Every single episode of The Last Kingdom, ranked worst to best
(23) SEASON 1: “EPISODE TWO”
“Caught between his scheming uncle Aelfric and the pitiless Viking warlord Ubba, Uhtred goes on the run and seeks out Alfred, the man who would be king.”
Recap
Picking up immediately where the series premiere left off, Uhtred and Brida are chased by Aelfric and his men, losing them in the forest. Uhtred is determined to reclaim his ancestral home at Bebbanburg, and thinks a Viking army will do the trick. Though a story is circulating that Uhtred was the one who attacked Earl Ragnar’s household, Uhtred’s first instinct is to race to the Viking warlord Ubba and tell him the truth: that the Dane Kjartan conspired with Aelfric to murder Ragnar and his family.
Uhtred arrives in East Anglia to find Ubba’s army sacking Beodericeswordig, and Ubba firing arrows through its king, Edmund. Ubba doesn’t believe Uhtred’s story, and Uhtred barely escapes with his life, kidnapping Ubba’s sorcerer Storri as his ticket out. Staying barely ahead of both Saxon and Dane pursuers, Uhtred and Brida manage to reach Winchester (the royal seat of Wessex), where Beocca welcomes them. They find King Aethelred, Odda the elder and Alfred preparing to meet an advancing Viking army.
Uhtred decides to scout the enemy on his own (with Brida) in order to win the king’s trust and future support for his claim to Bebbanburg. Uhtred returns to tell king Aethelred and Alfred that the Danes are planning to attack now, in the winter, even though the Viking habit is to wait until spring. The Saxon army marches out to meet the Danes, and Alfred has Uhtred and Brida caged.
Our Take
“Episode Two” runs along quite smoothly, but it isn’t as strong as the series premiere. It feels heavier on introductions and exposition, whereas the first episode followed followed Uhtred pretty much exclusively. It’s still handled well, with lots of the show’s wonderful dialogue to chew on, but all the new characters drag down the pace. It all pays off in the long run, but it’s a bit much on first viewing.
This episode lays the foundation for the rest of the season. It introduces major players like Alfred, Aelswith, Aethelwold and Odda the Elder as well as important story elements, like Uhtred’s amber-pommeled sword. There’s already a lot of crackling chemistry between the leads, and it’s hard not to get caught up in Uhtred’s enthusiasm.
Uthred and Brida’s relationship, playful and passionate, is well-realized, and as much as we enjoy their rapport, we feel the weight of their growing realization that, as Saxons raised by Vikings, they don’t really belong anywhere. But where Uhtred is determined to claim Bebbanburg whatever the risk, Brida — already a Viking in her heart — tries to dissuade him. Her instinct tells her to find Ragnar after he returns from Ireland with his Danes, but she reluctantly tries to assist Uhtred in his scheming as much as she can.
Beocca is a delight, finding ways to forgive Alfred his sexual dalliances in the hope of making him a better man and showing unrestrained joy at seeing the grown up Uhtred. This episode is also our proper introduction to the unpredictable Viking warlord Ubba. His execution of the saintly King Edmund (to see if his Christian god would step in and save him) is based on a true historical event, and handled deftly.
QUOTE: “Most of all I require men, strong, fighting men who are prepared to die, because that, in the end, is what it will take to save us … the blood of men.” (The Saxon King Aethelred to his Ealdormen as the Viking army approaches Wessex)