‘Vinland Saga: Season 2’ Episode 16 Recap & Ending Explained: Do Einar and Thorfinn Help Arnheid Escape?

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Vinland Saga: Season 2, Episode 16, titled “Cause.” It is destined to be one of the most important episodes of the season regarding character development. Yes, we know that many people have not been able to appreciate the excellent quality of the writing this season, but for those who do, then this episode just comes as a huge moment. Drama and conflict come across in the best possible way when characters face decisions. Those decisions, not exposition, reveal who they are the best.

Episode 16 follows the events of the previous episode. We are still at Ketil’s Farm, and the entire Arnheid/Garnar situation has become quite a mess. In the previous episode, during the storm, Arnheid frees Gardar, and the wounded man manages to kill the four guards that were supposed to keep an eye on him. When Snake arrives and sees that his men are dead, the warrior promises to find and kill Gardar for his crimes. It is quite a tense situation as Snake waits inside Sverkel’s home until the moment when Gardar makes a mistake and appears in front of them.

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

Did Gardar Take Arnheid With Him After Escaping?

The episode begins with the guests, the guards that patrol Ketil’s Farm, visiting Einar’s and Thorfinn’s hut. They are searching for something, but our main characters don’t know what. Thorfinn concludes that Gardar must have escaped, so they search their hut to see if they are hiding the running slave. Einar freaks out immediately because he knows that if something happened to Gardar, Arnheid would also be involved if he escaped. Einar runs to see Arnheid.

On the road, Thorfinn asks Einar to be calm and think things through, but Einar is adamant that he needs to help the woman he loves. It is a very sad and strange situation. Einar is willing to help Arnheid escape with her husband, even when he loves her. It just shows how much of a good guy Einar is. However, when they arrive, they see something unexpected. Arnheid, who has been caring for Sverkel since his incident, goes out of Sverkel’s home through the door. She is doing her chores as if everything is normal.

The two slaves approach Arnheid. She is doing the dishes, and she is clearly shaken. Einar wants to know what happened, and Arnheid reveals what happened the night before. How she cut Gardar’s ropes and how the man killed the guards. Gardar was severely wounded, and so she had to drag the man somewhere safe. She says she managed to hide Gardar with Sverkel’s help. Einar asks why she would do something so reckless and dangerous. Now that she has a child on the way, she should avoid taking risks.

Arnheid breaks down, and as she cries, she explains that her feelings dominate her. For a moment, she thought that now that she has a child on the way, the three of them could be a family again. Arnheid also basically confirms that her previous son is dead. Einar is moved after hearing this and explains that, while it will be hard, he is willing to help Arnheid and Gardar escape. Thorfinn thinks about it for a minute and decides to help as well. He believes that between the three, they can come up with a good plan to take Arnheid and Gardar to another country.

Do Einar And Thorfinn Help Arnheid Escape?

We go back to Snake’s point of view, and we see him waiting inside Sverkel’s home. The old man is in bed while Snake and his men wait for Gardar to return, looking for Arnheid. She is a decoy, and Snake tells her that she must cook dinner outside so that she is always in plain view. Sverkel then starts talking about how slaves are treated as people who were born inferior, but in reality, they were just unlucky. Sverkel points out Snake’s sword’s strange shape and tells him that he must have been unlucky, too, implying that Snake had back luck in his homeland and had to escape.

While waiting, one of the guards falls asleep, and Snake warns him that if he falls asleep again, he will cut his nose. Sverkel keeps talking to Snake and tells him that he will leave him his farm. The old man explains that he cannot do anything; he can’t walk or work anymore, but Snake still has the time to put down the sword and build something, a family, a home. It is a beautiful sentiment, but Snake is unbothered. He doesn’t believe he deserves to live a normal life or that he deserves to have a new beginning.

One of the guards detects something on the tree line, a man covered by a dirty hood looking in their direction. Snake and his two men grab the horses and run toward the hooded figure, who starts running. The hooded figure is actually a decoy, Einar dressed to look like Gardar. Thorfinn seizes the moment and grabs a cart and a horse. He asks permission from Sverkel, who tells Thorfinn to put him on the cart. That way, no one will stop them as long as they are inside the farm. Thorfinn thanks the old man for his help.

Snake and his men are in pursuit, but Snake realizes that the man they are following is running too fast. Too fast for being a wounded man. He leaves his men in pursuit and turns around, going back to Sverkel’s. Thorfinn rises from the bed, and there is Gardar, almost dead. He picks the man up and puts it on the cart, but then he realizes that Snake is watching him. Thorfinn has been caught in the act. Snake realizes that the Gardar is completely unconscious. He warns Thorfinn not to stand in his way.

Thorfinn gets ready to defend Gardar, and there he sees a vision of Askeladd. Askeladd is surprised that Thorfinn is ready to fight once again after vowing to do no violence. Of course, Thorfinn is trying to help a friend in need this time. That is a good cause, says Askeladd. However, Snake also has a good cause, so who is in the right? Thorfinn attacks and he has a little exchange of blows with Snake. Thorfinn then assumes his famous double dagger stance, and his face grows serious as his heart starts beating strongly once again.