[...] one character's fate remains unknown, even after the massive time-jump.
To get the answer to this and more Vikings burning questions, TVGuide.com spoke with creator Michael Hirst.
There's a feminist collective in New York who wrote to me a couple years ago and they said, 'We don't' care how many of the male characters you kill off, but if you do anything to Lagertha, you're in trouble.'
More seriously, Hirst says Lagertha is far too important of a character for him to kill her off just yet.
Hirst never considered killing off one of the Lothbrok brothers in the midseason finale, instead choosing to use the battle as a means to contrast Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and Rollo's (Clive Standen) surprising paths.
"Who would have anticipated, following Rollo's career and life, that he would eventually emerge triumphant?" Hirst says.
"People are rooting for Ragnar and Ragnar's a sensitive guy and a beautiful guy and Rollo's not," Hirst continues.
Having suffered his first major defeat - and at the hands of his brother, no less - the drug-addicted Ragnar is brought to his lowest point yet in the finale.
The end of the finale jumps ahead six years to when Ragnar's sons Ivar (Alex Hogh Andersen), Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith), Hvitserk (Marco Ilso) and Sigurd (David Lindstrom) are now full-grown men -- each of whom have a very different reaction to the prodigal father's return.
