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The relationship between Ragnar and Yidu in Vikings has to be explored. It can't have existed simply to kill time, especially as its timing is so close to Ragnar's "wilderness years."

Yidu is written as if she matters, but as more than Ragnar's drug dealer. I wonder why he doesn't flash on her at the end.

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  • It honestly feels like the original intent was to do more with the Yidu character and at some point that arc was aborted for whatever reason and so they killed off the character. With that in mind, it seems they're dealing with the aborted arc by drawing as little attention as possible to Yidu's existence. Frankly, the writing seems to have gotten a bit lazy for the latest season, with characters making decisions based on an apparent insight of "this is what legend/history states happens". Mar 6, 2017 at 2:13

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Ragnar was infatuated with Yidu for only a short time before he became addicted to the drug she was supplying him with. After that, I don't think he had feelings for her beyond her being the source of the drugs. Given Yidu's own end, it's clear that Ragnar blamed her for his withdrawal symptoms, and probably later blames her for his greatest failure. It makes sense to me that he wouldn't flash on memories of her at the end.

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  • You make plenty of sense. Maybe her story is a loose end to me because it's a writing problem. Hope Season 5 drops some breadcrumbs.
    – Mahlert
    Feb 24, 2017 at 7:30
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    @Mahlert It was a little bit confusing. I don't know why they built her character up as a Chinese princess. That detail about her back story made it seem like she was going to be a lot more important than she turned out to be. I don't know if that was intentional on the part of the writers or not. Maybe they were trying to give her eventual end a little more impact, but it made that scene at the river seem anti-climactic to me. Feb 24, 2017 at 14:02
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Aslag Ragnars wife picked her from the line of slaves. I always thought she got the Chinese girl to drug Ragnar in the beginning she loved Ragnar in the end I think she hated him after he slapped her. When Ragnar told her he didn’t care that she slept with Herbert the wonderer I think that is when she really realize that Ragnar did not ever really love her he only kept her around because he wanted Sons. She was behind it. She even went to the seer and asked him if a women would ever rule katakit. She wanted Ragnar dead or at least out of the picture. Just what I always thought 🤷‍♀️

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  • I really appreciate the discussion here. Bill the Lizard, your mention of Ragnar’s greatest failure is interesting. What was it?
    – Mahlert
    Dec 8, 2020 at 7:12

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