I definitely don’t think it’s entirely subtle, but I also don’t think it’s too straightforward. It finds a nice middle ground which I like. If you’re someone who actually pays attention, you saw the seeds planted in season 1 and it should be relatively easy to grasp what the series is going for and trying to convey.
Sadly, a strange amount of people’s takeaway from S1 was a violent action viking show and nothing more. Which made them feel mislead with how S2 went, and even dislike how S1 ended with Thorfinn not getting his revenge. They didn’t care to grasp what the messaging was, and they didn’t see it throughout the show. Calling Thorfinn weak and the author “woke”, it’s pretty sad. Not to say it’s impossible to dislike the show or the direction it takes, but the reasoning tends to be silly. If they did understand what it was going for still didn’t like it, that’s fine. Can’t please everyone.
All that said, I think the intriguing part that makes the relatively straightforward messaging a little more palatable with some nuance, is the setting and culture it follows, and also how long it takes for Thorfinn to reach his conclusion. These revelations and mindsets weren’t a thing among warriors and some of the norse culture. There was constant war and pillaging in the period, and even in present times it seems there are those unable to grasp what “normal” people find to be common sense. At best you had people just living their every day lives trying to get by, but there necessarily weren’t common “revolutionaries” trying to change the ways of people, and give solace to those who couldn’t find it themselves.
Following Thorfinn’s journey after season 2 is still intriguing and there’s still nuance, because you can’t completely avoid fighting. There are men who want to see the world burn, people who want to harm your loved ones and steal from you. He needs to find a middle ground that isn’t just avoidance. He feels guilty for his past and has overcorrected in his mindset.
Even Thors wasn’t a true warrior yet, so what does Thorfinn need to do to reach even further than he did? The author Yukimura is a pacifist, but he knows it’s just an ideal and not everyone can get along. So what’s the best measure to protect yourself and your loved ones? That’s where a lot of the nuance is for me. Canute representing the opposite side of the coin and striving for the same thing with different methods is as well.
Sorry for the long winded response |