‘The Last Kingdom’ - based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon series

[Martini Sigil]

My only real complaint is that this show moves too fast... .. they left out scenes from the books that would have made the story more plausible and easier to follow... I understand that they were working with a budget... But to get to this point in the books (2 complete novels) they could have easily done a 13-episode season...

For instance.... Uthred & Hild become close in the books... She is riding away with him at the end of the season.... but they've spent no time developing their friendship ... a nitpick, I know... I'm an asshole.

 

[Veltigar]

Thirteen episodes would have meant a lot of unnecessary padding imo. This show was already amazing. I think one or max. two extra episodes worth of runtime (so divided over several episodes) would have been great though. They could have easily fixed all the problems seven had with that extra time, without hampering the series panache and swift pace. 

[dooog]

I enjoyed the season. Wouldn't say it was brilliant but it was pretty good and i'd definitely watch S2 if they make it.

As for the final episode, I felt it was a mixed bag. I didn't mind the very fast pacing until now, but with so many character deaths and betrayals this one felt far too rushed. Young Oddo for instance, 5 minutes after his meeting with Skorpa his betrayal is unraveled and he's killed off. There wasn't any time for the plot implications to sink in since it was rectified so soon. Likewise with Uhtred finding and mourning his dead child, his grief lasted all of about 2 minutes and then it's forgotten as they move onto the next plot point. Iseult's death did nothing for me.

The battle scene itself was really well done, as someone else mentioned I loved the blood and body soaked battlefield when both sides pulled back. The only thing that let that scene down was the box ticking manner in which Leofric vows to kill that traitor guy (whose betrayal was totally insignificant)... kills traitor guy and then dies himself soon thereafter, each army was about 100 yards wide so it was a little cheesy the way it was excecuted and again, rushed. Also slightly disappointed how Skorpa went down like a redshirt.

This probably seems like an incredibly negative post, it's not, nearly all the good points of the series have been mentioned in the thread already so there's little point of repeating. If it had been perhaps 10 episodes instead it could have been great.

 

 

[Nictarion]

My only real complaint is that this show moves too fast... .. they left out scenes from the books that would have made the story more plausible and easier to follow... I understand that they were working with a budget... But to get to this point in the books (2 complete novels) they could have easily done a 13-episode season...

For instance.... Uthred & Hild become close in the books... She is riding away with him at the end of the season.... but they've spent no time developing their friendship ... a nitpick, I know... I'm an asshole.

 

I was wondering about both her and the other guy that went with him. I thought it was a pretty random.

[Nictarion]

Thirteen episodes would have meant a lot of unnecessary padding imo. This show was already amazing. I think one or max. two extra episodes worth of runtime (so divided over several episodes) would have been great though. They could have easily fixed all the problems seven had with that extra time, without hampering the series panache and swift pace. 

What was your problem with episode 7? I assume just not spending enough time on that part of the book?

I thought that episode probably had the strongest performance by the actor playing Alfred, so I really liked it. 

[HexMachina]

Really liked episode 7, despite the stuff that I felt was missing. Alfred/Uhtred continue to have great inferactions with each other and I really like the atress they have playing Hild. I wish the series was an episode or two longer, as i feel that this episode in particular ened up very rushed and would have benefitted from being split over two episodes. Can someone else who has read the books tell me whether Aethelwold was so...ambitious? In the books? My recollectio  was that he wasnt, or at least he wasnt so unlikeable,but i am not sure i am recalli g correctly

Looki g forward to the final episode!

[Trebla]

I was pleasantly surprised how good this show is. I do think the shorter season made the story tighter and better overall. I agree with folks above that Athelwold and Beocca were really great characters. I also liked the portrayal of Alfred as weak constitutionally but strong-willed and very religious yet pragmatic. 

I got my dad hooked on it and he binged watched the season and declared it better than Vikings. We are really hoping for a season 2.

[Mark Antony]

I was pleasantly surprised how good this show is. I do think the shorter season made the story tighter and better overall. I agree with folks above that Athelwold and Beocca were really great characters. I also liked the portrayal of Alfred as weak constitutionally but strong-willed and very religious yet pragmatic. 

I got my dad hooked on it and he binged watched the season and declared it better than Vikings. We are really hoping for a season 2.

I agree the shorter season was an advantage. I've seen a lot people here say the season felt rushed but idk I felt like the pacing was spot on. 

[HexMachina]

I agree the shorter season was an advantage. I've seen a lot people here say the season felt rushed but idk I felt like the pacing was spot on. 

I would have preferred (well, i think so...bear in mind i still havent seen the finale) may one more episode, or two. It would have allowed more time to pad out the Ragnar-Uhtred relationship (and really, why would anyone mind more screentime for Ravn?) and Episode 7 needed to spend more time (imo) on Alfred hiding out...Another episode or two would have managed that nicely i feel

[Talleyrand]

Yeah I enjoyed it a lot but I think 9 or 10 episodes might have been better or maybe just longer individual episodes. I mean it's an adaption so of course stuff has to be cut and all the stuff about Uhtred living with his mother's family after Ragnar's death war right to be cut cause it'd just take up unnecessary time but I wish there had been more time spent on his time with the Danes - show you a bit more of their culture and his connection with Ravn and the Ragnars.

Plus I think the Dane Invasion was a bit too short in the last two episodes, a bit more of Alfred in hiding (especially his trip into the Dane occupied town)

And Steapa will be missed.

I will say though I prefer this Guthrum to book Guthrum. In the books he was just a dour sod always complaining and with a little curiosity about Christianity but this Guthrum's actor and his almost childlike fascination with Christianity and writing was great.

[ArabellaVidal]

My only real complaint is that this show moves too fast... .. they left out scenes from the books that would have made the story more plausible and easier to follow... I understand that they were working with a budget... But to get to this point in the books (2 complete novels) they could have easily done a 13-episode season...

For instance.... Uthred & Hild become close in the books... She is riding away with him at the end of the season.... but they've spent no time developing their friendship ... a nitpick, I know... I'm an asshole.

 

I haven't read the first books but Hilde riding off with Uhtred seemed weird to me as well. They needed at least one scene which explained why she is going with him, away from Alfred and his wife with whom she's had more on-screen interaction.

[Veltigar]

What was your problem with episode 7? I assume just not spending enough time on that part of the book?

I thought that episode probably had the strongest performance by the actor playing Alfred, so I really liked it. 

My main problem lay with Alfred's storyline. The actor is really good and they cut way to much stuff from his storyline in that part of the book. I mean, I really enjoyed the novels, but - with the exception of episode seven - I believe that the show was much, much better. 

Things they cut/altered from the novel that I would have liked to see in it:

Alfred's foray into the occupied city was a great read. I especially adored the detail that his music was so shitty that the Danes thumbed him unconscious  That whole adventure really added to his character.

I also didn't like their alterations in the marshes. In the books, Alfred draws a sword and goes back to ensure the escape of his family and the priests, eventhough he knows he won't survive. Luckily he's saved by Uthred and Leofric in the nick of time. In the series he doesn't draw his sword, he's just haplessly saved. I didn't like that.

Finally, I really liked the anecdote of Alfred getting slapped with an eal by a peasant woman because he accidentally burned her pastries. The series equivalent of that was just Iseult reprimanding him, but that wasn't really anything special. 

There were some other things, unrelated to the adaptation that I didn't really like. When the Danes attacked the city, Uthred, Leofric and Iseult were hidding in an attic, instead of in a marsh like in the books  That was really stupid, because why wouldn't the Danes inspect the attic. Those break my suspension of disbelief. The other episodes really didn't have anything that broke that suspension. 

[Veltigar]

Yeah I enjoyed it a lot but I think 9 or 10 episodes might have been better or maybe just longer individual episodes. I mean it's an adaption so of course stuff has to be cut and all the stuff about Uhtred living with his mother's family after Ragnar's death war right to be cut cause it'd just take up unnecessary time but I wish there had been more time spent on his time with the Danes - show you a bit more of their I culture and his connection with Ravn and the Ragnars.

I actually prefer the series' version of Uthred's youth with the Danes. Sure I would have liked to see more, but I would have liked to have seen more of the series' version of his childhood. The actors were all really strong and I preferred the writing there.

Plus I think the Dane Invasion was a bit too short in the last two episodes, a bit more of Alfred in hiding (especially his trip into the Dane occupied town)

That's my take away as well. That's why episode seven was my least favourite, it was the only one that lost some of the strength of the novels in translation. 

EDIT: That shot of him getting baptized at the end was great. I think I said it before, but I really felt the full spiritual power of that moment which is a very rare occurence. 

I agree, I hope they bring him back somehow if they make a second season. 

 

[Which Tyler]

My main problem lay with Alfred's storyline. The actor is really good and they cut way to much stuff from his storyline in that part of the book. I mean, I really enjoyed the novels, but - with the exception of episode seven - I believe that the show was much, much better. 

Things they cut/altered from the novel that I would have liked to see in it:

Hidden Content

Agreed with pretty much all of that; felt they could have used 1 more episode, with that time being given to the story of the last 2.

I'd add in the drowning of the boat guards in the marshlands too.

 

I'd have liked a little more time with Uhtred's childhood ; and the establishment of the Royal Navy; but I'm not sure that could be done without messing around with the episode story arcs (boats probably cost a lot too).

[Veltigar]

 

I'd add in the drowning of the boat guards in the marshlands too.

Yeah, that was a little underwhelming as well. I gave them a pass on that though, because I think sticking to the bookversion would have been hard/very expensive to film.

I'd have liked a little more time with Uhtred's childhood ; and the establishment of the Royal Navy; but I'm not sure that could be done without messing around with the episode story arcs (boats probably cost a lot too).

Definitely, you can see that with other shows like Black Sails and Vikings as well, shooting on land is much cheaper

 

Agreed with pretty much all of that; felt they could have used 1 more episode, with that time being given to the story of the last 2.

[cdawnb]

I can't believe we haven't heard if they are going to renew for next season yet.

 

[Talleyrand]

They're probably waiting until the finale's out in the UK so they've got all the viewing figures sorted

[HexMachina]

I can't believe we haven't heard if they are going to renew for next season yet.

 

Knowing the BBC we'll get a season 2 announcement when they air the first trailer. A week before the first episode.

 

[Which Tyler]

Nah, we'll find out from BBCA if it's being made.

We just won't know if we'll get it too before the Americans have already watched the first episode.

[Zorral]

I'll see this when it's on dvd.  Not sure I'm going to like it that much though, since it's not original (as was Vikings) and I've already read all the books.