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Vikings star opens up about the show's latest shocking death

Photo credit: History
Photo credit: History

From Digital Spy

Note: This article contains spoilers for Vikings season 5 episode 15 'Hell', which aired in the US on Wednesday (December 26).

Vikings has always been bloodthirsty, but for season 5 it looks like the show is really upping the ante.

Just last week we were reflecting on the show's latest shocking death after John Kavanagh's The Seer took an axe to the head, and now here we are following last night's (December 26) new episode, 'Hell', with yet another unexpected death to report.

Yes, after just about two years on the series, the latest episode of Vikings bid a bloody goodbye to Jonathan Rhys Meyers' Bishop Heahmund in a brutal battle against Harald (Peter Franzén) and his Viking forces.

Photo credit: History / Jonathan Hession
Photo credit: History / Jonathan Hession

Heahmund's death marked yet another major loss for Queen Lagertha, but Heahmund proved his commitment in his dying breath as he shouted Lagertha's name.

Speaking about the shock death to Entertainment Tonight, actress Katheryn Winnick explained how it forces her character to "figure out what's next".

"When she finally hears his last word, which is Lagertha, that really resonates with her," Katheryn explained.

"Her whole life, she's been betrayed by so many people, and she's never sure if she should actually trust Heahmund, and for her to actually see him in his last words scream out her name, really has an effect on her.

"Here's another person she got close with, and now is gone again. So, she ends up leaving."

The actress also teased what Lagertha's leaving means for the character, adding: "Well, we don't know where she ends up going, and we will pick up with her later on.

"But I think it does work for her, because she's now moved her whole life over to Wessex and has fought for everything, lost a kingdom, and now she has to figure out what's next for her and only her."

Photo credit: History / Jonathan Hession
Photo credit: History / Jonathan Hession

As for seeing Jonathan Rhys Meyers and his character leave the show, Katheryn admitted it was "hard" as she paid tribute to her former co-star.

"He's just such a talented actor, and such a deep actor and a complex person," she said.

"And he's somebody who, his character also has a dark side, and a very philosophical mind and questioning his fate and questioning the gods and questioning the religion, and I think that's the true connection between the two of them, they're both in that same place right now."

Photo credit: History / Jonathan Hession
Photo credit: History / Jonathan Hession

She added: "And the relationship did move fast, a little bit too fast maybe, but I think for her, she really needed to trust somebody that in this time of her life, and she moved her whole family and life over there try to figure out the next move to come back to Kattegat.

"So it was hard to see Bishop Heahmund go, just because he's such an amazing character, and they had such a bond."

Catch episodes from seasons 1 to 5 of Vikings on Amazon Prime Video and History.


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