WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Britannia.
From the very first episode, Britannia set out its stall as a Game of Thrones-alike, with treachery, sex, bloody violence and mysticism par for the course. Going out with an eventful finale in which Cait is both saved from hanging and then buried alive, Zoe Wannamaker’s Queen Antedia loses her son during a surprise Roman attack, and David Morrissey’s General Aulus killing Kerra in the most brutal way, Britannia set itself up for a lively Season 2. So what should we expect from a follow-up season? Let’s take a look:
More Death
In killing off the person set up as the main protagonist, Britannia takes yet another leaf out of Game of Thrones’ book. Just as Sean Bean’s Eddard Stark was executed in the first season of GoT, so Kelly Reilly’s Queen Kerra is savagely slain in the 43AD-set historical fantasy series. We should, therefore, expect a lot more killing once Season 2 kicks in, with the series unafraid to kill off major characters willy-nilly – just like its popular forerunner.
Rebirth
With its similarities to the Westeros-set saga, it’s likely that we can expect death to not necessarily spell the end in Britannia. With MacKenzie Crook’s Druid chief Veran apparently ages old, and every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting the Underworld, we can feasibly expect the dead to rise. Could this mean that Kelly Reilly’s end isn’t an end, à la Jon Snow?
Cait and the Prophecy
Anyone who’s anyone in Britannia believes Cait to be the promised one. “Hope is the small daughter of a blind father,” says Veran, reminding us of the prophecy. Cait is wanted dead by Aulus. She’s already proven herself a resourceful girl who can take care of herself, much like GoT’s Arya Stark — aided, of course, by her relationship with Divis the Outcast. But as she begins to believe in herself more, and find herself strengthened by the losses of two strong women who once protected her – her sister Islene and Queen Kerra who helped her escape Aulus’s clutches — we can expect her to start to fulfill the prophecy.
Red Hair
Earlier in the season, Cait’s father spoke about the significance of red hair. Only the special ones have red hair, he said, in reference to her slaughtered sister, Islene. Cait examined her mousy locks. Queen Kerra was also a flame-haired goddess – labelled ‘Coppernob’ by Queen Antedia – and in the closing moments of the season finale, there is a distinct, new hint of red to be seen in Cait’s hair. Will we see her go ginger and become more powerful?
Vengeance
Queen Antedia isn’t someone to mess with. And yet Aulus wins her trust then betrays her in the worst possible way. An attack on her people ends in the death of her beloved castrated son. She’ll want to wage all-out war on Aulus and we can’t wait to see how she strikes back.
Demons
Will Aulus be revealed to be the host for the “earth-demon from hell” Divis speaks of? Divis believes it’s his destiny to defeat the demon. He himself has been the host for another demon who was intent on killing Cait, the prophesied one. However, this demon now seems to have abandoned Divis. We don’t yet know where it’s gone. Can we expect it to emerge in someone else?
Watch Britannia on Sky in the UK and via Amazon Prime in the US.