Every single episode of The Last Kingdom, ranked worst to best
(16) SEASON 3: “EPISODE TWO”
“Falling afoul of Alfred, Uhtred flees north to his brother, Ragnar. His eye on the throne, Aethelwold begins assembling an alliance to strike Wessex.”
Recap
Uhtred exhumes Gisela’s body from a Winchester holy graveyard so he can release her spirit in a traditional pagan pyre. Aethelwold, always scheming, witnesses the event and exposes Uhtred’s Christian desecration to Alfred, Edward and Aelswith. In a rage, Uhtred strikes a monk and is unable to stomach Alfred’s demand that he swear loyalty to Edward. Uhtred uses Alfred as a hostage to flee the castle, escaping Winchester with Finan and Sihtric.
Aethelwold begins recruiting a “guard” of mercenaries. Deciding to find Ragnar, the wounded Uhtred rides north with his company and the silver-tongued, seductive Skade. Traveling to Aylesbury in Mercia, Aethelwold meets with Aethelred to suggest a rebellion against Aethelflaed and the Uhtred-less Alfred. Uhtred falls desperately ill from his infected wound while on the road, fearing Skade’s curse.
Continuing on his journey to gather willing co-conspirators, Aethelwold travels to the Dane camp of the dangerous Bloodhair and Haesten. Alfred and Aelswith worry about Wessex appearing weak without Uhtred. Aethelred orders Aldhelm to kill Aethelflaed and her unborn child. Brida and Cnut see Uhtred’s company approaching and allow them to pass on to Dunholm.
Uhtred (hallucinating about a vengeful Leofric) nears death, but Brida shows up in rescue, pitting her Nordic gods against the dark powers of Skade. Uhtred recovers in the company of Brida, Ragnar and Cnut, vowing to be “a Dane for life.” While Ragnar dreams of attacking Wessex, Finan is sour on the idea. Brida plans to break Skade’s curse over Uhtred by learning the method from a more powerful Seer. Uhtred learns that Brida is barren. Finally, Brida demands that Uhtred never betray Ragnar again, and he must undo the past by killing Alfred.
Our Take
“Episode Two” starts with a bang, with Uhtred crossing Alfred in a major way. The strained moments between Uhtred and Alfred have always been among the best elements of the show, and this rather violent bout is no exception; Alfred’s pious stubbornness and Uhtred’s frustration in the face of Saxon servitude explode here, with dramatic consequences: Alfred calls for Uhtred’s execution.
Image: Netflix/The Last Kingdom
This episode is concerned with the power of devotion: of Aelswith to Alfred; of Aldhelm to the good (Aelswith); of Finan, Sihtric and Hild to Uhtred; and of Ragnar and Brida to Uhtred. On the less good side, Aethelwold’s treacherous plots and machinations always crash around a bit too loudly in this series, and his current conspiracy once again seems far too obvious by half.
Uhtred’s reunions with Brida and Ragnar are always heartwarming, though this round feels more plot-driven than most . . . until Uhtred takes Brida by the hand and the melancholy tears well up. The episode ends with gripping drama as Brida demands that Uhtred never betray Ragnar again, and atone for his past mistakes by killing King Alfred.
Quote: “Oh, Jesus! He looks the color of a Scotsman’s arse!” Finan, on Uhtred’s pale hue from his infected wound.