Episodes 01

“The Web of Fate”

Following the Battle for Kattegat, Forkbeard’s forces are victorious and Olaf and his surviving men are captured. Leif hunts for Olaf with the hope of exacting revenge for the death of Liv and whilst in Kattegat, meets Jorundr Torvilsson, a mysterious stranger. To prevent his own execution, Olaf strikes a deal with Forkbeard that keeps his now captured son, Magnus, alive in exchange for Olaf helping Canute’s eldest son, Svein Knutsson, rule as King of Norway. Forkbeard’s forces then depart from Kattegat. In London, Godwin grows concerned regarding Emma’s safety due to Canute’s continued absence and successfully prevents an assassination attempt. Meanwhile, Freydís and Harald are in hiding and learn that many pagans now revere Freydís whilst Jomsvikings are taking them to Jomsborg for safety. They soon reunite with Leif who had tracked down bounty hunters sent to kill Harald. Jorundr, having followed Leif, reveals that he’s a Jomsviking and agrees to help them escape. They successfully evade Olaf’s forces and are rescued by Jorundr’s longships and Freydís secretly reveals to Leif that she is pregnant with Harald’s child. Harald and Leif then depart, hoping to get aid from Harald’s uncle in Novgorod whilst Freydís sails for Jomsborg.

Episodes 02

“Towers of Faith”

In Norway, Olaf hunts down escaping pagans and has Svein kill one of them. Upon returning to Kattegat, Olaf meets with Ælfgifu who grows concerned for her son Svein’s safety. In London, Godwin tortures the captured assassin, but he is later killed to prevent Godwin from knowing who’s behind the conspiracy to kill Emma. In Jomsborg, Freydís arrives and meets its rulers, Lord Harekr and Lady Gudrid, who hope to turn Jomsborg into a “new Uppsala” with Freydís as their gyðja. In Novgorod, Leif and Harald arrive and meet with Harald’s uncle, Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, and Lord Vitomir. However, Yaroslav refuses to aid Harald so he can continue trading with Canute’s empire whilst the trade route to Constantinople is blocked by the Pechenegs. Leif meets Mariam, an Astrolabe maker, and has hallucinations of Liv. Hoping to buy an army with gold, Harald fights against the African warrior Kaysan, but despite Harald’s victory, he and his partner Batu flee with the winnings. Vitomir agrees to pay Harald to escort precious cargo past the Pechenegs. In an attempt to hallucinate Liv again, Leif takes opium but after nearly falling to his death, he collapses.

Episodes 03

“Pieces of the Gods”

Leif awakens in Mariam’s lodgings, having been rescued from the cold, and discovers that she is terminally ill. Harald meets with Gestr, a slaver, and agrees to protect his boat on the journey to Constantinople but must first find a crew. He recruits the warrior Kaysan, con man Batu and the blind Pecheneg Kurya who can guide them along the Dnieper river. Leif invites Miriam to join them whilst Vitomir and his supposed servant Eleana join the crew carrying a precious silver chest. Together, the crew leave Novgorod on a sled but shortly after beginning their journey, one of Gestr’s slaves dies from the cold. In London, Emma discovers that Aelfwynn, one of her ladies-in-waiting and Godwin’s lover, is the sister of the assassin and that Godwin has proposed marriage. In Jomsborg, many of the pagan refugees whose ancestors aren’t from Jomsborg are forced into labour as Harekr goes raiding, leaving his nephew Jorundr in charge. Hrefna, a young girl who idolises Freydís, is tricked by Jorund

Episodes 04

“The Thaw”

In Kievan Rus’, the crew continue their journey along a frozen river until it breaks and the sled becomes trapped. Whilst the sled is eventually freed, the ice dam that kept the river frozen has since thawed. The crew are forced to release the boat from the sled but both Eleana and Vitomir fall through the ice. Only Eleana can be saved in time as Vitomir drowns and Eleana is revealed to be his daughter. In Kattegat, Olaf receives word that Harald has met with their uncle in Novgorod and plans to travel there with Svein. In London, Emma imprisons Aelfwynn and she is tortured by Canute’s huscarl Agnarr for information about her brother and Godwin. Aelfwynn reveals that Godwin wishes for his future children to rule England as she succumbs to her wounds. Emma informs Godwin of Aelfwynn’s death and Gytha confides in him. In Jomsborg, Gudrid chastises Jorundr for mixing with the pagan refugees as she becomes suspicious of the now heavily pregnant Freydís. Harekr returns from raiding and angered by Freydís’ actions, sends his Jomsvikings to massacre the refugees, believing that the people of Jomsborg are superior to them and imprisons both Jorundr and Freydís.

Episodes 05

“Birth and Rebirth”

On the Dnieper river, the boat’s rudder breaks, forcing the crew to stop. Leif and Harald travel to nearby ruins and smith a new rudder as Leif tells him about Freydís’ pregnancy. A lone Varangian, Baggi, discovers the grounded boat and recognises Kurya as the disgraced brother of the Pecheneg Khan before departing. A paranoid Gestr is then overthrown by the crew. Baggi later returns with several others, and they fight with the crew. As Leif and Harald return, Baggi and his men are killed and Gestr is stabbed to death by his slaves. In London, Emma prays for forgiveness for having caused Aelfwynn’s death as Godwin and Gytha mourn her. Agnarr informs Emma that Godwin paid a large sum of money to a man known as “The Bear” days before her attempted assassination. Imprisoned in Jomsborg, Freydís gives birth to a son, who she names Harald. Harekr soon steals the child and claims him as his own which angers the neglected Jorundr. Harekr then tells Jorundr to kill Freydís in order to regain his trust. However, Jorundr helps rescue baby Harald and fakes Freydís’ death before fleeing Jomsborg. Harekr soon intercepts them and Freydís flees alone.

Episodes 06

“Leap of Faith”

In Sussex, Emma and Agnarr search for “The Bear” and discover that he’s Godwin’s guardian but had recently been killed, although they find Godwin’s father’s ring. Canute returns to London and doubtful that Godwin is behind the assassination attempt, he betroths his niece Gytha to him. In Novgorod, Olaf meets with Yaroslav, promising to stop the Jomsvikings from raiding the Baltic trade routes. In Jomsborg, Hrefna helps an ill Freydís recover. Jorundr is put on trial, and after Harekr frames him for Freydís’ death, the elders of Jomsborg decide to have his right hand removed before being exiled. Freydís later challenges Harekr, who easily defeats her, but the Jomsvikings rise up and stone him to death, allowing Freydís to be reunited with her son. On the Dnieper river, after reaching a large waterfall, only Harald wants to press on. Leif becomes romantically involved with Miriam who plans to eventually ingest poison to end her suffering as her illness has worsened. Eleana tells Harald that Vitomir was bringing the precious cargo to Constantinople to stop raids on their home in Chude. Harald then removes all the cargo and the mast from the ship and together the crew head over the waterfall.

Episodes 07

“Pecheneg”

Having landed downstream of the waterfall, the crew is scattered. A group of Pechenegs find the grounded boat and capture Harald. The rest of the crew reunite but Leif leads half of them to rescue Harald whilst Cadlin, one of the former slaves, didn’t survive the fall. Harald is brought before Tyrach, a Pecheneg leader, who tortures him until Leif arrives with Kurya and Tyrach sends word to Kurya’s brother, the Khan. Before Leif and Harald can be killed, Eleana and the former slaves Brigtoc and Dorn free them. Leif kills Tyrach, but the group are forced to flee when the Khan’s forces arrive. They reach the boat and return it to the water as Kurya confronts his brother and kills him with Miriam’s poison. Before Kurya can be dismembered by the Khan’s now vengeful men, Leif mercy kills him. In Novgorod, Olaf leaves to search for Jomsborg after his ambitions are renewed when he’s blessed by the local Bishop. In Jomsborg, Freydís brings the Jomsvikings and pagan refugees together, allowing them to worship in the previously restricted temple, whilst Gudrid regrets allowing Jorundr’s exile. Alone and dying at sea, Jorundr is discovered and rescued by Olaf.

Episodes 08

“The Reckoning”

Olaf’s forces arrive in Pomerania, and Olaf tells Jorundr about his father, convincing him to reveal Jomsborg’s location. Olaf then meets with Freydís whilst Gudrid gives Jorundr a secret message. Jorundr then leads Hallbjorn, Olaf’s second-in-command, to an ambush at Jomsborg’s sentinel and they kill each other. Olaf’s forces enter Jomsborg and Freydís leads them into a trap, burning them all alive. An enraged Olaf fights with Freydís until she impales him with a spear, killing him, leaving Svein as the sole survivor. Freydís later brings Svein to Kattegat in exchange for peace with Ælfgifu. In London, despite Emma’s protests, Godwin and Gytha are married, making their future children in line for the English throne. Emma gifts Gytha Godwin’s father’s ring to torment Godwin as a reminder of his father’s shameful past as a disgraced Sussex nobleman. On the Dnieper river, Mariam’s condition forces the crew to stop. Alone with Leif, she gifts him the key to her home in Constantinople before succumbing to her illness. The Byzantine Emperor, Romanos, travels to meet the crew, revealing Eleana as his betrothed and Harald gains his favor. Their journey now complete, the crew finally reach Constantinople.