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usatrendingsports · 6 years

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Philadelphia Phillies 2018 season preview: Time for a breakthrough?

The Phillies run of 5 straight NL East titles — which included one World Sequence championship and two pennants — got here to an finish with an 81-81 season in 2012. Over the course of the following few years, the championship nucleus was damaged aside because the Phillies launched into a rebuild.

Although the Phillies truly received 5 video games worse in 2017, ending with simply 66 wins, there have been indicators that issues had been beginning to search for. Chief amongst these causes was among the younger expertise beginning to line the big-league roster. Additionally, the large contracts from previous seasons had been all gone and the Phillies had been set to turn out to be gamers in free company.

On the latter level, they landed Carlos Santana on a three-year, $60 million deal early within the offseason after which throughout spring coaching grabbed former Cy Younger winner Jake Arrieta on a three-year, $75 million deal. Alongside the way in which, additionally they beefed up the bullpen with signings of setup males Pat Neshek and Tommy Hunter.

Additionally, the Phillies have a brand new supervisor in new-school Gabe Kapler. One of many final organizations to return round on analytics is now all the way in which there from the entrance workplace right down to the dugout.

Supervisor Gabe Kapler takes over the Phillies’ dugout for 2018. USATSI

So far as free company goes, the Phillies determine to be main gamers subsequent offseason (maybe a run at Bryce Harper, simply to throw one identify on the market), as they up to now solely have an estimated 2019 payroll of $109.7 million, per baseball-reference.com. That is considerably decrease than what a workforce within the Philadelphia market might afford.

That is a subject for a distinct column, although. As we have a look at 2018, can the Phillies break again into rivalry?

Let’s have a look.

Possible lineup

Cesar Hernandez, 2B

Carlos Santana, 1B

Odubel Herrera, CF

Rhys Hoskins, LF

Nick Williams, RF

Maikel Franco, 3B

Jorge Alfaro, C

J.P, Crawford, SS

Anticipate Aaron Altherr to platoon with Williams in proper subject.

Bench: Williams/Altherr; Cameron Rupp, C; Pedro Florimon, IF/OF; Roman Quinn, IF/OF

Possible rotation

Jake Arrieta, RHP

Aaron Nola, RHP

Vince Velasquez, RHP

Nick Pivetta, RHP

Ben Full of life, RHP

Righty Jerad Eickhoff was mentioned to be out six to eight weeks from March 16 resulting from a strained lat muscle. Assuming issues go properly upon his return, he seemingly slots because the third-best starter right here. Fellow right-hander Mark Leiter may also begin the season on the disabled checklist resulting from a flexor pressure in his proper forearm space. As soon as he is again, he’ll issue as properly.

Possible bullpen

Nearer: Hector Neris, RHP Setup: Tommy Hunter, RHP; Pat Neshek, RHP; Luis Garcia, RHP Center: Adam Morgan, LHP; Edubray Ramos, RHP; Hoby Milner, RHP Lengthy: Drew Hutchison, RHP

One other identify to look at right here is Francisco Rodriguez (sure, Okay-Rod), who signed a minor-league deal and would love an opportunity so as to add some extra saves to his ledger in some unspecified time in the future.

Was he for Rhys-al?

Ugh, that was most likely dumb.

However was Rhys Hoskins for actual?

He is solely appeared in 50 big-league video games to this point, however Hoskins was a significant energy breakout participant final 12 months, hitting 18 homers in 170 at-bats whereas slugging .618. He wasn’t one-dimensional, posting a .396 on-base proportion with an excellent stroll charge and was price 2.Zero WAR regardless of not even enjoying 1/Three of the season.

Provided that he was by no means ranked as a top-100 prospect, this could be the kind of partial season that screams fluke for a lot of followers and media.

Hoskins is coming off a monster rookie season. USATSI

I am not so positive, although. He is all the time hit. In 2015 between Class-A and Excessive-A, Hoskins hit .319/.395/.518. He spent all of 2016 in Double-A, the place he hit .281/.377/.566 with 38 homers and 116 RBI in 135 video games. Earlier than his name to the majors final season, Hoskins hit .284/.385/.581 with 24 doubles, 29 homers and 91 RBI in simply 475 plate appearances.

The house run tempo from final season (if we pro-rated to 550 at-bats, his tempo dictates he would have hit 58 homers) is probably going unsustainable, however there’s proof right here that Hoskins being a stud energy hitter wasn’t a fluke in any respect. To reiterate, he is hit at each cease, most not too long ago for big-time energy.

Certain, Hoskins is able to struggling tough stretches because the league adjusts to him, however the physique of labor right here provides me confidence he is undoubtedly the actual factor.

Progress from left facet?

One of many many issues the Phillies have to see this season to ensure that a franchise flip is to see third baseman Maikel Franco and shortstop J.P. Crawford play properly.

For Franco, he is now two years faraway from wanting nice in a half season (130 OPS+, 14 HR, 50 RBI in 80 video games in 2015). He then truly regressed from a disappointing 2016 by hitting .230/.281/.409 (81 OPS+) final season. He did have 29 doubles and 24 dwelling runs, however the common and OBP go away far an excessive amount of to be desired right here. The truth is, Franco posted a unfavourable WAR (-Zero.2).

This clearly will not reduce it if the Phillies need to contend. They want a lot nearer to the model we noticed in 2015.

Crawford, 23, is a former first-rounder and was ranked as a top-10 prospect a number of years. Then got here 2016, when he hit simply .250/.349/.339 between Double-A and Triple-A. Final 12 months in Triple-A, he hit .243/.351/.405. The OBP seems to be high-quality and the ability growing (20 doubles, six triples and 15 homers in 474 at-bats) was higher, however that is nonetheless somebody hitting .243 in Triple-A.

In Crawford’s cup of espresso final 12 months, he did properly getting on base (.356 OBP in 87 plate appearances), nevertheless it was walk-heavy. He hit .214 with a .300 slugging.

Crawford figures to be an excellent defender at a premium defensive place, and if he can discover a option to claw on base at a .356 clip all season, he’ll be a beneficial participant for the Phillies, however he is definitely a query mark.

What the Phillies get from this left-side will go fairly far in figuring out how the season finally ends up.

Extra children

Alfaro, 24, did not have an excellent time in Triple-A final 12 months, however in simply 29 video games within the majors, he hit .318/.360/.514 with six doubles, 5 homers and 14 RBI. Promising, however he additionally struck out 33 instances in 114 plate appearances in comparison with three walks. There’s good upside, but in addition potential draw back.

Williams, 24, has simply 83 video games of big-league expertise, however in these, he hit .288/.338/.473 with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers and 55 RBI. He crushed righties, however there’s nonetheless that concern about lack of expertise.

Herrera is skilled however he is nonetheless solely 26. He is additionally coming off his worst big-league season (2.Three WAR after hitting four-plus in every of his first two seasons). He might use a return to kind and it appears extra seemingly than not.

Proficient right-hander Nola, 24, seems primed for a breakout season. His workload on the MLB stage elevated final season from 11 innings to 168. He pitched to a Three.54 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, however the Three.27 FIP and 184 strikeouts (9.9 Okay/9) look attractive. Time to turn out to be an ace?

Nola seems to be to take the following step into turning into an ace in 2018. USATSI

Rotation appears skinny

There’s Nola and there is Arrieta (who has truly turn out to be underrated within the view of this scribe), however previous that the rotation is plagued by query marks.

There’s massive potential in Velasquez, as we noticed within the early entering into 2016. Despite the fact that he battled inconsistency, Velasquez was Eight-Three with a Three.33 ERA via Aug. four in 19 begins. Final 12 months, Velasquez was dangerous. In 15 begins, he pitched to a 5.13 ERA (5.52 FIP) and 1.50 WHIP. He nonetheless has an excellent fastball, however lacks command and his secondary stuff hasn’t actually come round to some extent of reliability.

Eickhoff was good in 2016, notably when his energy curve was working. Final 12 months was a wrestle, although, and now he is gonna miss a number of weeks of the season.

Pivetta and Full of life are wild playing cards whereas Leiter is harm.

Maybe the Phillies are capable of swing a commerce for an affect starter if they’re contending in July, however proper now the rotation appears to be a roadblock to a possible breakthrough season, even with the great potential of an Arrieta-Nola-Velasquez-Eickhoff prime 4 come September.

One 12 months away?

Given all of the youth and query marks, it is truthful to surprise if the Phillies do one thing like make a leap from 66 wins to, say, 80ish, earlier than totally leaping into rivalry in 2019.

Take into consideration all of the questions with inexperience relating to Hoskins, Crawford, Alfaro, Williams after which needing to see bounce-backs from Herrera and Franco along with the harm and efficiency questions within the Three-5 rotation spots. That is quite a lot of issues needing to interrupt in the precise route.

It is potential. I’ve referred to as the Phillies a “sneaky sleeper” earlier than this offseason and I nonetheless consider they’ve a shot. The almost definitely end result, nevertheless, is a step ahead this season that does not end in rivalry however as an alternative in greater optimism heading into 2019 — particularly if they will seize a significant free agent or two.

The projection fashions appear to agree, even when some aren’t fairly as bullish as I’m. SportsLine has the Phillies profitable 74 video games and with a 5.7 p.c likelihood of creating the postseason. Fangraphs has the Phililes profitable 75. Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA, nevertheless, appears extra consistent with my thought course of right here, pegging the Phillies for an 81-81 report.

If that occurs and the Phillies head into subsequent offseason with a number of cash to spend, it might be protected to say the great Phillies are again.

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therealforeignspell · 6 years

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Inside Cover: “When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity.

Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.”

First Paragraph: “The eleventh apartment had only one closet, but it did have a sliding glass door that opened onto a small balcony, from which he could see a man sitting across the way, outdoors in only a T-shirt and shorts even though it was October, smoking. Willem held up a hand to greet him, but the man didn’t wave back.”

Meeting Details: Friday November 10

Rating: 4 Bookworms

Final Thoughts:

Reading A Little Life was liked being pulled in every direction at once. The lives of these character’s had such verisimilitude. I felt like I knew each one on a deep personal level. Because of this, it was also a very difficult read. As I read Jude’s reasoning for his desire to harm himself, it brought up flashbacks of my own past and what I have come out of. His character put so poetically into words what it is like to feel that sickness of depression inside of you. Like it is an alien body trapped in your blood and flowing through your veins. It was so vivid that at times I had to put down the book, close my eyes, and breath again. I paced my living room while trying to calm my nerves and my husband would say “Good book, huh?” The amount of human suffering that Jude experiences is nearly unfathomable. Yet it’s the friendships that he forms that make it tolerable and not torturous to read. And these relationships are as inspiring and full of beauty as the book can be dark. A Little Life will make you ugly cry, it might induce an panic attack, but I promise you it is worth it. Beautifully written and a great example of the human ability to feel and love at great depths.

Talking Points:

Page 19- Why does JB choose to lie to his friends about his family life? Does he appreciate his family, or take them for granted? Is he ungrateful?

Page 25- Why can’t Willem acknowledge Jude’s pain and help him? Why have they never spoken about it?

Page 75- “But this was part of the deal when you were friends with Jude: he knew it, Andy knew it, they all knew it. You let things slide that your instincts told, you not too, you scooted around the edge of your suspicions. You understood that proof of your friendship lay in the keeping of your distance, in accepting what was told you, in turning and walking away when the door was shut in your face instead of trying to force it open.” in response to Jude suicide attempt. Do you know anyone who forces boundaries like this in your relationship with them? What could cause someone to be like this?

Willem skirts the issue of Jude cutting himself. He has multiple opportunities to confront his best friend who is clearly suffering but never draws the courage to do so. Is it a masculine trait to ignore these clues, to not talk about things so important because it is hard or scary or uncomfortable? Have you done this in past relationships?

Why does Willem play mostly “dark and complicated” characters as an actor? They are described as often quietly violent, usually morally compromised- that inspired different degrees of sympathy. Does this have a connection to his upbringing or friendships?

Page 275- Jude explains what aspects of his new job as a litigator he enjoys. Even thought it was the opposite of what he was doing before at the U.S. Attorney’s Office (where he worked for the people and the community making a difference which would have led to being a judge or justice) and now works for “the enemy”. What, in his past, makes him enjoy this work? What about his character makes him good at it? “Had the job made him venal, or had he always been so…?” See page 301 + 398

Was it surprising for you to hear JB’s true opinion of his friends? (Page 300-306) He speaks of how boring he thinks they are and how surprised by their success he is. His extreme selfishness and superiority over others and lack of empathy makes him a sort of Devil’s Advocate character.

Page 636- Jude tells JB that he has always been lucky. Why does he say this?After all he has been through, does he mean it? In What way?

How would this book been different if the main characters were not rich and famous? Why did the author choose this storyline?

Why did Hanya choose to make the main characters men?

Discuss young Jude’s reaction to Father Luke’s arrest. Were you surprised by it? Do you think it changed over time?

How did Willem’s experience with Hemming shape him?

Do you think Caleb beat his other boyfriend?

Vocabulary:

insensate | inˈsensāt, inˈsensət |adjective

1 lacking physical sensation

2 lacking sympathy or compassion; unfeeling

3 completely lacking sense or reason

blithely | ˈblīT͟Hlē | adverb

1 in a way that shows a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper

2 in a happy or carefree manner

flibbertigibbet | ˈflibərdēˌjibət | noun

a frivolous, flighty, or excessively talkative person

indolence | ˈindələns | noun

avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness

parcity |ˈpärsətē | noun

frugality, scantiness

vociferously| vəˈsif(ə)rəslē | adverb

in a loud and forceful manner

scrivener | ˈskriv(ə)nər | noun

a clerk, scribe, or notary.

dross | drôs,dräs | noun

1 something regarded as worthless; rubbish

2 foreign matter, dregs, or mineral waste, in particular scum formed on the surface of molten metal

verisimilitude | ˌvərəsəˈmiləˌt(y)o͞od | noun

the appearance of being true or real

interlocutor |ˌin(t)ərˈläkyədər | noun

a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation.

dirigible | ˈdirəjəb(ə)l,dəˈrijəb(ə)l

1 adjective capable of being steered, guided, or directed 2 noun a dirigible airship, especially one with a rigid structure.

parry | ˈperē |verb

ward off (a weapon or attack), especially with a countermove.

Philistine |ˈfiləˌstēn,-ˌstīn | noun

a member of a non-Semitic people of ancient southern Palestine, who came into conflict with the Israelites during the 12th and 11th centuries BC

stave | stāv |

1 noun a vertical wooden post or plank in a building or other structure

2 another term for staff1 (sense 4 of the noun)

3 verb break something by forcing it inward or piercing it roughly

4 avert or delay something bad or dangerous

carapace |ˈkerəˌpās | noun

the hard upper shell of a turtle, crustacean, or arachnid

querulous | ˈkwer(y)ələs | adjective

complaining in a petulant or whining manner.

benediction |ˌbenəˈdikSH(ə)n | noun

the utterance or bestowing of a blessing, especially at the end of a religious service.

fulcrum |ˈfo͝olkrəm,ˈfəlkrəm | noun

1 the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots

2 a thing that plays a central or essential role in an activity, event, or situation

simulacrum | ˌsimyəˈlākrəm,ˌsimyəˈlakrəm | noun

1 an image or representation of someone or something

2 an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute

civet | ˈsivət | noun

1 a slender nocturnal carnivorous mammal with a barred and spotted coat and well-developed anal scent glands, native to Africa and Asia

astringent | əˈstrinjənt

1 adjective causing the contraction of body tissues, typically of the skin

2 sharp or severe in manner or style

3 noun a substance that causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to protect the skin and to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions

koan | ˈkōän| noun

1 a paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment

venal | ˈvēnl | adjective

showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery

stultify |ˈstəltəˌfī | verb

1 cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially as a result of a tedious or restrictive routine

2 cause (someone) to appear foolish or absurd

jounce | jouns | verb

jolt or bounce.

ni·hil·is·tic |ˌnīəˈlistik,ˌnēəˈlistik/ | adjective

rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless.

“an embittered, nihilistic teenager”

ob·tuse | adjective

stupid or unintelligent; not able to think clearly or to understand what is obvious or simple

tac·i·turn | ˈtasəˌtərn/ | adjective

Quiet, not speaking frequntly; saying little.

ep·och·al | ˈepəkəl/ | adjective

uniquely or highly significant.

aphorism

a short phrase that expresses a true or wise idea

ignoble

of low birth or common origin

lassitude

a condition of weariness or debility: fatigue

furtive

done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed

contrition

the state of feeling sorry for bad behavior

vitriol

harsh and angry words

apoplectic

very angry and excited

uxoriousness

excessively fond of or submissive to a wife

succint

using few words to state or express an opinion

Quotes:

“Wasn’t friendship its own miracle, the finding of another person who made the entire lonely world seem somehow less lonely?”

“He experienced the singular pleasure of watching people he loved fall in love with other people he loved.”

“What he knew, he knew from books, and books lied, they made things prettier.”

“He now viewed a successful relationship as one in which both people had recognized the best of what the other person had to offer and had chosen to value it as well.”

“It had always seemed to him a very plush kind of problem, a privilege, really, to consider whether life was meaningful or not.”

“Friendship was witnessing another’s slow drip of miseries, and long bouts of boredom, and occasional triumphs. It was feeling honored by the privilege of getting to be present for another person’s most dismal moments, and knowing that you could be dismal around him in return.”

“…when your child dies, you feel everything you’d expect to feel, feelings so well-documented by so many others that I won’t even bother to list them here, except to say that everything that’s written about mourning is all the same, and it’s all the same for a reason – because there is no read deviation from the text. Sometimes you feel more of one thing and less of another, and sometimes you feel them out of order, and sometimes you feel them for a longer time or a shorter time. But the sensations are always the same.

But here’s what no one says – when it’s your child, a part of you, a very tiny but nonetheless unignorable part of you, also feels relief. Because finally, the moment you have been expecting, been dreading, been preparing yourself for since the day you became a parent, has come.

Ah, you tell yourself, it’s arrived. Here it is.

And after that, you have nothing to fear again.”

Homework:

Who is Malcolm Muggeridge? (Malcolm’s namesake)

Explore the work of Lee Lozano (performance artist)

How to make a Ten-Nut cake

Listen to interview with Hanya Yanagihara

Practice mindfulness

Express gratitude to friends & family

PAGE 4 | A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Inside Cover: "When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition.

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project-fandom · 7 years

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Vikings - S4E20 - The Reckoning

What an ending! So many beloved characters lost this season, and this episode is responsible for three. As the Vikings accomplished their destiny to avenge Ragnar and gain English soil, the episode progressed from muddy battlefields and deep shadows in Wessex to streams of light and a glowing sunset, evoking the joint wills of the gods and God. Then, “The Reckoning.” The players began to fall, from the most predictable to least, and in order of show seniority. Helga’s fatal mistake in claiming Tanaruz turns upon her when the frightened girl stabs her and kills herself. Ecbert commits suicide by way of self-execution after granting land to the Ragnarssons. And Sigurd and Ivar’s lifelong resentments explode into violence at the celebratory feast, with Ivar cutting his famous brother down for all to see. There is much to say.

Long Live the King

Ecbert shivers as Aethelwulf’s army clashes with the Vikings, mud flying. Every named warrior acquits themselves impressively but once Aethelwulf finally hits the ground, time slows and he sees the tide turning, an influx of fresh warriors led by Ivar. He orders his men to save themselves, rushing back to Wessex to hustle everyone to safety, but Ecbert and Bishop Edmund are unmovable. Instead, Ecbert asks for his trust, granting Aethelwulf the crown in a simple ceremony. That this is satisfying says volumes about the depth of Moe Dunford’s acting, in that we have watched him grow from a two-dimensional snarling prince, to his nearing arch-villainy as he murdered the settlers at a hastily-built burning cross; from there he discovered love and heroism with Kwenthrith, took his bastard foster son on a pilgrimage, learned to accept Judith’s independence, and proved himself as a general. With the stone Celtic cross behind him last episode and his father’s acceptance won at last, Aethelwulf has solidified as the strong-minded, multifaceted king England needs.

Ecbert kisses them all goodbye, telling Judith as she thanks him (what?!), “Love is everything.” To Alfred, he wishes humility and final words of wisdom. To Aethelred… well, him, too. With arms wrapped collegially, he and the bishop cheer them away, even tossing the mitre. Once they’re gone, however, the cheering turns to sobbing. Light shines over the gate. God’s will be done.

The Reckoning

While Ecbert and Edmund drain the wine cellars, the Great Army crests the hill, charging through the gates, but there’s no need: Wessex is empty. Confused, they venture into the buildings. Athelstan’s former manuscript room is the first to go as Floki puts the wall of scrolls to the torch. But they don’t find Ecbert, so he drunkenly stumbles out into the crowd until he catches Bjorn’s eye, then smiles, patting him. A face he knows. Upon finding Edmund, Floki pauses as the bishop forgives them, but Hvitserk strikes him down.

They cage Ecbert as he did Ragnar, debating his fate as he swings. Ivar wants to blood eagle him, but, with complete Ragnar mannerisms and punctuation, Bjorn lectures that they’re now in enemy territory and must use him wisely. Ecbert indicates he can mostly understand and, touting his authority as “king of kings,” he offers them East Anglia (east of Wessex) in exchange for choosing the manner of his death. Eventually Ivar warms up to the deal and Bjorn approves, a twist on history where Ivar left Egbert I as a puppet king—in this case he’s a willing one. Not without one signature Ecbert betrayal, however: he’s no longer a king. Will this prove a problem for the Vikings, for Aethelwulf, or both? Both he and Ragnar leave the last man to see them alive without all of the pertinent information.

A harried scribe draws up the contract without such comments, Ecbert reassuring him magnanimously. Bjorn then leads Ecbert to the Roman baths and nods goodbye. There in the warm water where he conversed with Ragnar, Athelstan, and Lagertha, surrounded by the heathen curiosities he loved so much, Ecbert opens his veins and dies. Although his time had come, he will be missed. Linus Roache elevated Ecbert to a formidable foil for all who shared the screen with him.

Helga

As the Vikings rush into the gate, Helga brings Tanaruz in as well, hustling the terrified girl through the palace halls as they burn. Overwhelmed by fear and Helga’s fretting, Tanaruz grabs Helga’s knife and stabs her in the neck, then kills herself. Floki, drawn to the hallway by Helga’s singing moments before, finds her dying.

“You’re not like anybody else. Be yourself, Floki. This world is too small for you.”

At sunset, he carries her body to the great tree and gently arranges her grave, laying jewelry and combs around her as he speaks of the pure god Baldr‘s death. Baldr’s mother had made all the objects in the realm swear not to hurt him, but thought mistletoe was too young to swear, and by this, he was killed with a mistletoe arrow of Loki’s design, accidentally wielded by his brother. An appropriate comparison, between Helga’s defining lack of cunning and the young Tanaruz, who was not of their realm, and Floki now feels responsible.

Bjorn watches from afar, then finds Floki in darkness to offer condolences. Floki says he, too, is dead. A part of him died with Angrboda, another with Ragnar, and the last with Helga. Now he’s a rudderless ship, willing to go where the gods take him. He stands, stares at Bjorn’s third eye wonderingly, and blesses it in his way, then walks into the light, his darkness swallowed.

I am of two minds about this. Emotionally, Maude Hirst and Gustaf Skarsgard use every bit of feeling we’ve invested into them. Visually, it is a beautiful call to archaeological finds of Viking women burials in the area, essentially archaeology fanfiction. Thematically, it is a way that tragedy buried can revisit us, and the words themselves were loaded with the religious depth and tenderness unique to Helga and Floki. Holy and heartbreaking.

On the other hand, this end felt telegraphed. Helga is a Viking woman of a certain age, but without warrior skills or royal blood, there was no readily apparent end point for her. Helga was strong enough to climb the mountain in winter to bury Angrboda in silence, so it is disappointing to have this return to break her. For a woman so dedicated to the gods’ will to die as a result of irrational desires resulting from an off-screen illness feels cheap. Critical changes to any major character should be on screen, period. Logically, she would not have even been with the army in Wessex; she would have been with the camp as repeatedly demonstrated by past raids. Two strikes there.

On a more dangerous note for a show so bolstered by its female audience, it is further problematic that her death not only pushes Floki into his destiny as a solo explorer, but seals Bjorn’s ascendance to the lead of the Ragnarssons as an adult by removing his final two childhood mentors in one fell swoop. A trope, to use the death of a woman to make men into men. None of this detracts from the work of the actors, which was perfection, but from a plot standpoint, maddening.

The Ragnarssons Divide

Celebrating their win, the Ragnarssons feast on the elevated stage where Ecbert was crowned. Bjorn charges them all with sending over settlers, but his own destiny lies in the Mediterranean. Harald cites “other business,” aka overthrowing Lagertha, but Halfdan, apparently deciding Bjorn isn’t cursed after all, signs on with that venture. Ivar just wants to tear up the countryside, but, with the entire army watching, Sigurd’s usual retorts are too much. Ivar cuts deep by accusing Sigurd of being feminine (see our previous discussion about Viking sexuality), but when Sigurd lashes out one last time, Ivar hurtles his ax across the table into his brother’s chest. Sigurd stumbles towards him, dying just short, the snake in his eye staring into nothing.

From a dramatic angle, it isn’t surprising that one Ragnarsson would die, especially the only one to witness all of Aslaug and Ivar’s sins and to have met Harbard. Aslaug’s abandonment left Sigurd without a definite parent or mentor, which, in a Hirst script, means he’s cannon fodder. Although he conceived of the Great Army, Sigurd was an emotional drifter, taking a shine to Lagertha, Margrethe, really anyone that showed him attention, ergo he is of little significance. Of greater significance, fratricide hardens and darkens Ivar’s soul, pushing him into his final form while he is still quite young.

However, from a historical point of view… AUGH! Sigurd Snake in the Eye is the one to stay and settle in England. He marries Aelle’s daughter, who has already appeared on screen, and is a major figure for many decades, father of legendary Danish king Harthacnut I, grandfather of Halfdan, and great grandfather of the real Harald Finehair. Maybe their current presence makes him redundant, but otherwise this choice is boggling. And for such a massive diversion, it should have been given more than a couple seconds and another abrupt season ending time jump to…

The Coda

A bishop (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) performs funeral rites and gives comfort to the grieving widow, offering a little more, if she’d like. She does like. They have noisy, vigorous sex as a sword gleams, engraved “ANANYZAPATA,” a religious spell against poison. He is Heahmund, warrior priest.

Wrap Up

At the end of its first extended season, Vikings should be congratulated in pulling off the maturation and expansion of its cast and crew. A year ago, I questioned its ability to allow the characters to grow old and die, but Travis Fimmel and Linus Roache pulled it off with aplomb. Moe Dunford grew from a bratty prince to a fully-deserving king. Katheryn Winnick made easy work of the transition from background ex to queen of Kattegat while never letting Lagertha’s warrior edge dull. The Ragnarssons settled into their roles and hierarchy. Kattegat armored itself while Wessex burned down. Hundreds of extras set sail on real boats, and the costumers turned out their best work yet. Visually, Vikings continues to dazzle and its uber-realistic combat expanded to “Battle of the Bastards”-scale with style and brutality.

But those side stories… This is where fans question the most. Not unlike the recent season of Game of Thrones, this season has periodically shown its bones of known historical events, people, and archaeological finds, with Hirst filling in details that don’t always work. The highlights are certainly high, but the emotions and drama propelling us from point to point have at times felt contrived, even infuriating, when they don’t add up. Astrid, for example: what did her story accomplish? Tanaruz. Margrethe. Yidu. Little Siggy. All female, all stories that deserved more plot justification. One hopes that as Season 5 films, course corrections have been made, because, without Ragnar’s magnetism to hold it together, Vikings needs to tighten up on the frivolities and make a conscious effort to keep its dramatic plots relevant. It would also be perfectly fine if Hirst allowed the season to end on a meditative note, allowing us to absorb the trauma just experienced, rather than a jarring jump to the future.

For more of ProFan Sarah’s S4 Vikings reviews, click here.

#Vikings #History Channel #The Reckoning #Vikings Finale

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