The Journey Begins (Vinland Saga)

The Journey Begins is the sixth episode of the first season of Vinland Saga.

Plot
Now reluctantly part of Askeladd's crew, and with the desire to duel him to the death, Thorfinn trains for years to become a great warrior, only to discover the consequences of his choice.

Why it Rocks

 * 1) It shows the remainder of Thorfinn's backstory in full, transforming him from a weak and scared child into a brutal and skilled warrior through constant self-training and being put in danger throughout the years.
 * 2) The first parts of the episode show the reasons for him and Askeladd's crew being in England, and starts showing in depth the conflict between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings and the inhumanity often expressed by both sides.
 * 3) An awesome and brutal battle scene near the beginning and plenty of shorter yet still awesome and emotional fight scenes.
 * 4) The episode takes the time to further develop the characters of Thorfinn and Askeladd after the events of A True Warrior, showing a more merciful and compassionate side to both that takes center stage in the later parts of both the episode and the series. It also does a great job further showing the physical and emotional impact of the previous two episodes and shows how they will be more prominent through the progression.
 * 5) It also explores plenty of emotional themes, like the innocence and childhood Thorfinn lost as a result of his actions and how he's unable to discern between justice and vengeance because he was so young when he took up his quest.
 * 6) The episode takes an even more emotional turn towards the end when Thorfinn is wounded and taken care of by a compassionate English family, reminding him of the good times lost that he may never gain back, and causing another side of himself to show from a violent warrior to one deciding the very limits he will take to accomplishing his ultimate goal and things he won't do.
 * 7) The episode ends with yet another tear-jerking moment where Thorfinn sees the consequences of his choices made so long ago and what he may have to be witness to as a result, even if he genuinely tries to do some good.

Reception

 * The episode has received a score of 9.4 out of 10 stars on IMDb.