The following contains spoilers for Vinland Saga Season 2, episode 2, "Ketil's Farm," now streaming onNetflix.
The first episode of the new season of Vinland Saga was almost perfect. The opening has a few melancholy undertones, which suit the visuals. The episode did not have much action, as it was more focused on laying the groundwork for the story of the second season.
The episode introduced fans to Einar, and it covered his backstory in detail. The first episode ended with Einar finally meeting Thorfinn. In this week's episode, the focus shifted to Thorfinn and the rest of the characters on Ketil's farm.
The First Meeting
In the second episode, fans finally saw Thorfinn, and his appearance had changed quite a bit. Thorfinn seemed taller and more mature than before. At Ketil's behest, Einar and Thorfinn exchanged pleasantries, with the latter seeming completely disinterested. With the introductions out of the way, Ketil began to tell Einar about their task, which was to create a productive wheat farm. If they were successful in their task, Einar and Thorfinn would become free men once again. This news didn't seem to excite Thorfinn, who still looked glum. Einar, on the other hand, was overcome with joy, as he couldn't believe such a thing was possible.
Following Ketil's departure, Einar and Thorfinn moved into the forest to see the site of their work. Ketil had given Einar the day off, but the possibility of becoming free excited him way too much, so he also started to work. As they continued to chop down trees, Einar began to complain about being hungry. He inquired about the food situation, and Thorfinn told him it would be delivered by the farm hands. Moments later, a few farmhands reached the location of Thorfinn and Einar. Einar was delighted to see them, but his happiness faded away after seeing the bag of food. Upon opening the bag, Einar found that the portions were too small, and the bread had been eaten by someone else. He showed his disapproval, which infuriates the farmhands.
Luckily, Thorfinn stepped in before the situation could escalate. Einar was exasperated, and he asked Thorfinn to stop kowtowing. As they headed back from work, Einar was still livid, and he decided to tell Ketil about the farmhands and their behavior. When Ketil finally passed through, Einar stopped him and tried to tell him about the situation. However, before he could complete his sentence, his eyes fell on the girl riding on the wagon. Einar was mesmerized by her beauty, and he couldn't utter a single word. Ketil asked Einar what he wanted to talk about, but the young man was at a complete loss for words. Due to Einar's lack of response, Ketil resumed his journey. From this interaction, it was clear that Einar found the woman beautiful. The name of the woman remains a mystery, but that won't be the case for long.
Ketil's Farm
Halfway through the episode, the focus changed to Ketil and other people working in the wheat fields. Almost everyone was pleased with their work, with the sole exception of Olmar, Ketil's youngest son. Olmar came off as a person trying to look tough who is not interested in doing something as boring as cutting the crop. Ketil tried to make Olmar understand why it was important to cut the crops in the right way, but his son wasn't interested in the least.
Olmar finally got fed up and got on his horse. Before leaving, Olmar tried to make a statement by taking out the sword on his back. However, as expected, Olmar was unable to unsheathe it completely, causing him to run away in embarrassment. As the sun sets once again, Olmar is seen inside a room with a young woman. The two talked ​​​​​​for a while, but Olmar left after he found out the girl's family was trying to use her. On his way back, he encounters two drunk men who successfully convince him to come with them.
Reminiscing About The Past
Toward the end of the episode, Thorfinn and Einar were back in the spotlight. The two of them were lying down on stacks of hay. Einar began to tell Thorfinn about his past and how his village was attacked twice. The English soldiers were responsible for the first attack, in which Einar lost his father. The second time, his village was ransacked by the Danish warriors, and this time Einar lost his sister and his mother. Einar called the warriors nothing but animals who only liked to kill. As he finished talking, he called Thorfinn to confirm whether he was awake or sleeping. Thorfinn did not respond, instead pretending to be asleep as he remembered the sight of a village burning before his eyes.
The episode had a bit of a slow start, but it gradually picked up the pace. It introduced another important character in Olmar, who dreams of becoming a warrior but, in reality, is just tired of being associated with Ketil. Everyone is nice to him because he is Ketil's son, which is why he wants to become a warrior and make a name for himself. The episode also showed a drastically changed Thorfinn, who tries to resolve matters peacefully. All in all, it was another splendid episode.