Five things we need to see in The Last Kingdom season 5

Image: The Last Kingdom/Netflix

1. Aelswith makes a full recovery

For the show’s first three seasons, Aelswith was at or near the top of the list of everyone’s least liked characters. It wasn’t that the performance was lacking — Eliza Butterworth is stellar — but Aelswith was always opposed to Uhtred’s every action. Backed by Alfred’s power and an unshakable religious zeal, Aelswith was the rock on which our river of joy so often broke itself. All of that changed in season 4 after Alfred’s death, and we are so here for it.

Without Alfred’s power to simply enforce her will, Aelswith was forced to outmaneuver her opponents with guile and wit, whether it was Aethelhelm or even her own son at times. Aelswith proved incredibly adept at this, but at the same time her new circumstances forced her to question her past actions, and this uncertainty was a lot of fun to watch. Whether she was attempting to make amends with Uhtred or bonding with a grandson she herself exiled, watching Aelswith navigate the muddy waters of her life was refreshing for the character, and for the series.

Hopefully, Aelswith makes a full recovery from her poisoning at Aethelhelm’s hands, because Aelswith 2.0 is a lot of fun. Should she not, hopefully Aelswith can at least recover enough to point the finger in Aethelhelm’s direction and give us the joy of watching his downfall.

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