🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐
Vikings: Valhalla returns for Season 2, picking up after the intense battle for Kattegat at the end of Season 1; the heroic trio of Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), Prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter) and Freydís Eiríksdótter (Frida Gustavsson) are leaving Scandinavia to pursue new goals. A pregnant Freydís heads to Jómsborg, a sanctuary for pagan Vikings, while Harald and Leif travel east in search of the resources Harald will need to become king.
The new episodes are filled with plenty of action, intrigue and romance as the main characters encounter new allies and enemies and grapple with their own internal conflicts. Tudum spoke with the show’s three stars about their arcs this season, what it’s like to play historical figures and some of their funniest moments from filming.
Tell us about your character arcs for Season 2.
Sam Corlett: At the end of Season 1, we see Leif go through the depths of grief and express that through rage. At the start of Season 2, he’s a bit helpless and hopeless; he’s seeking a sense of purpose and a reason to continue living. With the help of Harald and the company of some beautiful new characters, he really lights up again and there’s a big journey for him on the spiritual and emotional plane.
Frida Gustavsson: We pick up Season 2 only a couple of months after the end of Season 1. Freydís and Harald are on the run, hiding in the wilderness in a beautiful little cottage. We’re trying to escape the real world and live in our little honeymoon bubble. It starts in a very beautiful place, and then instantly they’re torn apart by their different destinies.
Leo Suter: Season 2 is kind of the beginning of this transition from Prince Harald to King Harald Hardråde. To get there, he’s going to start from zero. He’s exiled, he’s kicked out of Scandinavia, he ends up in a boxing match in Novgorod and becomes a fur trader. He’s got to make his own way in the world. But on the way, with the help of Leif and these new characters who we’re going to meet, I think he learns leadership qualities that he’ll take with him as he eventually becomes king.
Were you sad about the end of the romance between Harald and Freydís?
Gustavsson: All the other plotlines for Freydís are very dark and heavy. There’s a lot of loss and grief. The scenes with Harald really provided a beautiful glimpse of hope and love. I was sad to see that go, because I also lost my scene partner. We have so much fun working together.
Suter: We did have a good time. I think [series creator] Jeb [Stuart] wrote this because it is a relationship that we root for. We like these people together. But for them to fulfill their destinies, they have to separate, and that’s a really painful thing. That’s why it’s all the more remarkable that Harald keeps going on this journey. He’s so torn when he discovers that Freydís is the mother of his child. I think the fact that it’s so gut-wrenching and difficult is important for the show to work.
How do you feel about Leif’s new romantic interest?
Corlett: I think that the wisdom, knowledge and spiritual insights that Mariam provides for Leif really lighten his heart. It’s really awesome to explore this relationship between two different cultures as well, finding a deep level of understanding and a love for one another. It was certainly a highlight of this season.
Frida, how did you have to change your fighting style this season in order to reflect Freydís protecting her unborn child?
Gustavsson: I worked with Susan O’Connor Cave, a wonderful costume designer, and we broke down the scripts into the various stages of the pregnancy. We created prosthetics that would weigh roughly what it would be in that part of the pregnancy. When I do my fights in Episode 2 and 3, we’re barely showing. But towards the end, it’s a heavy burden, and it really changes your center of balance. It was almost like going back to the beginning and learning how to fight all over again, so it was a really interesting challenge.
What was wearing the prosthetics like?
Gustavsson: I remember toward the end having to remind myself that I’m not actually pregnant. It was really interesting to see how everyone on set started treating me like I was pregnant. I’d be offered chairs in between takes, or people were like, “Do you need anything?” or “Let me help you put those shoes on.” I had to say, “Guys, I’m not actually pregnant. I’m fine, I’m fine.” But I had to spend a lot of time with my feet up. My feet would just swell up because I got so much heavier.
What were some of the funniest moments of filming this season?
Gustavsson: One of the funniest moments was filming a scene with the boar. Of course there’s no boar, there’s a tennis ball that one of our grips has to run with. But he couldn’t stop himself from laughing, and we were like, “You can’t do this to us,” because I have to get down and get sprayed with blood and have this warrior face on.
Suter: Whenever there’s a shot that’s going to be VFX and computer-generated, that’s when you have to do some acting and some make-believe. There’s an ice dam that breaks and this huge torrent of water and ice is coming towards us –– on the day of filming, it was like a slow creeping puddle that slowly sort of envelops the boat.
What are the challenges of playing historic characters in a way that feels realistic?
Corlett: I just ran into someone from Minnesota and the football team there is the Vikings; they went to the university there, and there’s a massive statue of Leif Eriksson. In Iceland, there’s a Leif Eriksson airport terminal. It’s pretty amazing to see the ripple effect of these great people from history. Our work is to make them very deeply human and connect to them on that level.
Suter: What Jeb does so brilliantly is rather than just telling the history, he throws together these characters who exist in different times and fills that rough outline with emotion and pregnancies and goodbyes and betrayals.
Gustavsson: There’s not a lot of stories about [Freydís] or any other Viking women really, so I was really proud that I could take a character who was kind of forgotten in the shadows of history and pull her to center stage. A lot of things have changed, but deep down we’re still human and we go through the same kind of obstacles of wanting to be loved, wanting to find a place where you can call home, wanting to be safe, and wanting your loved ones to be safe.
Speaking of recurring themes throughout history, how do you feel about Freydís’ arc as an advocate for refugees?
Gustavsson: Everywhere in the world, wherever humans live, unfortunately humans also do bad things and people suffer. I think it’s incredibly important to remember that compassion is the greatest thing we can have to help your fellow man. Thankfully Freydís is on a path of fighting for those who don’t have the ability to fight for themselves. It makes me really happy to be able to portray a character who has those traits.
What would the three of you like to see for your characters in Season 3?
Corlett: A clear sense of purpose and a joy in life would be nice. Lightness of being.
Suter: I think for Harald, he’s a long way from home and he needs to remember where home is.
Gustavsson: That’s beautiful. I’m going to copy that. I’d love for Freydís to find a true home and to find peace there.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
