Vikings, Ep. 2.02, “Invasion” a sleek, slickly-paced return to form
Vikings glides across the space of years with an eerie sort of grace – something that could surely be attributed to the considerate lushness in the shots selected. All the same, the four-year lap tonight’s episode makes is a considerable length of time to scan over and as such, some of Aslaug and Ragnar’s conviction to one another and the family they’ve grown occasionally feels like a mock-up of a relationship. To his credit, Travis Fimmel’s uncanny ability to live in a scene prevents each tender moment or threatening one from sliding into melodrama. He pronounces each line as if it sits on the tip of his tongue: with a low, curmurring warmth that invites strangers – such as the serving girl who briefly speaks with him – to lean closer, to invest in this blue-eyed leader, to understand he has a wealth of untapped potential and ambition which he’ll soon unleash.