When Netflix's hugely popular Vikings: Valhalla ended, it left me dissatisfied by some of its loose ends. The Vikings spinoff based its main characters on real figures from 11th-century Europe, such as the famed Viking explorer, Leif Erikson, and Canute, the Viking king of England. While Valhalla repeated Vikings lack of historical accuracy, it contained many subtle nods that only history buffs would pick up on. One of these centered around Earl Godwin, Canute's scheming advisor. Along with his heirs, Godwin had a major role to play in an important period of English history.

I became fascinated by this character ever since the shocking scene where Godwin killed King Edmund. Unlike Valhalla's more brutal warlord antagonists, Godwin relied on cunning, surreptitiously pulling strings to bring about his ultimate dream: to see his son become the king of England. Netflix's disappointing decision to end Vikings: Valhalla after season 3 meant...