"Destiny Is All"
The Last Kingdom is Viking Age England at its bloodiest and most personal. Uhtred of Bebbanburg is born a Saxon, raised by Danes, and caught between two worlds. He wants his ancestral home—stolen from him by his uncle—but to get it he must navigate the rivalries of Danish warlords, Saxon kings, and the priests who see him as a pagan threat.
Alexander Dreymon plays Uhtred with a physicality and charisma that carries the show. He's a warrior who fights with joy, a leader who inspires loyalty, a man whose beliefs shift depending on who he's with. He wears his hair in the Danish style, prays to Saxon saints when convenient, and genuinely doesn't understand why everyone else finds this contradictory.
The show follows Bernard Cornwell's novels across five seasons, tracking the unification of England under Alfred the Great and his successors. Alfred (David Dawson) is the show's other major figure—a sickly, pious king who builds an army, a navy, and a kingdom while Uhtred does the fighting. Theirs is a relationship of mutual need and mutual suspicion: Alfred needs Uhtred's sword, Uhtred needs Alfred's legitimacy.
Battles are frequent, visceral, and strategic. The show choreographs shield walls, cavalry charges, and sieges with clarity—you understand the tactics, the terrain, the stakes. The violence is brutal but not gratuitous; these are warriors for whom combat is both profession and religion.
What elevates The Last Kingdom above similar shows is its sense of history as lived experience. Characters speak of destiny, of fate, of gods both Christian and pagan. But destiny isn't a comfortable idea here—it's a force that drags people where they don't want to go. Uhtred's destiny is Bebbanburg, and the show makes you feel how far away it is, how many battles stand between him and home.
World Building (9): 9th-century England rendered in mud, blood, and faith. The Danish camps, Saxon kingdoms, and religious conflicts feel authentic.
Visual Spectacle (8): Battle scenes are excellent—clear choreography, strategic clarity, visceral impact. The production values rise with each season.
Resolution (8): Five seasons complete Uhtred's story. The finale gives him what he's wanted since episode one—earned through decades of war and loss.
"Episode 1" (S1E1) — Uhtred's origin. A child stolen, raised Danish. Destiny's beginning.
"Episode 8" (S2E8) — Battle of Edington. Alfred's kingdom saved. Uhtred's choice.
"Episode 10" (S5E10) — The finale. Bebbanburg. Home. Destiny fulfilled.
US: Netflix
UK: BBC iPlayer, Netflix