The one thing this episode has reinforced for me is that Grant Bowler's has the acting chops to hold this thing together.

Great atmospherics for the temple in Upsala.  I wonder if the stone representations are actually the way Thor, Odin, etc. were depicted during that time period.  In the show they have the look of ancient gods that have been worshipped since the Norse branch of humanity left Africa.  My reaction to the hallucinogenic…

I agree.  I think the series starts too far after it was interesting.  Still unclear about how all the warring species decided to disobey their superiors and stop fighting.  I think that would have been an interesting starting point, but at the pilot its glossed over.

Congrats to DeKnight and his crew for a great job!  Although this series has a the taint of an inevitable ending like the movie "Titanic", I never felt that way while watching the finale.

Alas, the screen time they give Manu is too brief even though Slade Wilson becomes Queen's most formidable adversary.  Too much time is spent watching less skilled performers between when Manu makes an appearance.

This episode had its amusing moments, by Jove.  Watching Crassus deliver the period equivalent to saying shit made me wonder why we moderns don't exclaim it the same way.

Silliest episode yet!  What are the writers thinking?  The worst was when August was revived and changed into a child, and then forgot what he was selflessly supposed to warn the Charmings about!  I know that fairytales have some frustrating plot twists, but when does a reward erase the good deed?

It's a crime that this show isn't being covered!  WTF?  This is the best scifi drama out there. it might even be better than many of the shows that the AVCLUB does cover.

Silly ham-handed Jarl, surprising he doesn't know the old adage that "blood is thicker than water".  Sillier Cnut going hand to hand against a shieldmaiden and losing!  Ragnar in a funny way was even trying to salvage his honor by taking credit for his murder.  The Jarl's half-brother being dispatched by Ragnar's wife…

You should start at the very beginnning of the Saxon Tales with "The Last Kingdom".  The series is actually one story about the Saxon Uhtred and how he is raised and befriended by Danes. "Lords of the North" is right in the middle.

The passing of Crixus and Agron made me sad.  Crixus's speech during his last meeting with Spartacus was a perfect capstone to his character development from brute to Spartacus's brother in arms.  I knew the end was near when Crixus rallied his troops with the old "Shall we begin?" which was his trademark in his bouts…

Gabriel Byrne is great as the Machiavellian Jarl using fear as a tool for his rule.  Every glance and pause in his speech always seems to a scan for any real, imagined, or created threat from his subjects. I agree that his right hand man played by David Pearse is equally menacing in his quiet villainy.
Does Ragnar have…

It looks like Hirst lifted some of the names and concepts from that series, but I think the similarities end there.  If you remember, Uhtred remembers the raid on Lindisfarne occuring maybe 20 years in the past.  By the time of Cornwells series, the Danes have taken over a couple of Saxon kingdoms.

Robert Carlyle is an actor, not an over-actor.  Actually, I think in the sequence with the Charmings he seems content to have Cora be the villain and the focus Snow's wrath.

This episode has an interesting array of actors and guest stars from the sci-fi genre that we can have some fun with.  Major geek-out coming!  Cool to see Mr Gold in full Dr Rush(SGU) mode denying knowing anything, while really understanding everything.  Pinocchio's Dad is back, maybe he can explain the time…

Actually they are in Italy in the mountains.  I also remember that it was Spartacus's decision to sack Sinuessa to provision his army during the wintertime.

Funny how the writers keep teasing us with what we the viewers think is an inevitable break between Spartacus and Crixus.  Their relationship keeps going to shit, but Spartacus somehow has the right crazy plan to break through Crixus's thick skull and repair their alliance.

I'm really having trouble with the idea that the Vikings had little knowledge about England. As some commentators have said below, there's been all kinds of trade in the North Atlantic for a very long time. Furthermore, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes who I'm sure the Norseman were very familliar with had by the time of…

Is it my imagination, or do the actresses where wigs(merkins) on their nether regions during the nude scenes?  It pleases me to no end that Laeta's rug matches her curtains.

Are you not entertained?  Nice way to continually remind us that the Romans are the villains with the graphicly monstrous "(something)carnalia" festival (the original Festivus?).  Good job by the writers to decide to have Caesar stab Spartacus in the back.  Who lives by the dagger dies by the dagger?  Gannicus was…