode.
• I’m digging Ragnar’s bald look. Paired with those tattoos, he looks totally scary.
• The snake and mouse Ragnar was holding in the camp wasn’t coincidence. But was Ragnar the serpent or the rodent?

Vikings airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History.