So we continue right from the point where we left off – Einar is introduced to Thorfinn, and both of them are offered a piece of land. Their mission is to transform it into a successful production of wheat – once they achieve this, they shall be able to buy their freedom back. This is the deal Ketil has made with them, ayway.
Overall, there’s the exploration of slavery and I very much do appreciate how serious the issue is presented. It’s an awfully dark page in humanity’s history, even more heartbreaking to know that despite all evolution mankind has gone through, some parts of the world still suffer from this great evil. Thorfinn and Einar are two very lucky fellows to have found a sorta reasonable man (in the end, he’s still a part of the system, so I’m not sure if describing him as good would be exactly fitting) but through his henchmen who save no efforts to explore them in that situation, they’re exposed to the evil that is to be stripped away of your rights as a person. And that’s a very disturbing watch.
The humiliation they suffered causes Einar to decide to report it to Ketil – except he doesn’t, clearly struck by the beautiful woman who should certainly be Ketil’s daughter. Plus, she appears in the op, so what other sign do you need to know she’s gonna be important. I have to admit that I’m a little curious to know what would have happened had Einar made the report, and that is because I’m very much interested into knowing what sort of man Ketil really is. So far, he is presented as this super righteous man – certainly not the best of them, but hardworking, seemingly a decent father, and compassionate towards his slaves. But that’s where the “irk” stands, though – he’s still a part of the slavery system, so I’m interested to see how this aspect of his character is explored into shaping his role to the story – but then again, I doubt it will be much relevant. Consider this a small curiosity of mine.
And if the people at his land love him for his hardworking demeanor, his son, Olmar, couldn’t be any more different to the distant eye. I’ll say it right off the bat, I love the first impression I got from his character. There’s just so much potential there to be explored cause, you know, this is just the sort of character I like. He’s a rebel soul, one who doesn’t want to follow his father’s step but would rather instead create his own story as knight to the King of England, except… he’s got no aptitude for it whatsoever. After another fight with his dad, he runs off to find console in the arms of a beautiful lady, which is apparently simply one more of his one night stands. It seems to me like the only reason he wants this is to disassociate his image from that of his father, stay away from his shadow. So yeah, it’s a typical 17 years old brat with a huge potential of growth.
Now let me to Thorfinn’s because this will certainly be the most interesting part of following thos arc in the season. For a moment there, I thought he could be playing pretend, only awaiting for the right moment to strike. But after that conversation with Einar at the end of the ep, I’m not so sure about it anymore. All things considered, everything Thorfinn has endured is no joke at all, and though he managed to pull through and get his revenge in the end, one is left to wonder what he would do once it was over. Because that was it – from the moment his family was stolen from him, revenge was the only thing left. And he got it. And now he isn’t dead, but his humanity has been robbed from him long before he became a slave, forced to live with the sole goal of attaining revenge for those who destroyed his life. And again, yes, he got that. But what is it that lies beyond? Are there any more reasons to live? The hope of attaining their freedom should they sell the land back to Ketil is a sign of a bright tomorrow for Einar – his mother words, that they “haven’t lost at all,” somehow still echoes within his heart. But in Thorfinn’s case, things are looking much more complicated than that. Seeing the road that this man will have to go through to regain some of that humanity will certainly make for a very great watch. This is Vinland Saga, after all.
OTAKU SPACE 