The Vikings Scenes That Fans Think Should Have Earned An Emmy Nomination For Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel pulled out all the stops to bring Ragnar Lothbrok to life on "Vikings." Curious about worlds beyond the horizon and eager to uncover treasures greater than gold and silver, Fimmel's charismatic king, who anticipated his own fate, lived like a hero and went out like an absolute boss. Even following his Season 4 demise, Lothbrok's presence was greatly missed and deemed by many as the best thing "Vikings" had to offer. Ample credit for this should be given to Fimmel, as the Australian-born actor gave it his all as the man whose life became both myth and legend. And one scene, in particular, displayed the peak of his performance.
As much as there were copious amounts of blood and betrayal throughout the story of "Vikings," it was one heartbreaking moment for the character that many fans felt hit them harder than most. Of course, there were as many tear-jerking instances in the series as there were those that filled audiences with rage, and one of Ragnar's quietest moments conjured a bittersweet balance of both. With no one else in the scene (well, kind of), we saw Lothbrok at a time when he was at his weakest, and for fans, it should've been enough to warrant Fimmel being in more conversations around award season. Odin only knows why that wasn't the case.
Fans think Ragnar's farewell to Athelstan was an Emmy-standard performance
In Episode 6 of Season 3, titled "Born Again," Ragnar suffers the tragic loss of his Anglo-Saxon Christian ally, Athelstan (George Blagden), at the hands of Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård). Ragnar and Athelstan's friendship was a bromance that "Vikings" fans deemed the best of the show, and it ends on the highest of high notes. Ensuring his friend gets a proper send-off, Ragnar carries Athelstan's body to the tallest point of a mountain so that the monk is as close to his God as possible. Before burying him, Ragnar gives a goodbye filled with rage, heartache, and bittersweet memories. It's an incredible performance from Travis Fimmel and deemed a favorite moment for many after being highlighted on Reddit.
After u/Jerf12 started a thread where they posted a link to a clip of that scene with the caption, "Scenes like this are why Travis Fimmel should have at least been nominated for an Emmy," others added in their thoughts while coincidentally cutting onions. Commenter u/OffWhiteBoxers admitted, "Goodness, this scene was brilliant. Always brings a tear or two to my eye. Maybe even three." Meanwhile, u/Lopsided_Grub deemed it "one of my favorite scenes of the whole show. Still hits hard watching now. Travis absolutely killed it." For u/Warm_starlight, though, they argued, "he had many great moments throughout the series. Sometimes an actor is just born for a role, and this was it for Fimmel." Of that, "Vikings" fans should agree, particularly when it came to the arduous process Fimmel undertook during the filming of his goodbye to Athelstan.
Fimmel really did carry Athelstan's body up a slope
Following the episode's airing, the show's creator, Michael Hirst, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the end of the road for Athelstan and Ragnar's reaction to it, as well as the demands from Travis Fimmel. "Travis said, 'There's got to be some goodbye,'" Hirst revealed, "So I said, 'I'll make it as difficult as I can.'"
Interestingly, this led to a Viking king saying a farewell that was inspired by a totally different culture. "There was a Japanese film many years ago ['The Ballad of Narayama'] about young guys who have to take their dying fathers to a mountain, where they died with the gods." The inspiration led to a beautifully shot sequence, with the camera lingering between the trees as the audience looks into a private moment with a powerful ruler, who, even at his weakest, still handles the situation precisely how fans expected.
Fimmel took the task on from every angle, shining through in a character he inhabited for four incredible years. "I liked the way that Ragnar says: 'Now look what you've made me do,'" said Hirst, reflecting on the moment. "It's typical Ragnar! He's profoundly upset, and yet he tries to joke. It was also very like Travis. He insisted on carrying the body up that steep slope. It nearly killed him!"
Awards or not, this level of dedication proves Fimmel was the perfect choice for the role, and was, quite possibly, a Viking in another life.