Okay, the time skips took me a while to get used to. It was only on my second watch that I came to terms with the fact that there is no guessing how old the characters are. You just have to accept that some characters will be born, have children and die while Uhtred doesn’t age a single day. That’s life in Wessex apparently. Season one is all about how Uhtred came to have such a strong relationship with Alfred and the rest of the series follows the ups and downs and consequences of that relationship. Him seeking out Alfred is the result of all the dominos in the pilot episode. First, his brother was killed, so his father was killed, so he was a slave, so Ragnar bought him, so he defended Thyra, so Kjartan turned to Aelfric, so Ragnar was killed, so Uhtred was abandoned by the Danes. And I love how even though Aethelred is the king, Beocca insists that it’s Alfred who matters because everyone knows from the start that there is no way Aethelwold is getting that throne.

I won’t lie, I kind of forget a lot of season one including the fact that Uhtred had a brother or that Aethelred was initially king but I never forget that Uhtred Sr is played by Matthew Macfadyen. I was quite surprised on my rewatch that he didn’t seem to be a caring father at all to Uhtred but that’s probably because in my head, Matthew Macfadyen is Mr Darcy and no one else. I also tend to forget that Ragnar the Fearless literally killed Uhtred’s father and brother and then Uhtred and him became like father and son themselves. Did they ever talk about it or was it just a thing of the past since they only bonded after a while of Uhtred being a slave? The shot of Uhtred Sr being killed has always stuck in my mind because of the special effects. I love what they tried to do but it looks like the attacker is pointing his sword down and when it comes through Uhtred Sr’s neck, it’s pointing up. Apart from that, it does look pretty real. And I’m definitely not one to notice production details like that but some things in season one really stood out to me like when Brida was threatening the guard from the cell in Winchester in episode three, they chose a close-up on her face but the words she’s saying doesn’t match up with her lips at all.

In my view, The Last Kingdom doesn’t start until Gisela and Uhtred’s pretty boys show up so for me, the entirety of season one is just set up. So let’s dive into the eight hour prologue to the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg.

Something that I absolutely loved early on was how much humour Beocca brought. Like some of the things he was saying genuinely had me laughing aloud. “What if you had a pig called Thor” and “if he arrives at heaven’s gates as Uhtred, they might wonder what happened to Osbert” actually had me cackling. Also, it took me an embarrassingly long time to find out that he’s played by Ian Hart, who was Professor Quirrell in the first Harry Potter film. That genuinely blew my mind, even more so than finding out John Bell was Bain in The Hobbit and Young Ian in Outlander. Seriously blew. My. Mind. I also love how Beocca accidentally nearly drowned Uhtred whilst baptising him and later in season four, Uhtred thinks back on it as a fond memory of the two of them. Speaking of Uhtred being baptised, when he’s bought as a slave and pushed into the water by Ragnar, it is a fantastic way to establish a time jump with adult (at least, almost-adult) Uhtred washing in the river but it also serves as another baptism now that he’s stepping away from a saxon life and into a dane life. You could argue that pushing him into the water washes away all of his Christianity but either way, it’s a transition to show that Uhtred is completely swinging the other way as if he’s on a pendulum.

Character Thoughts

Uhtred's domestic life with the danes makes it seem like they’ve lived in Loidis peacefully for years but for some reason, Kjartan and Sven only attack years later in retaliation. Why? Why did they wait? The only thing I can think of is that Kjartan wanted to wait until Sven was battle-hardened and learned how to fight with only one eye so he could help lead the raid. Speaking of Sven, he has not a single redeemable quality. The guy is just a weasel and actually, I do have a weasel count going for The Last Kingdom and for some reason, I’ve never put Sven on there so now he’s on the weasel count.

Another character in my weasel count is Aethelwold. But oh. My. God. I love watching Aethelwold so much. He has just enough weaseliness that you hate him and want terrible things to happen to him but at the same time, he is so fucking funny that I don’t want him to die just so he can continue making me laugh. Aethelwold was actually the first person on my weasel count but I think besides Haesten’s redemption arc in season five, Aethelwold is the most redeemable. He is constantly going on about how much he should be king whilst never giving any evidence on why he deserves to be king but he does accept Uhtred early on. Of course, it’s largely due to him seeing that Uhtred could be useful to him but that’s also an admirable quality, of recognising who is useful to you to fulfil your goal. It’s exactly why Alfred wants Uhtred in his service. When Aethelwold and Uhtred were grovelling, Aethelwold recognised a chance for Uhtred to be indebted to him and he took it and later, he calls that favour in and Uhtred speaks for him when Leofric wants to kill him. Also, soon after that, Aethelwold is telling Uhtred and Leofric about Cornwalum and who the kings are and the cities and all and we’re forced to remember that Aethelwold wasn’t just some sleazy drunk who stumbled his way into court. He was the son of a king and was educated as such and for some reason, he actively hides the fact that he can be very smart when he wants to be. A pity those smarts don’t come into play for him on his useless quests to be crowned king but I guess being book smart doesn't mean you’re street smart. I think he was just too drunk all the time to learn how to play politics well enough to succeed. That and the fact that he’s an absolute coward. But more on Aethelwold in later seasons.

I wanna talk about Ubba. I cannot take Ubba seriously. At all. We are told countless times from the start that Ubba is to be feared and he’s like a king to the danes but all I see is a child with a temper. His name is Ubba and frankly, that doesn’t sound as scary as Skorpa or Bloodhair or Sigtryggr. And yet, we’re told this is the epitome of royalty to the danes. The fact that he looks like Will Ferrell really doesn’t help his case. Every time he is in the room with someone, he never holds the power. Ragnar the Fearless is more dominant with him and we literally see that when Aelfric is trying to buy Uhtred from him. Aelfric is happy enough to argue a price with Ubba but when it comes to Ragnar’s responsibility over Uhtred, Aelfric backs down immediately because he recognises Ragnar as someone to be feared (I mean, it’s literally in his name) and not Ubba. Uhtred, a boy who’s probably somewhere between 15 and 20, manages to bait him in a negotiation to the point where Ubba is screaming at him to fight him and Uhtred literally laughs and basically tells him to calm down. Yeah, I’m more afraid of Aelswith than I am of Ubba.

And oh my god, Aelswith is just pure rage bait in the first seasons. I’ll get to it later in season three but I hated Aelswith with a burning passion in the first few seasons. She almost surpasses Charlotte from H20 on the most infuriating characters in television for me. One thing that I absolutely cannot get over it the fact that after Mildrith, who was heavily pregnant with Uhtred’s child, told her she was happy in her marriage, Aelswith said that hopefully her HUSBAND would die in battle soon with a happy smile on her face. Like what an absolute PSYCHO. Her hatred for Uhtred is truly unmatched even by Young Odda, which is absolutely saying something. Aelswith is more devout to God than every single priest or nun in the show, probably in any show I’ve ever watched. Actually, I’m calling it now. Aelswith is the most devout religious character I have ever seen (including Stannis Baratheon burning his daughter alive because the priestess told him the Lord of Light willed it). I think it was Leofric who says that God loves Aelswith more than any of them and I think it’s the other way around. Aelswith loves God more than anyone else does to the point where there is only one time in the entire series that she breaks faith in any way but I’ll get to that later. When they’re in the marshes, though, and Iseult gives Alfred the tonic, she doesn’t even have to do anything to prompt Aelswith insulting her over and over again. But then when Iseult says tomorrow will be too late to save Edward and Aelswith breaks down crying, I completely sympathise with her. But the rest of the time, Aelswith is just pure rage bait for me.

Uhtred and Alfred

Okay, I’ve put it off long enough. We need to talk about Uhtred and Alfred. They are pretty much the entire driving force of the show. I would actually argue that yes, the show is about Uhtred’s life but in particular, it’s about the dynamic between Uhtred and Alfred and it’s incredible how the show managed to continue being as good as it was after Alfred’s death because his complicated relationship with Uhtred is so important and even trumps Uhtred’s ongoing, ever-changing friendship with Brida. Uhtred and Alfred are literal opposites but when I actually think about it, they’re very alike. They both strategise really well and tend to think outside of what is typically done. They both have the view that understanding your enemy is vital to defeating them, whereas all the other advisors in both Wessex and the dane camps do nothing but diminish their enemy and their way of life. Alfred’s goal is to unite England and Uhtred’s goal is to retake Bebbanburg, which are sort of similar goals compared to the ones of everyone else.

When they first meet, Alfred’s literal first word to Uhtred is “peaceful.” Oh my god, if that isn’t symbolic, I don’t know what is. The whole thing Alfred stands for and the purpose he recruits Uhtred for is peacefulness and that’s what they both defend throughout the whole series. And interestingly, another thing I noticed was that in season one, you can definitely see the beginnings of Alfred being a wise and powerful king but that he still has a long journey ahead of him. When he speaks, he isn’t as confident and although he is definitely the smartest person in Winchester, he has yet to make bold moves towards his goal of a united England. And similarly, Uhtred is clearly smart and strategic but he is so stubborn and restless and, while he certainly doesn't lose those traits in later seasons, he’s so clearly young and inexperienced because he hasn’t learned the ways of life, that simply because he’s owed something that he will get it with no consequence. Alfred’s rule over Uhtred can certainly be harsh but it’s the only way to make Uhtred learn and help him grow. And without Uhtred’s unconventional counsel, Alfred wouldn’t have become as bold and confident as king. Like Merlin and Arthur, they seriously are two sides of the same coin.

Uhtred and his Women

There is an elephant in the room and we need to address it. Uhtred is a fully-fledged manwhore. The dude has three genuine love interests in eight episodes and alehouse whores on the side. Bro would have thrived on Love Island. I am so glad he calmed down later but this season is just wild and the fact that he had three love interests barrelling one after the other made it take longer for me to warm up to him as a protagonist. Part of the reason it took me a while to properly get into the show was because I could not get behind Uhtred as the protagonist and this was a big reason why. Firstly, Brida and him felt like incest. I seriously feel like the only reason they were together was because who else were they gonna get together with? Yes, they have history and clearly love each other but it definitely feels like a sibling dynamic between them and I did not enjoy their romantic time together. When they were playing around waiting for the swordsmith to make Serpent-Breath, I liked how playful they were but once they started getting down and dirty, it just felt wrong. The only time I somewhat bought into their romantic relationship was that short scene of him finding her after her miscarriage and you can see that they’re both grieving for their would-be child together. The rest of the time, they were just siblings in my head and I’m glad they separated. It was so obvious as well that Brida wasn’t as into it as he was, which I blame purely on Uhtred’s wild sex drive. In episode two, Brida is literally brainstorming how to talk to Ubba when Uhtred is humping her. I think that says it all.

Then we get to Uhtred and Mildrith. Another thing I keep forgetting is how likable Mildrith is. I think that out of Uhtred’s women, she’s definitely the least memorable because they had so little time together and most of their relationship we saw was very rocky but she was a really sweet character. Her literal defining trait was to see the good in everyone and even though she was being married to a heathen, she had literally no quarrel with him until he started insulting her faith and people she cares about. They would have never lasted, though. That marriage was doomed from the start. Yes, they were happy together when they had no worries but the second shit hit the fan, there was tension and arguments and it really seemed like there was no saving it. One thing I do appreciate is that although she was sweet, Mildrith wasn’t going to be walked all over especially when Iseult came into the picture because as much as I love Iseult, Mildrith had every right to dislike her and kick her out. Mildrith and Uhtred’s values were just way off and they were just far too different to ever have a hope of having a happy lasting marriage. I feel like when it got to the point after their son was born and they were fighting over the baptism, even before Iseult came into the picture, ‘trouble in paradise’ was just too weak of a phrase to describe what a hot mess their marriage became. And poor Leofric was just inhaling his food trying to get out of that room as soon as possible

Now we get into the start of Uhtred’s good love interests (Skade was a once-off and she only half counts anyway). Iseult’s character introduction was FANTASTIC. Like the score, the way she slowly came down the stairs, Peredur calling her a shadow queen. She was never cruel but you could definitely see she had fire in her which made her jumping from the ceiling and stabbing a man through the eye not surprising in the slightest. The show never fully confirms supernatural forces or whether the Christians or VIkings are right in their faith but Iseult is definitely one of the times it really leans into the mysticism. There are things like saving Edward from sickness, which you could argue was the cold, wet mud cooled his fever and healed him, but there are things like knowing exactly what pain and symptoms Alfred was feeling in the marshes that are really difficult to explain. How would she know that he passes blood? It’s not like she would witness it and it didn’t seem like he told anyone about it.

While I don’t endorse Uhtred emotionally cheating on Mildrith even though they were as close to a divorce as you could get in the 9th century, I do understand why he fell for Iseult. From the second they met, it was like they clicked right away and from then, they kept supporting each other. They seemed to understand each other’s emotions so well and despite the fact that Uhtred is an absolute wild card, she knew exactly what to do to help him through grieving his first child. We see him and Brida work together without needing to explain their plan and later, how Gisela can read between what he says and understand what he really wants, but Uhtred and Iseult have no history and had barely had a conversation before they decided they were devoted to each other. Naturally, because she’s season one, I tend to forget about her but I do wonder what the rest of the series might’ve looked like if she hadn’t been killed. I am very much on board with the fact that it was her death that enraged Uhtred so much that he alone charged at a shield wall and broke it, making Guthrum literally say “their God is with them.” Like I know that Uhtred’s basically a teenager in love but damn. And I love that Alfred said in later seasons that he often thought of her. Because yes, she was Uhtred’s love but it was Alfred who needed her the most and whose life she changed the most. He literally turned away from his faith to put his only son’s life in the hands of her pagan sorcery, not to mention he attended her funeral beside Uhtred.

Favourite Moments

"If he arrives at heaven's gates as Uhtred, they might wonder what happened to Osbert"

Beocca is so funny without trying and I ALWAYS laugh at his lines.

"A warrior can only die once. Why die in vain?"

I LOVE that the show doesn’t treat its viewers like we’re dumb because so often in media, characters will do something dangerous for the sake of being brave when it would be better for them to walk away and do something else that will actually have an effect. Instead of trying to stop hundreds of danes crossing his land with a dozen warriors, he travels to Winchester and informs Alfred. If he tried to stop the danes, he would have died along with everyone else and Alfred wouldn’t know of the danes’ movements. Uhtred is nothing if not a Slytherin.

The entire scene of Edmund of East Anglia talking to Ubba and Guthrum about Christianity and them turning to Uhtred to explain is hilarious. "They want to wash me?" was delivered PERFECTLY. I'm cracking up just thinking about it.

“Aethelwold, you are as much a warrior as you are a king”

AND AETHELWOLD SMILES! I had to rewind because it’s both hilarious and such a good character moment. Uhtred and everyone else knows that Aethelwold is the last person worthy of being a king and yet, Aethelwold thinks he’s already a king, his crown and throne have just been stolen for the moment. So when Uhtred says that, he means it as an insult but Aethelwold takes it as a great compliment. And the fact that the shot lingers on just the two of them looking straight ahead and we can see simultaneously that Uhtred is scrunching his nose in disgust and Aethelwold is full of pride is just so funny.

The shot of Uhtred backing up after killing Ubba and the saxons coming forward out of the shadows and forming the shield wall (the battle strategy he taught them!) around him.

Uhtred breaking the shield wall after being enraged at Iseult’s death.

That’s a moment that Uhtred comes back to when he’s proclaiming all the things he did for the saxons. Iseult was definitely Uhtred’s first true love and the first of his women that was taken from him rather than separated like Brida and Mildrith and considering Uhtred’s rough age of about 17 - 20 in my headcanon, it completely makes sense that Iseult’s death would enrage him so much that he charges at a shield wall alone, launches himself over it, and breaks it enough for the saxons to attack. And Guthrum watching and seeing how the saxons triumph because of it and saying “their God is on their side” is just amazing and gives me chills every time.

Incredible Writing and Directing

The pilot episode starts and ends with bookends. In the first few minutes, we see Ragnar the Fearless riding up to the Bebbanburg gate on a white horse, throwing back the furs and holding up the head of the first Uhtred Jr. And then at the end of the episode, Uhtred (the proper one) has completely swung the other way and has become full dane and assumes the same role as Ragnar right down to the colour of the horse.

After Uhtred tries to convince Ubba about Ragnar the Fearless’ death and he and Brida are contemplating what to do, Brida is the one who says they should find Young Ragnar and the danes at the same time Uhtred says they should go to Alfred and the saxons. It’s such good foreshadowing of how they end up on opposing sides and steadily become more like rivals rather than partners.

At the end of episode two, Uhtred is addressing the witan and they’re all standing except for Young Odda, who is literally sitting at the edge of the room. The only reason Young Odda has any standing at court is because of his father. Like Aethelwold, he doesn’t bring anything valuable to the table. Whenever he speaks, no one responds to him and Uhtred keeps interrupting him as if he isn’t speaking at all. They don’t even look at him! And I love that until his outburst at the end, everything he says has no value. He offers no opinions or insight or advice.

Uhtred is so naive to think that he can use Alfred for his own gain, like how he says to Beocca. He literally says “he will see what I allow him to see,” which I think is just about the dumbest thing Uhtred can think. Alfred is always ten steps ahead and for Uhtred to think that he has the upper hand is pure absurdity. It just goes to show how much growth Uhtred has ahead of him. His arrogance is one of the reasons it took a while for me to warm up to him as a protagonist but it’s such a good character flaw for him given how he matures as he grows older.

When the danes and saxons meet before the battle at Ethandun, it’s Uhtred who talks to Skorpa as the leader of the saxons, not Alfred. Uhtred does mention Alfred but Skorpa never looks at anyone but Uhtred, which leads me to believe that Skorpa had no clue that Alfred, king of the saxons, was right there in front of him. I think that if he did know, there would’ve been a shot of Alfred when Uhtred mentions him but the camera stays on Uhtred.

Overall Thoughts

This season really is just set up for the real show. It definitely serves to introduce us to Uhtred and his background and establishes his character so as the show progresses, we understand his choices and loyalties. He really is unlike anyone else in this world, which makes him so interesting to watch. He may have taken a while to like but you CANNOT say that he isn’t a compelling protagonist. They also did an incredible job setting up Uhtred and Alfred’s dynamic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a relationship dynamic like this in anything and I’d 100% say it’s one of the strongest points of the show.

Season one is definitely my least favourite season but my NO MEANS is it bad. The time skips can be a bit confusing and Uhtred is sort of dislikable and a lot is going on but I do enjoy watching it for the most part. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that are forgettable because they’re never mentioned again and to be honest, I might’ve forgotten all about Leofric if he wasn’t brought up in season three despite how much I enjoyed watching him. Oddly enough, Skorpa is quite memorable and I sometimes mix up him with the danes in season three like Bloodhair and Haesten and Cnut.

I do enjoy season one and there are tons of fantastic moments but on the rewatches when I just wanna get into the thick of it and see the storylines and characters I love, I just skip the first season.

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