Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 24

Returning Home

Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 24 is the final episode of the season. In this episode, Thorfinn finally returns home to Iceland. It’s been 16 years since he left his homeland. And, for those of you paying attention, that makes Thorfinn 22 years old when he returns.

We don’t know how much time passes between the start of this episode and the end. At the end of the episode, we see a clean-shaven Thorfinn with shorter hair. That could mean a day has passed. Or, it could mean a year or more.

My guess is that about a year passed between the start and end of this episode. It takes time to prepare for a journey like the one Thorfinn is setting out on. So, I’m going to make a guess and say he’s 23 years old at the very end of the episode.

Unfortunately, Thorfinn’s been gone for so long that the villagers forgot about him. Or, at least, they believe he’s not the real Thorfinn. Because he disappeared so long ago, it’s no surprise some of them don’t know of him. And even those who did know him assumed he died back then.

Ylva, Thorfinn’s own sister, falls in the latter group. At first, she pretends not to know anyone by the name of Thorfinn. But, it quickly becomes clear she’s only saying that because she doesn’t believe he is who he claims to be. She thinks he’s someone trying to trick her and impersonate Thorfinn.

But, Helga, Thorfinn’s mother, recognizes him right away. She says he looks exactly like his father, which is something I’m not sure I agree with. He has Thors’s eyes, but that’s about it. Still, she never doubted who he was and even accepted Einar into their family.

We Get a Little Silly Around Here

Obviously, Episode 24 was a good episode; every episode of Vinland Saga is. But, I didn’t like this episode as much as some of the others from this season. And the reason for that was the humor.

A few parts of the episode, primarily involving Ylva, were comedic. I get that this is the last episode of the season and comes at the end of another depressing arc. It makes sense to include some content to lighten the mood a bit. But, I’m not sure it works in this series.

There are plenty of ways to accomplish that without throwing in slapstick comedy. A few times in the episode, we saw Ylva manhandling Thorfinn. She holds him up and shakes him around as his eyes bounce around like a Looney Tunes character. Was that necessary?

I know there are going to be people who liked the comedy in this episode. That’s fine. You’re allowed to like it and the author chose to include it. But, for me, it takes a bit away from the seriousness of the rest of the series.

Vinland Saga is a story about war, slavery, and the tragedies that come with them. It has an important message to tell — one that Thors stated at the very beginning: Nobody has enemies. Having enemies and hurting others doesn’t benefit anyone in the end. It only creates victims, even out of the ones perpetrating violence.

So, when we have a series like that also engaging in cartoonish violence, there’s a disconnect. I could have done with less of Ylva slapping Thorfinn around. Instead, I wanted to see more of the emotions surrounding the family reunion. And we didn’t really get too much of that.

Thorfinn’s Journey Continues

In case you haven’t heard, Vinland Saga Season 3 was confirmed. There wasn’t really an official announcement. But, Takahiko Abiru, Chief Animation Director of the series, put out a tweet about it. In his tweet, he said that Thorfinn’s journey will continue.

The tweet also included a picture of Thorfinn holding out his fist. But, what’s important to notice in the picture is the Vinland Saga logo. There are three vertical, blue lines within the logo. Vertical lines that many — myself included — interpreted as the Roman numeral III. So, Season 3 is coming.

What’s Season 3 going to be about, though? Is it going to focus on Thorfinn’s new adventure in search of Vinland? Or, could it take us back in time to look at some characters of the past? The end of Episode 24 may hint at the latter being the case. But, I’m not buying it.

As we see Thorfinn preparing for his journey, we also get shots of the past. We see Thors, Helga, and a baby Ylva sailing to Iceland. We also see a younger Leif Erikson overlooking the dock. And, most interestingly, we see a young Askeladd putting his armor and sword on.

But, as I said, I don’t see the third season focusing on these characters in the past. My interpretation of those scenes was that they’re being used as comparisons. Thors, Leif, and Askeladd are all very influential figures in Thorfinn’s life. And now, he’s preparing to set out on a journey just as they did.

Sure, in the next season, we may get some flashback content. But, for what? It wouldn’t add much to the main plot. And it seems awkward to have to work into the story. So, I’m betting those scenes weren’t teasers.

Conclusion

What do you think about Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 24? Did Thorfinn’s family reunion go as you expected? How do you feel about the use of comedy in this episode? And, what are you hoping to see in Season 3? Let me know in the comments.

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