‘Vinland Saga Season 2’ Episode 8 Recap & Ending Explained: Can Arnheid Gain Her Freedom by Working?

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Vinland Saga Season 2, Episode 8, titled “The Empty Man.” Season 2 continues to be a slow burn, and its focus on character development is truly wonderful. Sometimes it is hard to imagine that this is the same show as in Season 1. The blood, battles, and pillaging have been exchanged for blood, sweat, and tears as the characters march in their search for freedom, not by destroying but by putting their efforts together to build something better.

Einar, and Thorfinn have already put their minds to farming, and the result is that the wheat that they have chosen to plant has taken to the soil very well. In the previous episode, we also discovered the truth about Master Ketil. In reality, Ketil, the owner and master of the farm, is far from the vicious and violent warrior that the rumors about him talk about. Instead, he has shown himself to be gentle, compassionate, and completely against violence. You could say this is a good thing, but in a world where strength and how brutal you are, are the parameters used to gain respect, it makes sense for him to hide these aspects of his personality.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Vinland Saga Season 2, Episode 8. Read at your own risk.

How Is Farming Going For Einar And Thorfinn?

The episode begins with a very scary scene. We see Thorfinn opening the door to an old cabin. Thorfinn’s face perfectly matches how he is feeling at the moment. He knows that whatever is about to happen is going to be bad. Thorfinn enters the cabin and sees a woman holding two little kids. She is holding them as if their lives depended on it. When one of the kids raises his face, Thorfinn recognizes him as a younger version of Thorfinn, and then he sees something even worse.

Thorfinn sees a younger version of him entering the cabin. He tries to stop this clone of him, but he can’t, and it is then that he wakes up. Einar is there when Thorfinn wakes up and tells him he has been screaming more than usual when sleeping. The show is not trying to say that Thorfinn killed Einar’s father or his mother and his sister. We know that is not the case. However, in Thorfinn’s mind, he has killed countless Einars throughout his many years as a warrior.

Thorfinn is going through a very powerful epiphany. He has seen himself forever as a warrior and destroyer, but now he is none of that. Thorfinn begins to explain who the names he screams when sleeping are and tells Einar about Askeladd. He explains that Askeladd was the man who killed his father, and that he tried to kill him for many years, but he couldn’t do it, and in the end, another man killed Askeladd in front of him. At that moment, Thorfinn realized that he didn’t hate Askeladd anymore.

Thorfinn describes himself as an empty man. He used his hatred for Askeladd to keep going in life, but when that hatred disappeared, he had no other purpose. Old man Sverkel overhears the situation and takes Einar and Thorfinn fishing. He then explains to Thorfinn that being empty is best if you want to be reborn. Because, now that you are empty, you can fill yourself with anything. He suggests that Thorfinn should learn one thing at a time. For the first time, Thorfinn realizes that he has the opportunity to be someone else.

Can Arnheid Gain Her Freedom By Working?

On the way back to their farm, after assisting Sverkel with his chores, Thorfinn and Einar engaged in a conversation. Thorfinn asks if Einar thinks people can change. Einar says he does and places Thorfinn himself as a fine example. He explains that Thorfinn used to be a warrior, but if people saw him now, they would never imagine he was such a person. Einar says Thorfinn is already on the road to becoming a better person. Thorfinn is happy with this declaration from Einar.

Einar believes that now that they are in search of freedom, they have the chance to start new lives and be new people as well. However, he points out that it seems Master Ketil has fallen in love with Arnheid. He explains that Arnheid doesn’t have the deal they have. Now that the master likes her so much, Einar understands that she will never be allowed to be free. At that moment, they reach the farm and discover a terrifying sight. Their wheat harvest has been completely destroyed.

Earlier in the episode, we saw a group of retainers inspecting Einar’s farm. They are jealous and angry because the master is giving slaves a chance to do farming, which they believe is the work of free men. They do recognize that the plantation is doing quite well, so they dig out the roots, destroying the entire harvest. They did a lot of work for nothing, only to destroy. Thorfinn feels to identify with this. This is what he used to do. Einar becomes quite angry and goes to kill the men who did this.

Thorfinn suggests they better report this to Pater, but Einar is just too angry. Thorfinn manages to calm him down, and they report to Pater, who explains he also suffered from bullying during his slave years. Pater says he will report this incident to the master. On the way back, Einar and Thorfinn cross paths with the retainers, and Einar confronts him. Einar is about to throw a punch toward the bullies’ leader, but Thorfinn throws it first, breaking the man’s jaw and leaving him without several teeth. A brawl begins, and the episode ends.