‘Vinland Saga: Season 2’ Episode 10 Recap & Ending Explained: When Will Einar and Thorfinn Be Free?

Welcome to the Recap and Ending Explained for Vinland Saga: Season 2, Episode 10, titled “Cursed Head.” This is the tenth episode of the season, and it really pushes the series into the most psychological place it has ever been. The current discourse around the series is quite controversial, with many people saying the series has become boring and pretentious. I believe that nothing can’t be further from the truth. I believe that Vinland Saga is simply trying to do things differently.

There have been many TV series and movies surrounding the world of the Vikings and the time they invaded England. Norse mythology has also become a very hot topic, but most of these shows and movies walk on the conventional ground, using action and intrigue to move the plot. Vinland Saga has opted to follow its characters and see where they go completely. The result is a show that has become more meditative than active but still manages to conjure powerful imagery to convey character development to the viewer.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Vinland Saga: Season 2, Episode 10. Read at your own risk.

When Will Einar and Thorfinn Be Free?

The episode follows the events of the previous episode. Einar’s and Thorfinn’s corn plantation was attacked by some jealous retainers who saw it unjustly that slaves like Einar and Thorfinn were given a chance to farm as free men. Einar and Thorfinn got into a brawl with the guilty partners, and Einar was the winner. Master Ketil avoided punishing anyone, and Einar and Thorfinn went to work and made up for the lost work. Thorfinn also made an oath, promising to relinquish violence altogether.

The episode begins with Einar and Thorfinn cutting a big tree with an axe. It is then revealed that this is the last tree in the field, and now they have cleared it completely for farming. It is a great victory. We also learned that three years had passed since the moment Einar arrived at the farm, and they started clearing the field. Both Einar and Thorfinn began as mere strangers, working their minds away at the notion that now they were slaves, which they would probably be for the rest of their lives.

However, three years after meeting each other, Einar and Thorfinn are very different people. Their connection is truly special. Einar also received news from Pater, who told him that if they managed to plant the entire field, then they would be able to buy their freedom in the next harvest. This makes Both Einar and Thorfinn wonder what they will do with their freedom. Einar doesn’t know what to do, but he will probably not return to his homeland, as he has nothing to return to.

Meanwhile, Thorfinn says he will probably just return to Iceland, but his words sound doubtful. Einar teases Thorfinn for not knowing what to do. However, Einar himself is at a crossroads. He is worried about Arnheid, and he wishes she could be free in the same way they are, but they know Master Ketill will not let her go so easily. Ketil arrives and informs them that because they have worked so hard clearing the field, he will set them free after they finish planting the seeds.

Einar and Thorfinn celebrate, but Ketil cuts them short when he says they must wait for him to return, as he and his son are journeying to see King Harald. Einar and Thorfinn see their master leaving with a smile on his face and the promise of finally being free once again.

What Is Happening with King Harald in Vinland Saga?

The second half of the episode starts on a boat going somewhere. Inside the main chamber, we see a man tired, with a towel over his head. This is Canute, King of England. He is taking a journey to see his brother, King Harald. Both Canute and Harald are the sons of the late King Sweyn, who was killed long ago by decapitation. Canute is far from being the womanly boy we saw in season one. He now acts kingly enough, as we saw a couple of episodes ago, and he is completely cold to anything that happens around him.

We see Canute and his men arrive in Denmark, Harald’s domain. For a moment, everything seems fine. Canute is informed that his brother is very sick and that he might die very soon, at any moment really. Canute sees a couple of kids playing on the street, and then he sees the ball the kids are playing with transform into a rolling head that talks to him. This head is the decapitated head of his father, King Sweyn. The head taunts Canute and makes him feel scared and uneasy for a moment in front of his men.

Canute goes inside the castle and meets his brother in bed. Harald looks like a corpse, but the dying king raises his hand and tells Canute, in front of everyone, that Canute will rule Denmark after he is gone. Canute has a flashback about his brother; we see them as kids playing ball, and Canute acknowledges that Harald was always kind to him. Many people fought about who would be king after their father died, but Harald never cared for that conversation, even when he was the older brother.

At this moment, the cursed head appears, revealing what Canute is thinking. Canute is visiting the dying bed of his brother, the same bed he put him in, as he is secretly the one who has been poisoning his brother. The head reveals that Canute does this only for ambition, not for peace or anything else. Canute goes back to his chambers and refuses to eat. The head confirms he is afraid of being poisoned, as he is a poisoner himself. Canute makes peace with the fact that to construct his utopia, he will need to make sacrifices. The episode ends with Canute all alone, staring at the moon.