The following contains spoilers for Vinland Saga Season 2, episode 5, "The Path of Blood," now streaming on Netflix.
Vinland Saga is finally picking up pace, and it is moving toward the action part. In the fourth episode, viewers finally saw what bothered Thorfinn and gave him nightmares. It wasn't surprising to see that Thorfinn was haunted by his past.
Before he became a slave, Thorfinn was a killing machine who would murder anyone on Askeladd's orders. Sooner or later, his experiences caught up to him and made him question his entire life. Toward the end of the fourth episode, fans got a glimpse of Canute, who had not appeared in the new season.
The Big Sacrifice
The fifth episode of the new season started with Canute walking down a road while being followed by his soldiers. As he continued to walk, he began to think about the past, which led to a flashback. It showed what Canute was doing when Askeladd allegedly lost his mind and killed King Sweyn. The fans already know that Askeladd sacrificed himself to protect his country and Canute. The young prince would not have become king if Askeladd had not done what he did. So, there is no doubt that he is indebted to Askeladd.
While the death of King Sweyn was beneficial to Canute, it caused problems throughout the kingdom. The news of Sweyn's passing rekindled the flame of rebellion in many parts of the empire. Eventually, the people of England crowned Ethelred II as their king, who led them against the invading Danish army.
The Reason
Canute was not fazed by the problems created by Ethelred, but he did want to quell the rebellion as quickly as possible. Canute's mission brought him to the town of Mercia, which had almost been destroyed by war. Canute was accompanied by Gunnar, and the two of them were checking the damage done to Mercia. When Canute saw that his men were pillaging and torturing innocent civilians, he grew enraged and ordered Gunnar to execute them in order to make an example out of them. However, this wasn't the reason Canute went to Mercia.
As the episode continued, it became clear that Canute had two main objectives: 1. To stop Thorkell's rampage, and 2. To meet a local lord named Eadric. Upon finding out that Canute was in the vicinity, Thorkell charged toward the location, and it took multiple soldiers to stop him from attacking Canute. Thorkell expressed his dissatisfaction with Canute's decision to stop the war. Thorkell stated that he didn't like to be stopped in the middle of a war, but Canute had his reasons. Canute explained that Mercia had asked for a cease-fire, and he wanted to honor it. Needless to say, Thorkell was not pleased with Canute's decision, and in fact, the warrior reminded his leader that he had not achieved anything. While most emperors would have taken issue with Thorkell's words, Canute couldn't help but agree. The young king thanked Thorkell and continued his journey to his destination.
Putting The Plan Into Motion
The main reason behind Canute's decision to personally visit Mercia was to talk to the local lord. Canute met Eadric inside a house, and the latter was offering him 8,000 pounds to withdraw the troops. Gunnar was shocked to see the treasure before his eyes, but Canute had no interest in money. He wanted something much more important. Canute asked Eadric to betray Ethelred, which would allow the young prince to claim the title of King of England.
Eadric declined, as he was fiercely loyal to Ethelred. Canute was impressed by his loyalty and asked him to accompany him outside. Once they left the house, Canute ordered a soldier to set fire to a massive wooden structure. Eadric was confused by Canute's actions, and after a few minutes of waiting, smoke began to emerge from different parts of Mercia. This was a power move on Canute's part, as he wanted to show Eadric that he could erase Mercia at will. Canute had tricked the local lord into believing that a negotiation was going to happen. All Canute wanted was to show that if Eadric refused to kill Ethelred, Mercia would be completely destroyed.
Having been left no choice, Eadric agreed to betray Ethelred and kill him. It was stated that Ethelred died of an illness, but it was very likely a case of poisoning. Following the death of Ethelred, his son, Edmund, succeeded him, and he gave Canute some trouble. However, Edmund too was killed after a few months. With the rapid deaths of two kings, the people of England decided to name Canute "The Bretwalda." Thus, Canute successfully brought England to its knees without using excessive force.
The new episode highlighted Canute's development. Initially, he was a weak and timid person, but Ragnar's death completely changed him. He understood that he no longer had a guardian to protect him, so he took matters into his own hands. Canute became a more ruthless individual, willing to eliminate anyone who dared to stand in his path. Canute's development is the complete opposite of Thorfinn's, who became a recluse and lost his will to live.