Prince Aethelwulf confronts his father, King Ecbert , about his lack of affection and his affair with Aethelwulf’s wife, Judith. Ecbert ultimately asks his son to lead the defense against the impending Viking invasion.

The Vikings easily overrun the meager forces of King Aelle . In one of the series' most brutal sequences, the brothers capture Aelle and subject him to the "Blood Eagle" execution at the site where Ragnar died.

After much tension between Bjorn Ironside and Ivar the Boneless regarding who should lead, the massive Viking force lands on the coast of Northumbria.