Every single episode of The Last Kingdom, ranked worst to best
(13) SEASON 1: “EPISODE ONE”
“Abducted by a Viking warlord after his father is slain in battle, Young Uhtred adopts the Norse way of life until tragedy befalls his new family.”
Recap
The show opens with Osbert the Younger (soon to become Young Uhtred) espying the Viking ships of Ragnar the Elder as they arrive on the coast of Northumbria, invading his family’s ancestral lands of Bebbanburg. Uhtred’s older brother is killed, making him heir to the lands of Bebbanburg. Uhtred’s father dies in battle with the Vikings, and his treacherous uncle Aelfric usurps the throne. Young Uhtred runs headlong into the battlefield and is captured by Ragnar the Elder, who makes him a family slave, along with Brida.
Fast-forward to Uhtred as a young adult, beloved by Ragnar the Elder and his family, and now in a love affair with Brida. Unfortunately, the nefarious Kjartan, supported by Aelfric, attacks the homestead (Uhtred, Brida and Ragnar the Younger are away), setting it afire and killing everyone in the Viking family except Thyra, whom Aelfric allows his son Sven to imprison. Uhtred vows revenge, and returns to Bebbanburg to announce his survival to his evil uncle Aelfric.
Our Take
As pilot episodes go, the first installment of The Last Kingdom is pretty darned good. Premiere episodes tend to suffer on account of endless introductions of characters and locales, and that goes double for the premieres of complicated historical dramas like this one, where the names are strange and the world alien. “Episode One” largely avoids those pitfalls by focusing on the character of Uhtred and his particular backstory. A well-choreographed battle scene — our first look at a shield wall — helps what exposition there is go down easier.
There are also deft, subtle thematic touches, such as Uhtred holding on to both his Saxon amber and Viking hammer, signifying how he’s both a part of and separate from those worlds, something he’ll deal with for the rest of his life. The moment when the terrified Young Uhtred and Young Brida find each other and hold hands during the violent Viking victory party is also very effective.
Sure, Alexander Dreymon seems a bit stiff in places, as if he’s not quite comfortable with his character, but he gets over that pretty quickly. He and Uhtred gain confidence together.
“Episode One” also introduces us to the show’s style, which balances brutal violence and moments of near-dreamlike softness. Look, for example, at the tenderness of Ragnar the Elder’s farewell to his wife followed up by the horrific image of him charging out of his burning house, his body ablaze, to fight his attackers.
QUOTE: “I will not stand for everything I have to be taken from me … I’m going back, to the beginning.” (Uhtred to Brida)