"Vikings" has been one hell of a ride for Ragnar Lothbrok. But is the star character ready for a changing of the guards in season 5?
In the midseason finale of "Vikings" season 4, Ragnar Lothbrok left Kattegat for a couple of his years. He did not receive warm greetings upon his return, especially from his son who were angered by his absence and are now gunning to take his place as the ruler.
This created speculations that the character was soon retiring from the show, paving a way for the younger generation to take the reins in the upcoming seasons.
When we reunite with Ragnar and his brood in "Vikings" season 4B, all of his sons will have become grown men. Leading the pack is Bjorn, played by Alexander Ludwig.
"It's almost a new generation to Vikings. Vikings, staying true to the era, is young men becoming warriors," actor Jordan Patrick Smith, who plays Ragnar's son Ubbe, told IGN. "To watch four young guys get that jump start that [Ragnar] got, they're pretty much starting from where he left off, and then you get to see them go even further. ... You need other people to come in to keep the fighting and the life of Vikings alive, rather than having old men chopping each other down."
True enough, the latest photos from "Vikings" season 4B show an older Ragnar. He's seen with a really long beard and a lot of grey hair. His friend, Loki, has also aged. So has Lagertha, who will be romantically linked with a woman in the next half of season 4.
This leaves a lot of questions about Ragnar's fate on the show, also since actor Travis Fimmel has begun taking on bigger movie projects such as "Warcraft". Fimmel has completed filming 10 episodes for season 4B, which means he's still joining season 5.
Moreover, "Vikings" creator Michael Hirst told The Hollywood Reporter that Ragnar's story is "nowhere near the end."
"It's just an amazing, onward story," Hirst said. "If you think you've seen stuff from Travis yet, you haven't."
The remaining 10 episodes of "Vikings" season 4 will continue in fall 2016 on History.