Vinland Saga Episode 12: Journey to Wales
Published on October 1, 2019
Oh hey, I guess we're in Wales now. It's kind of weird how deceptively calm this episode is. It delivers a suspenseful ending with an ambush, which makes a lot of sense given that we're at the halfway point for the series. But I didn't get a heavy sense of drama from the episode either. The events still feel like they're progressing reasonably. Maybe the series just doesn't overreach or something.
I do like how deceptively tense this episode is. A large part of the first half is focused on the men marching to Wales, attempting to keep pace with Thorkell. It doesn't seem like much, but the episode does a good job of portraying overall morale and how it factors into the crew's effectiveness.
I still have no idea what to make of Canute. We finally get to see more characterization for him in this episode, and he's pretty much as meek as he seems. That being said, Askeladd seems to be reserved about his opinion of Canute. In a later part of the episode, it almost seems like he's praising Canute, so I'm not sure what his overall impression of the prince is.
Well, this isn't the most unexpected development in the world, but Thorfinn's interaction with Canute was funny. Thorfinn has developed some impressive people skills.
Also, the scene where the crew meets up with Gratianus was cool. It was a suspenseful end to the march that even had the crew fooled.
This guy seems great for morale.
The episode also ends on an interesting reveal that Leif has seriously been looking for Thorfinn this entire time. Hopefully, this is an indication that his search will soon be over.