The Netflix original historical drama, The Last Kingdom, tells the fascinating tale of how England became England. Filled with copious amounts of gore, tons of high-intensity action, and a bunch of strange medieval names, the show, which started in 2015, serves as something similar to Game of Thrones that is more grounded in reality. You won’t find dragons in The Last Kingdom, but you will find raw, gritty medieval drama and warfare.
Just over a year ago, the third season of the show was released, and it generated quite a bit of buzz. With this season, the show finally hit its stride - the pacing and writing have never been better, which further raises the standards of what we can expect for the upcoming fourth season. But before the next season comes, here is a complete ranking of season three.
Episode 3
I must preface this by saying that no episode in this season was bad, some were just better than others. This episode was a little slower than the others, yet it cannot be called a filler episode. It added layers to an already complex story and furthered the characters that we know and love. It opens with Aethelflaed learning of her husband’s planned betrayal and encompasses arguments between King Alfred and his son, Edward, but the main point of the episode is the Danish alliance. Aethelwold goes to the Danes with Uhtred and his men and lays the seeds of a plan to unite all of the Danish armies so that they can together conquer The Last Kingdom of Wessex.
Episode 7
This episode revealed the full extent of Aethelwold’s ambition. The most poignant thing that happens involves Aethelwold leaving the Danish encampment and returning to the court of Wessex to win back the trust of King Alfred. He claims that he went to spy on the Danes, and thus relays a brief version of the Vikings’ plans. Alfred decides to keep Aethelwold alive, but punish him by blinding for “turning an eye to the Danes.” This moment proved grotesque yet satisfying, as Aethelwold has long been a consistently annoying (though well-written) character.
Episode 2
This episode set up some of the biggest plot points in a season that proved far more politically complicated than the first two. The first episode ends with the death of Uhtred’s wife, Gisela. But, she was buried in a Christian grave. Episode two begins with Uhtred ‘breaking holy ground,’ by removing Gisela’s body from the grave and granting her a proper pagan funeral. When facing King Alfred for his crime, Brother Godwin slanders Gisela’s name. Uhtred, hotheaded as ever, strikes and kills the priest. This seems to be the end of Uhtred and Alfred’s long and rocky relationship.
Episode 1
The beginning of season three set the tone of the season. It opens with a grotesque and shocking level of gore, intermingled with future visions concerning Alfred’s death, and a new face, that of Bloodhair, a vicious Danish warlord. As Wessex learns of this new threat, Uhtred attacks Bloodhair’s forces and captures Skade, the Viking Seer who is adept at seeing into the future. It is Skade that then curses Uhtred, tying herself wholly to him. The episode ends with the birth of Uhtred’s son and the death of his wife.
Episode 6
This episode picks up right where the fifth episode leaves off - at the scene of a fast-paced, muddy, bloody battle between Uhtred and Haesten. After Ragnar’s death and Skade’s subsequent capture, Uhtred returns to Alfred, where he seeks to free Skade and kill Haesten. He convinces Alfred and Edward to come with him, but the King and his son simply watch as Uhtred’s men, horribly outnumbered, begin to fall. Episode 6 provides Edward an opportunity to truly come into his birthright. Fraught with indecision, Edward goes against his father’s orders and leads his men into battle, saving Uhtred’s life and turning the tides of the battle. The episode ends with further information revealed about Uhtred’s curse and how to end it, as well as a long-awaited reconciliation-of-sorts between Uhtred and Brida.
Episode 8
The best part of this episode, besides seeing Aethelwold’s bloody, burnt eye socket, was watching Uhtred finally free himself of his curse. This was incredibly well done, as the episode began by portraying an Uhtred that had seemingly fallen for Skade’s manipulations. It opens with Uhtred drinking Skade’s blood; an essential part of the pagan ritual that Skade performed in the very first episode with Bloodhair. The two share several intimate moments throughout the first half of the episode, even as his men begin to grow suspicious at the fact that the witch is still alive. But when they kiss in the water, not even halfway into the episode, Uhtred takes a seemingly sudden and violent turn, grabbing Skade and forcing her below the surface. With her dies the curse, resulting in Uhtred’s lusted-after freedom.
Episode 4
This episode added a lot of complication to the Danish alliance and Uhtred’s sense of honor. It opens like much of the other episodes, with fierce intensity, as Uhtred and Bloodhair duel to the death. Though Uhtred wins the battle, Ragnar steps in at the last moment and spares Bloodhair’s life. Tension grows in the camp, as many see Uhtred as a Dane-Killer and want him dead. But Uhtred views himself wholly as a Dane, especially after the death of his wife and Alfred’s betrayal. The episode is one of the best of the season, and while it is beyond enjoyable to watch Uhtred fight Bloodhair, the best part happened in a brief moment at the very end. Aethelwold, seeking to further his plans for control of Wessex, sneaks into Ragnar’s tent and kills him, creating a power vacuum that sends the Danish alliance into disarray.
Episode 9
This episode was not nearly as violent as every other in the season. It could be described as slow. However, it served as a chance for King Alfred to say his goodbyes, to mend his relationship with Uhtred, and to die. The two men discuss their bond, their unwitting love and admiration for each other, how Alfred relied heavily on Uhtred over the years, and how he had not granted Uhtred the respect he deserved. While it is lacking in battles, it is dramatic, emotional and shows Uhtred’s full return to Alfred’s side. To watch King Alfred and Uhtred, who had been at odds for much of the season, share a cup of wine and reminiscence showed a softer side to both characters, adding a further layer of complexity to the great warrior upon whose shoulders England was built.
Episode 5
Episode 5 begins by showcasing the chaos that Aethelwold wreaked upon the Danes, specifically Brida. It also serves as a way to further the relationship between Aethelflaed and Uhtred, while providing more details on the parallel plot that is Aethelred’s intention to kill his wife Aethelfaed. It also allows the previously severed relationship between Alfred and Uhtred to partially heal, with Edward’s sworn oath to reinforce Uhtred once he draws Haesten from his fortress. The episode ends with a ferocious fight between Haesten’s forces and Uhtred’s, one that ends with Uhtred’s life hanging in the balance. All in, this episode is bursting with scenes that are of utmost importance, for both furthering the many plot threads and the characterization of the whole cast.
Episode 10
The finale somehow manages to tie up all of the plot threads that were so audaciously explored in this season. The biggest and most enjoyable event involves the massive battle between the Danes and the armies of Wessex, led now by King Edward and Lord Uhtred. While the battle is exciting and terrifying, filled with spraying blood and flying body parts, the earlier-established plot of Brida and Uhtred sending Ragnar’s soul to Valhalla is finally completed. Uhtred kills Aethelwold, with a sword that is covered in Ragnar’s blood, thus freeing Ragnar’s soul from purgatory and at last granting him peace. This is a satisfying death that comes after a season that truly lived up to all of its wildest expectations.
