Vinland Saga Season 2

Episode 8

Before we talk about anything else today, we need to get this out of the way right at the top: Yūto Uemura and Shinsuke Takeuchi are absolutely killing it as Thorfinn and Einar this season. “An Empty Man,” like most of this season that came before it, consists mostly of scenes of our two protagonists talking to each other. Thorfinn asks questions and gets contemplative, and Einar has his thoughts and perspectives to share in response. Thorfinn openly struggles with self-loathing and fear of losing out on a path to follow in life, and Einar offers some much-needed humor and sympathy to get his new friend back on track.

The dialogue is good, yes. There would likely always be a certain baseline level of quality to Thorfinn's current storyline, seeing as it engages with so many profound and moving ideas and emotions, but if our heroes' voice actors couldn't sell the raw pathos of Thorfinn and Einar's experience? Well, I won't go so far as to say that this arc of Vinland Saga would have failed; if nothing else, though, I don't think many fans would have been willing to trade Viking action and melodrama for an entire season's worth of farming, self-actualization, and budding bromance.

Luckily, we are fortunate enough to occupy the universe where Yūto Uemura and Shinsuke Takeuchi convey the many nuances and layers of Thorfinn and Einar's developing characters. In an episode like “An Empty Man,” that's almost enough of a blessing to trick a crusty old atheist like me into believing in a higher power. This is such a deceptively simple and inwardly-focused phase of Thorfinn's journey that I could easily envision growing weary of his self-deprecation and endless bouts of doubt and hesitation. Still, I was glued to my screen for the entirety of “An Empty Man,” and I'm pretty sure that 95% of the episode involved Thorfinn and Einar walking around Ketil's property and doing basic chores, with a single fistfight thrown in at the end for good measure. As it turns out, that's more than enough action to last us another week when the writing and performances are so damned good.

I'm continually impressed with how well Vinland Saga has been able to portray Thorfinn's slow but compelling emergence from his shell and at how charming and heartwarming it has made his friendship with Einar. When Thorfinn tells Einar about Askeladd murdering his father and raising him as a soldier all those years ago, you get the sense that this is the first time Thorfinn has ever had to put his experiences and feelings into words. He is carrying so much hurt and confusion but simply having an empathetic friend willing to listen to him tell his story is doing wonders for Thorfinn's ability to find himself and appreciate his existence.

Thorfinn only knew how to live on hate and anger for so long that he's genuinely worried that he has nothing left to offer the world now that he's been robbed of those emotions, nothing left to define himself and truly live his life. Einar, being the good and perfect buddy that he is, chuckles when Thorfinn asks if it is even possible to change. “Take a look at yourself in some clear water,” he says, because of course Thorfinn has changed. He followed Einar's lead when he knew nothing about how to farm. When he lacked the experience to net even a few fish, he listened carefully to Sverkel's instructions. He has gone from someone who “takes and destroys” to someone who regrets how he used to live and wants to find a better way, and he has an earnest and levelheaded new friend to help guide him. All the while, Uemura and Takeuchi imbue their words with years of accumulated grief, exhaustion, and unfettered joy, making watching these two men grow and become friends a pleasure. It also makes their suffering that much harder to bear.

I won't lie, though: When it ended up being Thorfinn, who landed the first jaw-breaking punch on one of the bastard retainers who tore his and Einar's farm to shreds, I stood up and clapped. Yes, Thorfinn is trying to escape his life of violence, but this particular act of violence is not being done as a selfish means to consume and destroy. He is defending his personhood, dignity, and right to “the joy and difficulty of growing wheat.” This immensely satisfying punch is not a sign that Thorfinn has stumbled along his newfound path; it's the long-awaited proof that he does have a life worth fighting for.

Rating:

Vinland Saga Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.