WiC Watches: The Last Kingdom season 4

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Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

Season 4: “Episode Six”

Eardwulf’s men pursue Uhtred’s party as they flee through a countryside ravaged by disease. Tensions rise between Edward and the Mercians.

Recap

Uhtred, his men and the children travel towards Chester until Eadith informs them that Aethelflaed has escaped to the ruined priory of St. Milburg at Much Wenlock. In Mercia, Edward and Eardwulf must deal with a brewing power struggle with disgruntled ealdormen. Edward sends his military commander Cenric (Máté Haumann) to find Uhtred and collect Aelfwynn; Eardwulf secretly recruits a dozen Mercians and joins the hunt as well.

Reaching a land of sickness, Finan is terrified. Uhtred decides to proceed on foot. When Edward learns of the sickness crossing Mercia, he orders the Aylesbury gates closed to peasant refugees. A company of loyal soldiers spring Aelswith from Winchester. Aethelflaed and Aldhelm depart St. Milburg just before Uhtred’s group arrives. Uhtred’s group is pursued by Eardwulf.

Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

The Mercians refuse to admit Aelswith into Aylesbury until Edward, unhappy with Aethelhelm’s advice, overrules the ealdormen. Brida is now an abused slave in Wales as the Welsh plan to build a great wall between their lands and Wessex. Eardwulf’s cavalry tracks Uhtred’s group through the wilderness but Edith exposes Eardwulf’s treacheries and his Mercians turn on him.

The celebrating Welsh discover, to their horror, that a new Dane invading force has landed on their coastline. At Wollerton (Mercia), Uhtred and Eadith worry as Aelfwynn’s sickness worsens.

Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

Our Take

“Episode Six” is the slowest installment of The Last Kingdom’s fourth season thus far, with many characters on the move in long traveling sequences. This show excels in quiet stories as well as loud bombastic ones, but this episode, while offering some nice drama and cute character moments, verges on plodding in places; it all feels a bit thin, as if the journeys needed to shift characters around are padded with scenery because the plot punches are waiting in future installments.

As Uhtred’s group makes the extended trek through endless miles of pristine English countryside, the episode takes the time to spotlight the potential beginnings of some greater story for Finan: his bond with Aethelstan is growing, and Eadith seems interested in him. A girlfriend for Finan? Yes! They’d make a superb couple of softhearted hardheads!

Speaking of Edith, she emerges as a likable and even (somewhat) virtuous character, mostly because of her big scene at the end where she exposes Eardwulf’s treachery. We also get to see the relationship develop between Uhtred’s long-separated children, the pious Young Uhtred and the proudly pagan Stiorra.

Edward finally begins to suspect that Aethelhelm does not have his best interests at heart, and we’re hoping that Aelswith, Aethelflaed, Uhtred and Father Pyrlig can get find traction with the young king again. This episode also has some tangential scenes regarding the power struggle in Mercia, involving newly introduced ealdormen Ludica and Burgred. I wonder just how important this simmering Mercian rebellion will prove to be, especially with the Danes threatening once again in Wales.

A couple of questions come to mind regarding “Episode 6.” First, it seems awfully dumb of Eardwulf to carry around Aethelred’s signet ring after he murdered and robbed him. Second, when Uhtred sends his company on various missions at the end of the episode, he seems to have forgotten Brida’s plight in Wales, which feels uncharacteristic of him (unless he has a plan up his sleeve).

Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

“Episode Six” offers a scenic breather after two higher-tempo installments; the narrative feels thin in places but also provides some minor characters more screentime (we can never get enough of Finan), and still delivers a decent dose of The Last Kingdom’s usual suspense and drama.

Episode Grade: B