The Last Kingdom Season 1 – TV Series

Episodes 01

In 866, Danish earl Ragnar leads a fleet of dragonships to the coast of Northumbria, where he kills the eldest son of the Saxon Lord of Bebbanburg Uhtred (Matthew Macfadyen). Uhtred engages Ragnar and his Danish army at Eoferwic. The Danes feign a retreat, leading the reserves of the Saxon army to attack, and then be flanked by a hidden force of Danes. Uhtred is killed, and his 10-year-old son Uhtred and a Saxon girl named Brida are taken as slaves by Ragnar. The boy later saves the Earl’s daughter Thyra from Sven, son of Kjartan, one of Ragnar’s ship captains. Sven is blinded in one eye as punishment and Kjartan is banished. Uhtred and Brida are adopted into Ragnar’s family and raised as Danes and pagans. In young adulthood, Uhtred and Brida see Earl Ragnar killed when his hall is burned by a vengeful Kjartan and Sven. Only Thyra survives and she is captured and enslaved. Uhtred decides to embark on the task of regaining his lands from his uncle, Aelfric, who has usurped Uhtred’s titles and inheritance and is now aligned with the Danes.

Episodes 02

Uhtred is blamed for the death of Earl Ragnar during a reported Saxon uprising in the North. He pleads his innocence to Danish warlords Ubba and Guthrum, but he watches while they murder East Anglian King Edmund in the manner of Christian martyr Saint Sebastian. Ubba and Guthrum do not believe that Uhtred is innocent of Ragnar’s death, so Uhtred and Brida flee to Winchester, capital of Wessex and the last surviving Saxon kingdom. There, Uhtred supplies information of an impending Danish attack, but Lord Alfred, brother of King Æthelred is uncertain whether the young couple can be trusted and advises the king to imprison them pending the outcome of the battle.

Episodes 03

King Æthelred and Alfred win the battle, but the king is mortally wounded, bequeathing his crown to Alfred rather than his own son, Æthelwold. Uhtred and Brida are released and Alfred seeks a peace treaty with Guthrum and Ubba. Uhtred advises Alfred what the Danes fear and watches Alfred negotiate peace to give Wessex time to prepare for future battles. Uhtred trains the Saxon army to be ready to face the Danes after pledging his allegiance to Alfred for a year. Brida miscarries Uhtred’s child. Earl Ragnar’s son, Ragnar the Younger returns from Ireland, seeking the truth about the death of Earl Ragnar. Realizing that Uhtred will not break his word to Alfred, Brida leaves with Ragnar who is bent on revenge against Kjartan.

Episodes 04

In order to gain land and become an Ealdorman, Uhtred is persuaded by Alfred to marry Mildrith. Unbeknown to Uhtred, she bears the burden of her deceased father’s debt to the church, two thousand shillings. Uhtred realises he has been tricked. Despite this, love blossoms, and Mildrith becomes pregnant. The Danes, under Guthrum and Ragnar the Younger, capture the fortified town of Wareham. During peace talks, Uhtred and nine others, including a priest, are used in a hostage exchange with the Danes, with Uhtred sent by Alfred with instructions to escape and report back as soon as he learns of Ubba’s return from Ireland. He meets his brother Ragnar and Brida again, who are now a couple. Meanwhile, Mildrith gives birth to a son. When the peace collapses, with Ubba’s imminent return from Ireland, the hostages are all killed except Uhtred, who is allowed to leave after Ragnar’s intervention. He spies a large Danish fleet under Guthrum and lights the first beacon warning Wessex of a new invasion.

Episodes 05

Guthrum’s Danish fleet lands in the south but loses many ships in a huge storm. Alfred goes south to defend against Guthrum and Uhtred joins the force led by Odda the Elder, facing Ubba and the Danes at Cynwit on the Severn. Uhtred sneaks into the Danish camp and sets fire to some of their ships, causing confusion. He is spotted and forced to fight Ubba to the death. He kills Ubba and Odda’s forces arrive and defeat the Danes. But Odda is injured and, in Winchester, Odda the Younger persuades Alfred the victory was his work. Uhtred objects and is humiliated by Alfred. Mildrith, Uhtred, and their baby son (also Uhtred) return to their lands. Uhtred kills Oswald, the estate’s steward, after realising that he has been cheating him.

Episodes 06

Uhtred and Leofric leave Wessex with armed fighters dressed as Danes, to raid Cornwall and pay off Uhtred’s debts. They are approached by Brother Asser, a monk. His king, Peradur, pays Uhtred and his band to attack a nearby fort held by Skorpa of the White Horse and his Vikings. Uhtred and Skorpa double-cross and kill Peradur and his men. Skorpa then double-crosses Uhtred to take the king’s treasure, but Peradur’s pagan queen Iseult shows Uhtred the hidden main cache. Uhtred pays off his debt to the church with some of the plunder. Uhtred and Iseult arrive at Alfred’s court, where Uhtred is accused in the Witan by Asser of raiding Cornish territory. Leofric, who is forced to testify against Uhtred, pleads with Alfred to resolve the dispute by fighting Uhtred to the death.

Episodes 07

Alfred offers to pardon Uhtred in return for resuming his debt to the church and sending Iseult back to Cornwall, but Uhtred refuses to abandon Iseult. During Leofric and Uhtred’s fight to the death, Guthrum’s army attacks and captures Winchester without a fight. Uhtred, Leofric, and Iseult rescue a nun, Hild who is being raped by Danes and escape Winchester, hiding in the Somerset marshlands. There they discover Alfred, fleeing the Danes with his family and a group of his priests to Athelney. The king sends a message to Wulfhere, Beocca, and Asser, who rally to him with their remaining forces. Iseult cures Alfred’s sick son Edward but warns that another child will die as a result. Skorpa’s fleet of ships is moored elsewhere in the marshes. Uhtred and his men lure the guards into the deeper marshes, where they are killed and their ships set alight.

Episodes 08

Wulfhere and his men desert Alfred to join Guthrum. Alfred and his remaining force journey to Odda in the hope of gathering an army. Uhtred discovers his son has died, fulfilling Iseult’s prophecy. Iseult also reveals that Uhtred’s sister Thyra is still alive. Alfred sends messages for loyal troops to gather at Egbert’s Stone. Odda the Younger rejects Alfred’s request for troops. Odda the Elder kills his son for his treason, and his men join Alfred and meet up with the other troops. Alfred delivers a rousing battle speech and Uhtred leads the army in a shield wall. The Saxons push the Danes back but Leofric is mortally wounded. Skorpa leads his horsemen behind the Saxon army and slaughters all the camp followers, including Iseult. Skorpa taunts Uhtred with Iseult’s severed head and on seeing this Uhtred goes berserk, breaks rank, charges over the Viking shield wall and kills Skorpa in retaliation. His rage opens a gap that allows the Saxons to pour through the Danes’ defense and claim victory. Young Ragnar and Brida are taken as hostages to secure the new peace with the Danes, and Guthrum converts to Christianity having seen Alfred’s victory as proof that his ‘God is with him’. Uhtred, Hild, and Halig ride north to Bebbanburg.