Pliskin Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 I liked the original arc of Odda. Really great character and actor. It moved me more than anything I think in the finale. On the other hand, I would have preferred something closer to the book for the final showdown. I understand that the ships and naval battles are a big no no for the show's budget, but they could have at least stayed true to Spoiler Erik's death. They made Sigefried more likeable in the show, where they just fight in a duel and Sigefried wins. Whereas in the book, Erik is the archetypal naive idealistic guy who doesn't think for one second that his brother would be able to kill him, and just throws himself to him without fighting. And the brother turns out to be a prick not only to the other people, but also to his own kin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 And here we go -- weeeeeeeee! So much I have to do, but by golly I've done two of the eps already today, the first day it is streaming here in the USA. Terrible things are happening all around me, but -- here I can take refuge, among all these people fighting for their existence, their dignity and their honor. Not to mention their ambition . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 Was just skimming through the comments to the final episode of season 2 on the UK Guardian -- peoples are lovin' it and can't wait for season 3. I have most of season 2 still to watch, and I can't wait for season 3. The third episode was brutal. Spoiler The enslavement of Uhtred and his two companions on a ship, and what happens is depicted ruthlessly. Though it is done very quickly, and we get through it before the episode is concluded, for the viewer it felt as endless as it does to the victims, and as long as it went on -- much longer -- in the novel. Glad that is over and done with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 I stayed away, because I had a bunch of things to do yesterday, and today, and I knew that once I started watching, it would be hard to stop. Finished re-watching season 1 on Thursday. Now I'm ready... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Which Tyler Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 You will love it; a definite step up on S1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 This was a brilliant season and most satisfying for people who enjoy and search out historical fiction television, of which there's not that much. Really, not really, that's any good. I was kind of disappointed though that we saw some horses working in the fields of this 9th century southern angle-land wearing contemporary blinders / blinkers -- and what almost, at least, looked like horse collars, which hadn't yet been invented . . . . But that was background. And I could be wrong too -- imagine that!!!! I will re-watch very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Finished watching season 2. Solid show throughout, top notch acting, and a step up over season 1. I'm glad that Netflix got involved, they needed a medieval show after giving up on Marco Polo, and this is a great choice. For the most part I like the pace of the show. They are still able to fully develop the main events, and so far it has been fairly faithful to the books. Much of the book material consists of Uthred telling the reader how things stand, but the show did that well enough throughout the plot. I think my favorite episode was 4, when they attack Dunholm and kill Kjartan. All the raw emotion + what I think was the best action sequence so far made for a terrific episode. Glad we got a bunch of characters, some of whom should have been in season 1, like Steapa, Haesten and Father Pyrlig, but better late than never. Too bad the friendship between Uthred and Steapa was never shown properly, and while I like how they did Haesten, I wish they would have kept his book oath breaking to Uthred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I also liked the way the through-line was handled, of Lady Æthelflæd's story, in this season. It's nice to see so many female characters surrounding the protagonist, none of whom are idiots, and all of whom are different from each other. Also this is the way the audience receives the information that Uhtred's character both enjoys women for their personalities and characters as well as for other reasons that most men don't go beyond, what they can provide in terms of rank, wealth, connection and sex -- all of which are true to book Uhtred's character. That's probably the reason this Cornwell series has at least as many female readers as male. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martini Sigil Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 I know I'm late to this thread, but we just finished up.... Holy Cow I loved this season... I was critical of this show season one --I thought they moved too fast through the source books-- but this was a fantastic eight episodes of storytelling... As an aside... if HBO ever decides to do Robert's Rebellion, Millie Brady (Aethelflaed) would make a terrific Lyanna Stark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 2 hours ago, Martini Sigil said: I know I'm late to this thread, but we just finished up.... Holy Cow I loved this season... I was critical of this show season one --I thought they moved too fast through the source books-- but this was a fantastic eight episodes of storytelling... As an aside... if HBO ever decides to do Robert's Rebellion, Millie Brady (Aethelflaed) would make a terrific Lyanna Stark Surely they would use the actress they already have But I agree, loved this season. The brothers were awesome antagonists and I'm sad to see them go. Much of this season was also completely new to me, having only read the first three books. Don't know if that added to or detracted from my enjoyment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Took me a while to get round to watching the final part of the season, but it was worth the wait, I thought it ended very strongly. I liked Aethelflaed's character a lot, and Etherled managed to be more dislikeable than any of the Viking antagonists in the show. I think the whole cast has been doing a good job, and it's got a good variety of interesting characters. Anyone know if a third season has been ordered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Rodrigo Belmonte II Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 This show gets right what vikings doesn't... That you can't rush character development in one episode and people actually behave in a logical way... The story is also fast paced, no fillers and really bad ass likeable characters. I hope it gets renewed, this has been my staple European medieval show to watch on tv since I stopped Vikings (S4 was atrocious) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalzod Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 I just suffered through season 2, episode 1. This show is the drizzling shits, I'm sorry. Everyone is too clean and pretty. It's directed in boring fashion. The Vikings are cliches. It's as if someone took VIKINGS, removed all the compelling castmembers, and sucked every drop of testosterone, inspiration, energy, and style from it. Last Kingdom and Turn are neck and neck for how to take a subject matter and make it as boring as possible. The revolution in York against the devastating Vikings was portrayed in 10 seconds, a lame ass montage. A scene prior saw a monk give a limp speech to 6 Friar Tucks that started the revolt? The revolt against the well armed Vikings succeeded because... bad writing. The action scenes are ass. I'd rather sit through 100 episodes in a row of the dumb as a bag of hammers Into the Badlands thsn this boiled rubber turd. Did Uhtred really put on a scary mask and spook a Viking? Made him run blindfolded into a tree? Good lord. Just the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pliskin Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 He's back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Antony Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 5 hours ago, generalzod said: I just suffered through season 2, episode 1.. Why? Your post makes it seems like you watched it just to think of some edgy ways to try and shit on it. Doubt youll find one person here who agrees with your opinion but if it makes you feel better keep hate watching and posting your controversial hot takes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 12 hours ago, generalzod said: I just suffered through season 2, episode 1. How depressed has The Last Kingdom made him that it's taken this long to get back to wasting his time with something he despises SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much, and cannot let go insisting that EVERYONE ELSE hate it just as much? How weird is this anyway? O well, what the heck, have a or three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetyrPunkinhead Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 On 6/25/2017 at 0:47 AM, generalzod said: I just suffered through season 2, episode 1. This show is the drizzling shits, I'm sorry. Everyone is too clean and pretty. It's directed in boring fashion. The Vikings are cliches. It's as if someone took VIKINGS, removed all the compelling castmembers, and sucked every drop of testosterone, inspiration, energy, and style from it. Last Kingdom and Turn are neck and neck for how to take a subject matter and make it as boring as possible. The revolution in York against the devastating Vikings was portrayed in 10 seconds, a lame ass montage. A scene prior saw a monk give a limp speech to 6 Friar Tucks that started the revolt? The revolt against the well armed Vikings succeeded because... bad writing. The action scenes are ass. I'd rather sit through 100 episodes in a row of the dumb as a bag of hammers Into the Badlands thsn this boiled rubber turd. Did Uhtred really put on a scary mask and spook a Viking? Made him run blindfolded into a tree? Good lord. Just the worst. First, any show I dislike from now on I'm calling "the drizzling shits." So thanks for that. Second, I can't agree this particular series is the drizzling shits, but thus far (I am on episode 5) it's not as compelling as I recall season one being. However, you do have a valid point about the abruptness of the York rebellion. I thought the friar/priest's call for rebellion with his fellows ended on a very comical note and then hard cut to murder in the streets. Odd bit of direction and/or writing there. The Uhtred "in a spooky" mask whole bit worked for me. I never read any of the books, but I'm viewing this series under the impression your average character is far more gullible and superstitious than someone would be in modern times. I mean, this whole storyline starts off because an abbot claims to have had a weird dream that Guhtred (sp?) should be a king. So Uhtred's ruse isn't a real stretch at all comparatively. Also, the scene that follows with the two Danes trying to explain what went wrong with the ransom to Kjartan was brilliant. On 5/6/2017 at 1:50 PM, Zorral said: Was just skimming through the comments to the final episode of season 2 on the UK Guardian -- peoples are lovin' it and can't wait for season 3. I have most of season 2 still to watch, and I can't wait for season 3. The third episode was brutal. Reveal hidden contents The enslavement of Uhtred and his two companions on a ship, and what happens is depicted ruthlessly. Though it is done very quickly, and we get through it before the episode is concluded, for the viewer it felt as endless as it does to the victims, and as long as it went on -- much longer -- in the novel. Glad that is over and done with! I've only finished the first five episodes, but S2E3 is, by a wide margin, the best episode thus far. It played out like a mini-movie. Yeah, and brutal is an understatement. Spoiler After the failed escape seeing Uhtred cry, I was like--damn, WTF must they have done to finally break him like that? And then they pull (no pun intended) to a wide shot of the front of the ship. Fuhhh! That is some next level torture there. Literally forcing Uhtred to help drown/kill one of his closest friends. That would be PTSD minimum for someone in Uhtred's position today. I'm disappointed they haven't shown Uhtred struggling with his time as a slave in the following two episodes though. Guhtred was definitely changed by his time in slavery, and they did a good job of showing how that fear he was struggling with, along with the abbot's counsel, led him to betray Uhtred. I wish they would've juxtaposed Uhtred's dealing with his time in slavery with Guhtred a little more. Essentially Uhtred needed the ride back to Wessex to "recover" and he was back to normal. I'd have settled just for a flashback/nightmare scene in E4orE5 just to let us know it's still something that's rattling around in the back of Uhtred's head. On 5/13/2017 at 9:39 PM, Corvinus said: Finished watching season 2... I think my favorite episode was 4, when they attack Dunholm and kill Kjartan. All the raw emotion + what I think was the best action sequence so far made for a terrific episode... By "raw emotion" I'm guessing you meant... ...Ragnar's hacking of Kjartan? That was definitely an emotional scene. The attack on the fortress itself left much to be desired for me. For something that's been building up since S1 I thought it fell flat. And maybe someone who read the books can explain to me what's with their sister living in the kennels. Going back to the subject of slavery, I can see how her circumstances could affect her that way mentally, but how'd she decide to come to live with the dogs and why would Kjartan or her husband permit that to happen? Indulging her like that seems WAY out of character for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 6 hours ago, PetyrPunkinhead said: By "raw emotion" I'm guessing you meant... Reveal hidden contents ...Ragnar's hacking of Kjartan? That was definitely an emotional scene. The attack on the fortress itself left much to be desired for me. For something that's been building up since S1 I thought it fell flat. And maybe someone who read the books can explain to me what's with their sister living in the kennels. Going back to the subject of slavery, I can see how her circumstances could affect her that way mentally, but how'd she decide to come to live with the dogs and why would Kjartan or her husband permit that to happen? Indulging her like that seems WAY out of character for them. Yes, I enjoyed that part. I would agree that bringing the story up to that point was a bit rushed, mainly the re-introduction of Kjartan and Sven, but I thought the assault on the fortress was well done, and pretty much mirrored the book. And on that subject, I cannot explain the dog thing, I think everyone who has read the books might agree that one piece is one of the weirdest and weakest moments in the entire book series. No idea why Cornwell did that. But, yeah, the people of this time are extremely superstitious, as all, Dane of Saxons alike, are quite religious, and said superstitions tie in their beliefs. Uthred constantly takes advantage of this throughout the series. And I would not bother with generalzod, he's only trolling this thread because he's mad at all the constant criticism his beloved Vikings series gets on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetyrPunkinhead Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 8 hours ago, Corvinus said: Yes, I enjoyed that part. I would agree that bringing the story up to that point was a bit rushed, mainly the re-introduction of Kjartan and Sven, but I thought the assault on the fortress was well done, and pretty much mirrored the book. And on that subject, I cannot explain the dog thing, I think everyone who has read the books might agree that one piece is one of the weirdest and weakest moments in the entire book series. No idea why Cornwell did that. But, yeah, the people of this time are extremely superstitious, as all, Dane of Saxons alike, are quite religious, and said superstitions tie in their beliefs. Uthred constantly takes advantage of this throughout the series. And I would not bother with generalzod, he's only trolling this thread because he's mad at all the constant criticism his beloved Vikings series gets on the forum. I guess we're in no need of spoiler tags for S2? Someone should change the thread title. And not to beat a dead horse, but the raid on the fortress was just not done in a believable way for me. Uhtred's men should've made it to the gate much faster to let Ragnar's men in and the battle inside the fortress walls should've went a bit longer before the final "duel." As it was shot, Uhtred's small band of intruders held off Kjartan's entire force with their backs to the gate for a good while. And I'm not sure if it's historically inaccurate for boulders or hot oil to be used as gate defences for Danes at this time, but just one bin of hot coals is all they had? Meh. As for Thyra and her voluntary exile with the hounds, thanks for explaining it was just as weird in the books. By the end of episode five, just like Uhtred's slavery, it's seemingly a forgotten moment of the past. I guess what I'd expect to see are more lasting effects of this severe kind of trauma on people at this time. Or maybe Cornwell, and now the showrunner, are trying to make the point that the people who survived back then were the ones who could endure such traumas and move past them; or maybe a better way to put it is they could move through the trauma and on with their lives. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but this show seems to be saying past traumas and victimhood are much more defining of an individual in modern times than in the past. And because all things bust lead back to ASOIAF/GOT, I think this is what Cersei is trying to do in S7E1 when she speaks to Jamie in her newly painted map room. And I didn't mention it before, but the Beocca/Thyra romance(?) came on fairly sudden. Ian Hart's performance is so damn charming that I didn't really mind the lack of build up to it. That conversation with Uhtred then same day proposal. BAM! Beocca's announcement of his marriage to Alfred, the queen, and Oddad (who I keep wanting to call The Hand) was the hardest I've laughed in this series so far. For some reason it reminded me of Hart running into the Great Hall in Harry Potter and screaming "Troll in the dungeon!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted September 2, 2017 Author Share Posted September 2, 2017 I have been gone for a very long time, due to stuff in my personal life, but now The Last Kingdom has finally brought me back to these trusted shores. I just finished the second season and it's just brilliant, overall I'd say it was stronger than the first season, although I do think season one had more stand-out moments (Leofric screaming No Mercy, the baptism of Guthred, the freeze frame of Alfred, etc.). I have to admit that I did not expect that they could pull it off, because this season's material was pulled from my least favourite books in the series. I'm also impressed by how they managed to introduce all those characters we didn't have in the first season and made them stand out. It's really impressive, I'll definitely watch a third season, it's such a breezy show On 18-7-2017 at 1:41 AM, PetyrPunkinhead said: I guess we're in no need of spoiler tags for S2? Someone should change the thread title. I have been gone for a long time, but I'll edit the title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.