Last fall, IGN had the opportunity to travel to Ireland to visit the set of the History's epic drama series Vikings. While there, we were able to speak with the cast about their characters' journies throughout the second season.

As we've already seen, Athelstan has been kidnapped by King Ecgbert and is once again finds his loyalties tested. Just as he'd finally become a Viking, he's returned again the the Christian world. We had the chance to speak with George Blagden, who plays Athelstan, about the trials that the monk has faced and where that may take him.Note: The Breaking Bad finale had aired relatively recently when we spoke, so we went down a naturally occurring Breaking Bad/Walter White rabbit hole. Also, remember we'd had this conversation prior to the first several episodes airing.

Why You Should Be Watching Vikings

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“ Athelstan probably goes through more changes in two seasons of Vikings than Walter White does in five seasons of Breaking Bad.

“ Maybe the Age of the Antihero was around these very much more extremely exaggerated personalities.

“ I'm not sure if Walter White was standing next to Ragnar whether Ragnar would be that phased. I think he'd be like, 'I'll slice you open.'

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Well, this season, yeah, it feels like the arc is becoming -- I don't know -- a dome. [Laughs]I would say Athelstan is very similar to Ragnar in that respect, in that he is an opportunist. I think a lot of people have accused Athelstan as being cowardly after hiding behind the alter in episode two of Season 1, and for not praying with the rest of the monks. But I certainly know that if George, me, were back in that time, I'd probably be hiding behind the alter as well. I wouldn't really care if people were calling me a coward. I think he was just very, very clever. Also, he was trying to save a very religious work. The fact that he sits there in front of Ragnar in that church in episode two and tries to protect the book, you can tell that he's thinking on his feet, very quickly. Ultimately, it saves his life, speaking in their language.The journey through Season 1, I would say he had not become fully Viking. He was very, very conflicted, and it was a very slow build, which was great, throughout Season 1, and Michael wrote his arc. We ended Season 1 with him still very, very much conflicted, but he's just been offered up as a sacrifice in episode eight, which I would be pissed! [Laughs] So Athelstan's very all over the place when Season 2 starts. I think after this four-year time jump that you have at the end of episode one, Season 2, you come back after four years and see a very changed man. He's very much integrated within this society. He's ready to become part of their community, and if that means going on raids with them back to England, so be it. He wants to make this place his home, which is an amazing dynamic, really, when you think about where he started in Season 1. It was great fun doing that. Then coming back to England and doing all those massive battle scenes and then being captured, it's -- I was just saying, it's pretty controversial, but I reckon in light of the recent Breaking Bad finale, I'd say that Athelstan probably goes through more changes in two seasons of Vikings than Walter White does in five seasons of Breaking Bad. [Laughs]Interesting, I've never thought about that. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that they are -- Michael really invests these characters in truth -- not that Walter White is not a truthful character, but Ragnar was based on a real man. So maybe in writing about these real characters, like Henry VIII and Ragnar, maybe the Age of the Antihero was around these very much more extremely exaggerated personalities. Maybe it's that the antiheroes you're referring to in The Sopranos and Breaking Bad are these heightened characters. Whereas the characters in Vikings are really invested in real people. So if you're going to do a show that is historically accurate, you have to make them believable. You have to watch this show and believe that these people walked and talked and breathed like they did. It is interesting, though, because Walter White is also believable. You don't for a second not believe everything that he goes through. So I don't know.Yeah, it's interesting, because I don't think the term "racing towards war" -- I'm not sure that they are yet. They revel in success for battle, and they enjoy being part of a war campaign or a conflict that goes well. Even if it doesn't go well, it maybe ensures their place in Valhalla. I would say that over a thousand years ago the world was a very different place. If you wanted to survive past your 18th birthday, you had to learn how to take another man's life so that he didn't take yours. What's shocking about Walter White is that he's operating in a modern, present-day society, and that just doesn't happen. I'm not sure if Walter White was standing next to Ragnar whether Ragnar would be that phased. I think he'd be like, "I'll slice you open," just because the world was so different back then. That's what's so great about doing historical shows. Compared to doing a show based in a New York lawyer's office where you're in a suit, you're in lots of leather with axes and shields -- you don't get to do that in your everyday life. You don't see people walking down Sunset Boulevard with -- well, maybe you do. [Laughs]