The Vikings as a subject has been chronicled throughout television and film and a recent addition to that 'The Last Kingdom' is one out of the many which attempt to narrate it. The recent example being 'Vikings' which is currently plundering the area and has been received well. I was looking forward to the first episode of 'The Last Kingdom' because not only did it look interesting, but I was interested to see what it would do.
The episode begins in the brightly beautiful land of the saxons and we are introduced to the characters gradually. Matthew Macfadyen (Edmund Reid in 'Ripper Street') travels a couple thousand years back in time to his usual nineteenth century typecast and fits in extremely well. He is believable and although his time on screen is short-lived, his costuming and his normalcy rather than an extreme warrior as often suggested through TV everybody around this time in this position was is useful for 'The Last Kingdom' to begin with because it sets the scene and makes the threat larger than we would imagine it to be.
Joined by Ian Hart who serves the show as the knowledgeable and religious man with intent and loyalty solely to the lord and not those who want to be (Think Varys in 'Game of Thrones', 'Gaius' in Merlin) and he does it incredibly well. His character always seems as guiding as unchanged as he is in E4's 'My Mad Fat Diary' something else where he excels in this type of way but then would be productive to watch as things as never as they seem with characters like these.
Uhtrid, the second son is introduced as a very likeable and questioning character. At first, he does seem to be the 'black sheep' which is often the case in any TV show with a kingdom in it but that isn't too unforgivable but it's how the plot can can be driven. But what sets Uhtrid apart is unlike most young, 'king'-to-be he actually does seem like a child and the actor who portrays him is good at making him small and not solely a 'already-king' in the suit of a child.
Things I already like about this show is that there is immediate links and contrasts with pagan life and christian life and the line after Uhtrid is baptised 'Welcome to the christian world" is a very metaphoric look in the life Uhtrid is about to have, being put into something he has no part of. As for the Vikings, at first, I would be lying if I said they weren't the average 'viking' package subscribed by how time has passed. They are joking, merry, and never seem to appear as if they are entirely trying because just because these things are consistent in TV does not necessarily make them untrue. Yet, what changes my mnd even though that part is always enjoyable and is deisnged to show the stuffiness of the saxons during the battle 'The Last Kingdom' is more detailed than what is usual for Viking depictons and in this case, it is more apparently and underlined what made them so frightening and advanced. (With devices such as pagan tongue and complex shield defence from both sides.)
It's not long before Uhtrid is captured by the vikings which is an interesting concept. Choosing to keep him is not as easy to believe, but understandable why they do. Uhtrid's lack of struggle and ties being cut to his heritage and finding place with the danes is unusual yet common to show a struggle between being pulled equally from each place. We quickly meet the characters within the viking section and 'The Last Kingdom' is definitely good at, although we know and we see saxons being brutally killed everywhere, we feel warm and homely for the vikings and it begins to warp what the first part told you and removes the accessibility to be able to accurately choose a side which is the way it should be yet in dong this the saxons become more easier to lose because we are no longer with them. Perhaps that is to do with a poor structuring of that side which I'm sure will be explored in the second episode when Uhtrid returns. But not having that person to connect with on that side does contribute to the challenge that the show produces and I hope continues to go with.
We meet the eldery blind viking who entrusts and asks Uhtrid to cut chicken for him and creates an alliance very quickly. Again, nothing new, But I trust and like this character a lot for his wisdom and love for the vikings and what happens. I am interested what is history is and whether or not it was similar to Uhtrid in some way. The viking way of making each other learn and treatment of each other is a stark difference and something the show really plays on which is good. How Uhtrid fits and his humour belongs with them is endearing. A comparison of symbolism of how when Uhtrid was with his 'family', they came close to drowning him with baptising him within a religion and then with the vikings, he is offered but not told to take the pagan necklace which he then goes to tell the saxons that he was 'forced to wear.' Where they force in brutal ways, they don't in others and it seems the exact other way round on the opposite side. Whereas the baptism occurred with the saxons, Uhtrid was playfully thrown off a viking horse into the river.
A scene where Uhtrid looks at his father pinned to a post in a field reverberates and a part which really speaks to you is when he falls on the ground silently and he blends into the long grass. In my opinion, this makes a brief 'show and tell' of his birthright and the culture which he was born from but which he needs to break away from. The way children in 'The Last Kingdom' are used in general to reflect the times and adult subjects. There is a scene where a viking son attacks the other children with a threat of a real sword and rips off the top half of a little viking girl's clothes. It's extremely piercing and scary and you almost cheer on the viking leader who punishes this until you remember that this is typical behaviour, just not when it's a certain child or a child doing it.
Flashing forward to Uhtrid becoming older at the end of the episode was good and the actor who takes over is just as good and is able to make him greatly acted. There are elements of plot missing and it seemed like a large jump to make but the way it was ended with the attack and destruction of the viking group was a perfect move because you believe that you are going to spend the entire show getting to know them but that is far from realistic to expect and it toys with that.
Overall, 'The Last Kingdom' does have promise and I do want to want to watch more but there isn't anything too special about it yet. You would definitely enjoy it if you are interested in historically-based shows and there is a huge undeniable awesome cast on their way in future episodes including David Dawson (Also 'Ripper Street', 'Peaky Blinders', 'The Banished.') There is something slightly Starz 'Spartacus' about the music at points (Also adult Uhtrid- Nasir from 'Spartacus' anyone?) and there does seem to be inspiration from HBO's 'Game of Thrones' in the title sequence but inspiration can only be a good thing even if it doesn't truly set it apart.
I'm not very impressed with the diversity or much in the way of well-rounded female characters in the first episode which is crucial but It will be seen if given time for the story to be open us, this happens. But just like Ragnar in the episode described as he dipped his finger into the water and tasted it; this show could be 'Sweet water.' I haven't seen in take of in any visible popularity yet but the show can grow and make it and survive and I hope it will prove to be good enough to with so many-start up series more than ever meeting their early graves however being part of the BBC guarantees it as least two series.
I rate this episode at around 3.5 stars. Have you seen the 'The Last Kingdom'? What do you think about it?
You can catch 'The Last Kingdom' on BBC2 in the UK and on BBC America in the US.
