Vikings: Valhalla season 3 episode 1 recap — back with a bang

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 opens in Jomsborg seven years after the fiery events of the Vikings: Valhalla season 2 finale. Freydis' (Frida Gustavsson) is leading and the community is thriving. As she examines a sword that young Harald brought her from the smith, horns blow, signaling Aki (Eoghain Francis Kiernan) and his crew are back from a trading trip to Kattegat. Freydis asks Aki for any news about Harald or Leif. He tells her there are just rumors they are fighting in Greece or Africa.

Turns out its Sicily, at the Saracen fortress of Syracuse. For six months the Byzantine army has been fighting the forces there. Harald (Leo Suter) is fighting with the Byzantines led by General Maniakes (Florian Munteanu). Emperor Romanos (Nikolai Kinski) visits the siege camp to see how things are going, and he's not pleased. Romanos wants to pull the army, but General Maniakes thinks they are on the verge of victory. Harald tells Romanos his Varangians, a group of 700 Vikings and mercenaries, can take Syracuse for him.

At the Varangian camp, Leif (Sam Corlett) is talking in his tent with Dorn (Eleanor McLynn) when Harald returns from talking with Romanos (Dorn may be pregnant, as she is sensitive to the smell of the animal she had been gutting to cook). Harald tells Leif they are going to take the fort, so Leif shows him the tunnels they have been digging under the Saracen wall that will allow them to break into the fortress. In a secret tunnel that branches off from the main tunnel they have placed explosives, but Harald is confused about how they can light the charges and get out of the tunnel before they blow. Leif tells Harald they won't have to light them.

Freydis takes in a stranger

At Jomsborg, the guards surprise a traveler, Stigr (Leander Vyvey). Freydis sees the guards fight with Stigr and stops them from killing him. She's impressed with his martial arts-style defense techniques and insists he show her how to do them.

She attacks him and he redirects her and puts her on the ground. She is hooked on both learning martial arts and on Stigr. When he tells her he's a healer she grants him permission to stay in Jomsborg as long as he works for his place there.

Stigr quickly gets to work stitching wounds and helping people. Freydis asks him about his history. He used to be a farmer but became a traveler after his wife and daughter were killed. His grandfather was from Jomsborg, so after he had traveled to India and other places learning healing arts he decided to come back. Freydis asks him to teach Harald the martial arts-style defense he knows.

Later, Freydis presides over the wedding of Hrefna (Amelia Holm) and Kolr (Patrick Loftus). All of Jomsborg celebrates with music and feasting. It's a lovely moment of peace showing how well Freydis has brought the community together. Freydis and Stigr get to know each other better and leave the feast to sleep together.

King Canute can't close the deal

In Rome, King Canute (Bradley Freegard) and Emma (Laura Berlin) try to make a deal with the Pope (Paul Ward). Canute is offended he must go through a Cardinal (Cosimo Fusco) and can't speak directly to the Pope. He offends the Pope and the Cardinal, and the deal is lost. Godwin (David Oakes) later goes to the Cardinal and bribes him to get the deal that Canute wanted back on the table.

With Canute angry about being disrespected by the Pope, Emma counsels him that they need the support of the Church, so he needs to let it go. Godwin appears to tell Canute he's solved the problem. Emma doesn't think a bribe is going to help long term, but Godwin won't listen to her.

The storming of Syracuse

Leif and Harald talk about what will happen after they sack Syracuse. Leif wants the contents of the library, as he is looking for maps, books, and any kind of knowledge that's there. Harald wants gold so he can go back and claim his birthright.

Maniakes goes to Emperor Romanos to try and persuade him not to let Harald and Leif go through with their plan, but Romanos is convinced that trusting Harald's plan is worth the risk.

Harald and Leif get the Varangians ready to assault the citadel at Syracuse. The Emir waits, knowing they have been tunneling under the wall. The Saracen forces inside the citadel have also been digging. They dump oil into the tunnel dug by the Varangians, ready to light it up and destroy them.

Leif and Harald were expecting that, and as the oil pours Harald gives a rousing speech to the Varangians to prepare them for battle. When the Saracens light the oil the tunnels catch fire. But while the Emir thinks he's destroyed the opposing army, the Varangians run for the main fortress wall.

The wall is directly above the second tunnel where they have placed explosives. The burning oil sweeps in and lights the explosives. A section of the main gate collapses, and the Varangians stream into the citadel. Emperor Romanos' army follows close behind to back up the Varangians.

The Emir falls back into the castle as fierce fighting engulfs the citadel. The episode ends with Leif and Harald, followed by Dorn, fighting their way through the throng and heading to the castle to kill the Emir and claim their prizes.

All episodes of Vikings: Valhalla season 3 are available to watch on Netflix .