The Most Problematic Thing Lagertha Did On Vikings

History's hit period drama "Vikings" may have aired its finale in 2020, but the way fans continue to obsess over the show, you'd think it's still very much on the air. That's not entirely surprising as it's one of the shows in the modern television landscape that has always felt like it was made specifically for its fanbase — i.e. folks with both a working knowledge of Norse history and mythology, and a legit love for bold, cinematic battle scenes. Over the course of its six-season run, "Vikings" delivered heaping doses of both, becoming the bloody, brutal, and utterly thrilling historical saga television lovers never knew they needed.

The series was, of course, largely focused, at least in its early seasons, on the travails of a legendary Viking warrior-king named Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his various loves, offspring, allies, and enemies. That list includes the fearsome shieldmaiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), who also happens to be Ragnar's first wife. If you know "Vikings," you know Lagertha made some, shall we say, questionable decisions during her time on the series. And as it happens, one of the most troubling calls she made was a direct result of her ties to Ragnar himself. This is the most problematic thing Lagertha ever did on "Vikings."

As most "Vikings" fans know, Lagertha's relationship with Ragnar is complicated. That relationship also doesn't last too long on the show, with the pair separating after Ragnar's romance with a cunning princess named Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) comes to light, and he takes her as his second wife. By "second wife" we mean second alongside Lagertha, who is none too pleased by the arrangement and promptly leaves her husband behind.

Lagertha was never really done with Ragnar, however. Such it was, a few seasons (and many years) later, she makes a bold move against then Queen Aslaug that soon causes big problems for Lagertha and her family. That move is, of course, putting an arrow in Aslaug's back and killing her. As if murdering Aslaug in cold blood wasn't bad enough, Lagertha did so just moments after the queen had renounced the throne, leaving the kingdom to Lagertha, and asking only for safe passage in return. 

Spitefully putting an arrow in Aslaug's back was arguably one of the most Lagertha things Lagertha ever did on "Vikings." It was also largely unnecessary, as murdering her usurper made fast enemies of Aslaug's children, particularly her son Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen). Though he never got the bloody revenge he desired, Ivar still made serious problems for Lagertha and her lot in the ensuing seasons, eventually forcing her out of Kattegat. And even if Lagertha didn't enter Valhalla for many more years, her handling of matters with Aslaug undoubtedly contributed to her undoing as queen.