#vikingsthorunn

[paigekniight]

[pokeasleepingsmaug]

Rant about Thorunn. I just saw a post about how someone was bitter about how she left, and I’m so glad I’m not the only one. I suffered from postpartum depression after my son was born, and it was (still is some days tbh) a huge struggle. After dealing with it for months, I went to my OB-GYN because we had moved and I didn’t know where else to go for help. The nurse was amazing. I broke down in tears in front of her and she hugged me and said I would get through it.

Then the doctor came in, and never in my life have I felt so small. Because of his reaction, I didn’t seek the help I needed. And when I finally did, I talked to 4 therapists and none accepted my insurance.

I’ll always be sad about the way Thorunn was treated. Postpartum depression and PTSD are real, complex illnesses that affect millions of people on a daily basis. I know that in Viking society, it probably wasn’t that well understood, but it wouldn’t be unheard of, and it seemed like Thorunn was the only one on the show who suffered from them.

There was so much room for interesting character development and growth here. Thorunn could have had an amazing story arc. She could have been a beacon of hope to new mothers like me, sad and anxious and ashamed because of it. A woman doesn’t need to be a shieldmaiden to be strong, and that could have been illustrated through Thorunn.

Instead, we got her just running away from her problems. As a mother, even as one who suffered from postpartum depression, i never could have left my baby. His life, his wellbeing, was too tied to mine. Being a mother is hard. Postpartum depression is hard. Thorunn was a strong enough character to overcome it. I will never not be sad about her leaving.