Destiny Is All!
Introductions
Netflix has announced that The Last Kingdom Season 5 will be dropping on August 29th. If you’re looking for a handy recap before then, we’ve got you covered with our full story recap with everything you need to know.
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Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 1
The beginning
Uhtred is taken to Denmark, where he’s forced into slavery. He spends years working in the fields and in the shipyards. He also becomes friends with a group of other slaves, including a Christian priest named Ubba. One day, Uhtred escapes and makes his way back to England, where he reunites with Brida. They then set out to find revenge on the Vikings who killed Uhtred’s father. ..
Ragnar Warmly Appreciates Uhtred and Brida Ragnar eventually decides to buy Uhtred for himself following a meeting with Uhtred’s uncle Aelfric, and Uhtred is subsequently raised as a Viking. He adopts the Norse religion and seems to be reborn into this world.
Uhtred is a man who has been through a lot in his life, but the most significant event of his young adulthood was when he lost his adoptive family in a raid. He now lives with the Danes and must worry about avenging their deaths. Kjartan, the warrior who did this, is still out there and Uhtred is determined to find him and bring him to justice.
The Kingdom of Wessex
Kjartan blames Uhtred for the murders and he flees with Brida to the Kingdom of Wessex. This area is ruled by King Alfred, who has his own problems though, including scheming from nobleman Aethelwold who believes he should be King. ..
Brida decides not to stay with Earl Ragnar and team up with Ragnar The Younger. Uhtred meanwhile, finds his relationship with Alfred sour after interrupting his prayers. His wife also starts to resent him too.
Pagan Magic
When Uhtred goes plundering for treasure as a way of getting away from Alfred and Wessex, he finds a pagan Queen called Iseult whom he falls in love with. Alfred does not take kindly to this and orders Uhtred’s execution. When the Danes attack though, it causes everyone to flee.
Alfred and his wife, Aelswith, hide with their newborn son, Edward, in the marshes of Athelney. However, their son is sick. Thankfully, Uhtred and Iseult show and perform a Pagan ritual which cures the baby. It also allows Alfred to trust him again. ..
A Heavy Loss
Following the attack on Alfred’s kingdom, messengers are sent out to call Saxons to muster for an impending battle against the Danes. The only way they will be able to win is if every Saxon arm joins forces against their enemies. ..
Alfred has won a victory against the Vikings, but at a high cost. Iseult is beheaded, leaving Uhtred shell-shocked. Brida and Young Ragnar are imprisoned in Wessex as Alfred’s hostages while Uhtred heads north.
Season 2
King in the North
The second season of Vikings begins with a prophetic vision, courtesy of Abbot Eadred of Cumbraland. Guthred, the king of Cumbraland, has been enslaved by Kjartan and Sven. He’s in a rough way so naturally, King Alfred wants to help. This also coincides with him extending his own kingdom and influence, so he sends Father Beocca to try and negotiate. ..
Beocca and Uhtred travel to Guthred’s stronghold in order to help him escape. They are successful in doing so, but end up breaking out of the stronghold with Guthred.
Guthred becomes king in the north, with Uhtred his close advisor. Guthred’s pagan sister Gisela and Uthred are attracted to each other and plan to marry. Well, not if christian Guthred has anything to do with it.
Slavery
Guthred’s popularity is a constant worry, but he mercifully sells Uhtred into slavery on the open seas.
King Alfred learns of the events that have transpired and sends his hostage, Ragnar the Younger, to find Uhtred. After months of abuse, the slave ship docks and Uhtred is close to death.
Thankfully, Ragnar saves him from this fate, heading out into the wilderness to help him regain his strength. Interestingly, Uhtred runs into Gisela again, who actually fled from her brother to avoid being forced into marriage. ..
Abbot Eadred shows up and reveals that he’s already married Gisela to Uhtred’s uncle Aelfric. Uhtred is enraged and kills Eadred in front of a group of priests. He eventually reunites with Gisela and the pair return to Wessex. ..
The Ultimatum
After learning of Eadred’s death, Alfred forces Uhtred into an ultimatum – either Ragnar be executed or he swear an oath of service to the King. He chooses the latter. However, Uhtred also negotiates for Brida and Ragnar’s freedom in the wake of this.
King Alfred organizes for his daughter, Princess Aethelflaed, to marry Lord Aethelred of Mercia in order to prevent war from breaking out. ..
Aethelred, the king of England, is known for being abusive behind closed doors. However, Aethelflaed, his daughter and heir apparent, is aware of how tenuous the two sides are and decides to keep this a secret. ..
Merciful Uhtred
Alfred sends Uhtred out on a mission to kill Viking brothers Erik and Sigefrid but instead, Uhtred mercifully sends them back to Denmark instead.
King Guthred has decided to attack Dunholm, a stronghold held by Kjaratan and Sven, the two men responsible for killing his adoptive family. This is significant because it shows Guthred’s commitment to justice and his desire to avenge the deaths of his family.
A big siege ensues, where both Kjartan and Sven are killed. Uhtred’s adoptive sister, Thyra – whom we believed was dead until this moment – is actually still alive. She’s been held prisoner and has also suffered from a lot of abuse. Ragnar and Brida (who joined in the raid) agree to stay and hold the stronghold with the army of Danes.
Three Years Later
Uhtred returns to Wessex with Thyra, whom he leaves in the care of Father Beocca. Uhtred is also married to Gisela too, where they live in peace for three years. As fate would have it, Beocca and Thyra are also wed during this time.
Erik and Sigefrid capture London with a big army, but Alfred sends his men, led by Aethelred, to London. Unfortunately, the Danes have an alternate plan.
The Danes Strike Back
The Saxons kidnap King Alfred’s daughter in an attempt to get him to pay a large ransom. If he does, they will raise an army to challenge the Saxons. ..
Alfred agrees to cough up the funds, but when he refuses, Odda works behind his back to arrange for an army of his own to attack the Vikings.
Aethelflaed and Erik have fallen in love and plan to escape, calling on Uhtred to help. Uhtred is not exactly happy about it but agrees to help nonetheless, breaking Aethelflaed out of prison. When Sigefrid finds out what’s happening, he kills his brother and sends his men to capture the Lady of Mercia. ..
A bittersweet victory
Odda’s gamble pays off and his army fights off the Dane, with Aethelflaed actually killing Sigefrid. It’s a massive victory for the Saxons but one that’s bittersweet. Odda is to face execution for going against Alfred’s orders but he commits suicide in prison instead. ..
Season 3
Bloodhair
Alfred is worried about the Viking threat and decides to send Uhtred out to fight them. Uhtred is hesitant at first, but he eventually agrees. He knows that he can’t let the Vikings take over England, and he wants to help Alfred protect his people.
Skade tortures priests in a nearby church and Uhtred takes her hostage. When Bloodhair loses the ensuing battle to get her back and flees, Skade starts to shift her allegiance toward Uhtred.
Aethelwold, the Earl of Mercia, is not happy when Alfred plans to give the throne to his son Edward. Aethelwold wants the throne for himself and begins to upset the balance of power in Wessex by bribing a priest to antagonize Uhtred, Alfred’s son. ..
Skade’s curse
However, bigger problems are brewing. Gisela dies giving birth to Uhtred’s third child. When Uhtred finds out, he believes this is a sign of Skade’s curse. ..
After a disagreement about burial rituals, Uhtred lashes out at the bribed priest and slaps him. The old man was initially frail, so he dies at Uhtred’s hand. ..
Uhtred rejects Alfred’s suggestion of a lifetime oath to Wessex, and alongside his most loyal men, flees Wessex. Skade is with them. Upon escaping, Uhtred is wounded by a spear. ..
The Alliance
Aethelwold continues to scheme and heads up to see Bloodhair. Bloodhair has joined forces with Sigefrid’s ally Haesten, and they both listen as Aethelwold suggests they gather a large Dane army in Dunholm. ..
Interestingly, this coincides with Uhtred who ends up at Dunholm where he is nursed back to health by Ragnar and Brida. They have heard about Aethelwold’s plan and intend to get involved. However, Uhtred does not. ..
Ragnar’s rejection of Cnut sees him labeled as a “Dane slayer” by his cousin. This situation escalates when Uhtred heads out to help Aethelflaed, turning his back on his childhood and severing his ties with the Danes forever. When he leaves, he does so with both Skade and his men.
Skade is soon passed to Alfred’s secret informant, in exchange for keeping Aethelflaed safe, at least for a while.
Unrest in the Danish camp
Meanwhile, Aethelwold kills Ragnar while he sleeps in his tent. In doing so, Brida realizes he’s not going to Valhalla because he didn’t have a sword in his hand when he died Thanks to the manner of his death, and she’s devastated. She blames Uhtred for abandoning them, and also points out that this is another instance of Skade’s curse materializing. So he formulates a plan to retrieve her from Haesten.
Uhtred forms an alliance with Edward, Alfred’s son. They organize a siege to attack Beamfleot. While the Saxons are victorious, Haesten escapes with Skade and heads toward Bloodhair and Cnut’s combined Dane forces in the north.
Aethelwold is on his way back to Wessex, but Alfred captures him when he arrives. Alfred has one of his eyes removed so that Aethelwold can’t see.
All is not well in the Dane ranks, as Haesten kills Bloodhair in battle over deciding who keeps Skade. Funnily enough, Uhtred takes her back shortly thereafter, courtesy of a successful covert operation. ..
Two deaths
Skade let her guard down around Uhtred, believing it would destroy the curse she put on him. Uhtred took this opportunity to drown her in the river, believing it would break the curse. ..
Father Beocca breaks into Alfred’s palace for a private meeting with Alfred. Uhtred is snuck into Wessex where he helps break Alfred into the palace for a private meeting.
The conversation between Uhtred and Alfred is bittersweet. Uhtred admits to his wrongdoing and how much respect he has for Alfred. Alfred also hands over a letter pardoning Uhtred of all his crimes and making him a free man.
After Uhtred’s freedom is secured, the fate of Wessex hangs in the balance when he dies later that night. ..
The Fire
A big disagreement breaks out between Edward and Aethelwold over who should get the crown. Alfred’s death also brings out xenophobia against those Danes who have settled peacefully in Wessex. Thyra is one of these and she’s followed by a man who sets fire to her house while everyone else is attending Alfred’s funeral.
Thyra manages to hide in a secret hideout under the floorboards. She does kill her attacker by thrusting a knife through the floorboard gap but he falls over the loose boards and Thyra isn’t strong enough to move him. As a consequence, she dies in the fire.
Aethelwold’s plan to usurp his brother is foiled, but the crooked nobleman he’s hired actually fights for the Saxons, leading him to flee.
Aethelwold’s demise
Uhtred tracks down Ragnar where he admits he killed him. He also promises to leave in exchange for allowing him to live. Uhtred ignores his pleas and stabs Aethelwold, piercing the pouch carrying his sister’s blood and subsequently freeing Ragnar’s soul so it can pass on to Valhalla.
Brida watches all of this take place and embraces Uhtred. She eventually wanders back to the Danes where her allegiance lies, but she remains close with the Saxons. ..
Season 4
King Edward IV of England struggles to fill the large boots left behind by his father, King George III. With a shaky truce established at the end of season 3, the fourth season picks up several years into Edward’s reign, with the young King struggling to fill the large shoes left behind by his father.
Uhtred is no help here either, and after refusing to swear allegiance to Alfred’s son, ends up growing closer to Aethelflaed as his loyalty lies more with her than with Edward. Naturally, the pair end up romantically linked. ..
Uhtred is involved in a power struggle to succeed his father as ruler of Mercia, and he helps Aethelflaed ascend to the throne. This ensures that Mercia is aligned with Wessex rather than succumb to control from a new King. However, Aetelflaed agrees not to have any relationships while she is head of Mercia.
Uthred is given this position in order to realize that their love is never going to materialize because of their positions.
Despite their moments at the end of season 3, Brida, heavily pregnant, remains on the side of the Danes. After the Danes are defeated in battle, Brida begs Uthred to spare her life and be made a slave. Uthred is unable to kill his former friend and she is taken to Wales where she remains in slavery until rescued by Sigtryggr. Despite their moments at the end of season 3, she resents that he deserted her and the Danes especially since Uhtred didn’t kill her on the battlefield. ..
Brida and her team of Danes set out to sack Winchester, but they are met with resistance from the Welsh. They are eventually successful in taking the city, but Brida is left feeling angry and bitter. She decides to take her revenge on the Welsh people.
Uhtred joins the fight intending to save Winchester from Sigtryggr and Brida’s combined forces. Although Brida wants to kill the Saxons in retaliation for the horrors she faced at the hands of the Welsh, Sigtryggr is more tactical and attempts to negotiate his homeland. In the middle of all this, he also marries Uthred’s daughter, Stiorra. ..
Edward is given a choice: either choose one of his boys to live, or forfeit both children. Uhtred gambles and offers himself up in exchange for both children surviving this. This decision has a significant impact on the course of the story, as it forces Edward to make a difficult choice that affects not just himself, but also his son.
Brida and Uhtred are forced to work together in order to survive in the city. Aethelflaed arrives with her forces, and they all work together to push into the city.
Uhtred and a heavy pregnant Brida fight but the former refuses to attack her. In the end, Brida vows revenge, promising to instill that same level of anger and hatred she feels for him through her child too. Brida then gives birth in the wild.
Aelswith is poisoned by Edward’s father-in-law during the commotion.
Edward realizes that having two sons in court is probably dangerous, so he asks Uhtred to take Aethelstan with him. With Edward’s daughter off with the Danes, in a shocking move earlier on in the season, Uhtred is left with the fate of England in his hands. ..
However, Uhtred’s actions could lead to a second conflict. He has been shown to be a ruthless and violent warrior, which could lead to him becoming unpopular with the people. This could lead to a civil war, in which Aethelstan would have to choose sides. ..
The other conflict in season 5 comes from Brida and her unbridled hatred for Uhtred. It seems that she will be the main antagonist of the season. Brida promises to raise her child to feel the same way she does about Uhtred, promising an interesting season ahead.
Season 1 of The Last Kingdom covers the events leading up to the death of Alfred the Great and the start of the Viking Age. Season 2 follows Uhtred and his Saxon followers as they try to take back England from the Danes, while Season 3 sees them fight against a new Danish threat in Northumbria. Season 4 concludes with Uhtred and his Saxon army facing off against King Harald Hardrada and his Norwegian forces at Stamford Bridge. So that’s all there is to know about The Last Kingdom – now go watch it! ..
The Last Kingdom was an excellent show that left us wanting more. However, there are a few details we feel could have been covered better in this recap. Do let us know what you think in the comments below! ..
