John offers a personal look at a key thematic conflict running throughout The History Channel’s Vikings.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Vikings.

This story originally appeared onDen of Geek UK.

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.

A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.

There was something so civilized about what we found there that it seemed almost lifeless.

The truth of things, I felt, rested somewhere on the battle front between these two worlds.

Even if its drenched in the blood of sacrifice.

He watched, as well, as the spirit of a fallen warrior rose into the sky.

While he was the typical Viking on the surface, there were nonetheless many questions lurking within him.

Athelstan was in many ways the audiences gateway into this world of spirituality as well.

We immediately began to see the Christian god, and the gods of the Vikings, through Athelstans eyes.

What he saw in Ragnar was not what he expected to see.

He saw a man who, while different from himself, was nonetheless hoping to find the same answers.

I had tried almost everything, of course.

This is the same place where I felt Ragnar arrived in his final moments last season.

This is the place where we have arrived at the beginning of the fifth season.

Ragnars children are all grown now, each of them like separate sides of their father.

Bjorn is the sometimes absent, reluctant leader.

Ubbe is the sensible, compassionate one, and Hvitserk the one who just wants to fight.

For this viewer, that exploration has been a bit stunted since Athelstans departure.

Early in episode three,Homeland, Ivar summons a slave girl to his quarters.

She seems doomed the moment he asks her what the people are calling him.Ivar the Boneless, she replies.

He tells her that a sacrifice is needed to ensure victory, then orders her to disrobe.

Even when he instructs her to kiss him, the girl does not seem afraid.

Though we get no real explanation, whatever terrible fate was about to befall her has now been averted.

Meanwhile, weve been introduced to Heahmund, an equally battle-ready soldier for the Saxons.

This man simply has intense written on his face.

They arepagans and devils, nothing more.

They have been tricked, of course, into believing that the Vikings have lowered their defenses.

Aethulwulf is furious and fully engaged, taunting, Come on out and fight, you cowards!

Though he is above the fray, conducting the attack, Ivar cant resist his own nature.

He is next seen howling in his chariot, racing into the battle-soaked courtyard.

Even when his wheels are overturned and he is surrounded, he is erupting in bloody berserker rage.

I am Ivar the Boneless!

he screams, You cant kill me!

Ivar is howling, laughing, his face awash with crimson.

He hollers at his enemies, which stretch beyond just the Saxons: You are going to die!!

you could see the burning need to attack Ivar all over his features, but he cannot approach.

He pulls his sword, points it at the laughing son of Ragnar.

Your reign is over, heathen, he says.

But its quite obvious that everything is far from over.