Every single episode of The Last Kingdom, ranked worst to best
(7) SEASON 3: “EPISODE FIVE”
“A deadly betrayal threatens to splinter Ragnar’s army. Uhtred forms a cunning battle plan and finds an unexpected ally in young Edward.”
Recap
As the false rumor of King Alfred’s death ripples through the Viking camp, Brida discovers Ragnar’s dead body. Cnut knows the killer is Aethelwold and he’s ready to take advantage, both assuming the leadership of the army and hoping the way is now clear for Brida to welcome his advances. At her Mercian stronghold of Droitwich, Aethelflaed presses her romantic attractions to Uhtred, who desires her but worries about her safety while he is linked to Skade.
Aethelflaed wants Uhtred to accompany her, Aethelred and the Mercian Guard and link up with Alfred, promising him that he will redeem himself by leading the king’s force against Beamfleot. Then he can use his soldiers to rescue Skade. King Alfred and Steapa lead the Wessex troops out of Winchester while his great history is being written.
Brida and Cnut lay Ragnar to rest, but superstitious Danes worry: Ragnar died without his sword, meaning he cannot enter Valhalla, and many see it as a sign that their upcoming battle cannot be won. Bridat rides to Uhtred to deliver the awful news of Ragnar’s dishonorable death: she blames Uhtred for abandoning Ragnar. Uhtred is heartbroken and he thinks the tragedy is due to his losing Skade. At Beamfleot (East Anglia), the lustful Haesten is manipulated by Skade.
In Aylesbury, Uhted and Aethelflaed arrive to join King Alfred, Edward, Aethelred and their allied forces. Edward stands in for Alfred at the witan called to hear out Aethelflaed and Uhtred. Haesten’s betrayal is exposed but many Saxons fear Uhtred is a spy for the Danes. Alfred appears and rejects Uhtred, but Edward secretly plans to join Uhtred in battle so they can destroy Haesten before he can join forces with Cnut and Bloodhair.
Edward, with the help of Beocca, must now convince King Alfred to honor his plan with Uhtred. With 30 men at his disposal, Uhtred draws Haesten and his entire 1,000-man force out of Beamfleot, but they are hard pressed because Alfred won’t spring the trap, instead forcing Edward to make the decision.
Our Take
Amidst a super-solid stretch of season 3, “Episode Five” stands out as a wonderful example of dramatic and cinematic storytelling. The shockwaves of Ragnar’s murder reverberate through “Episode Five,” altering the lives of numerous characters: the bitter Brida must now live without her brother while Cnut and Aethelwold sense the levers of power tilting in their favor. We also know that Uhtred will go ballistic when he hears the news.
Aethelwold takes on a whole new vileness now, having taken a big step beyond his plotting and whining to commit cold-blooded murder. David Dawson’s portrayal of the dying Alfred is brilliant and everybody else in the cast is on the top of their game. The story zooms along with nice touches of pathos and humor.
The much-hoped-for Uhtred/Aethelflaed romance begins to blossom, though Skade, Aethelred and the looming Dane invasion complicate things (of course). Yet the two of them travel and stand together at the Ayelsbury witan as quite the dynamic duo. The relationship between Uhtred and the maturing Prince Edward begins to develop, with both men sensing the value and trustworthiness of the other. Aethelflaed begins to turn the tables on Aethelred.
Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix
The episode ends with a cliffhanger: Uhtred and his small force are surrounded and being massacred by Haesten’s much larger army. Waiting in ambush, Alfred refuses to commit his large force despite the urging of Edward and Beocca. At the last second, Alfred drops the decision in Edward’s lap: either allow his enemies to destroy each other or sound the charge. A great capper to a great episode.
Quote: “What is an ‘approximation to a witan?'” (Sihtric asks.) “It’s almost a witan but not quite.” (Finan responds)