The Last Kingdom Season Four Review

The fourth season of The Last Kingdom is the biggest season yet and sees more conflict between the Saxons and Danes and within the Saxon kingdoms.

Years after the events of Season Three the peace between the Saxons and the Danes is about to break. The Danes led by Cnut (Magnus Bruun) have amassed a large army and King Edward of Wessex (Timothy Innes) prepares his defences. Æthelred of Mercia (Toby Regbo) seeks to expand his kingdom and become the dominant Saxon force. Whilst these leaders make power plays Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) prepares an expedition to the North to reclaim his rightful home.

Compared to the previous seasons The Last Kingdom‘s fourth season was the most eclectic so far. The first two seasons were made up of two four-episode arcs because they adapted two novels per-season. The third season had a big arc involving the Danes forming a great army and Alfred facing his impending death. This season goes through several storylines that immediately follow into each other.

The fourth season starts with the Danes going to war, Æthelred making moves to try and legitimise a claim to be the King of England, and Uhtred’s quest to Bebbanburg. Then the season moves onto a power struggle within Mercia and an airborne illness plaguing the land. The final two episode focus on a new conflict flaring up between Wessex and the Danes. This isn’t unusual for a Bernard Cornwall story – characters do go on side quests or forced to go on the run before re-joining their faction. Many of Cornwall’s novels were split into three parts so the structure of this season fits his storytelling style. The plot diversion involving the sickness felt like Heretic, the third novel of The Grail Quest. In that novel the main character goes on the run just as the Black Death reaches Aquitaine.

The focus of the fourth season was the court intrigue. There were numerous factions and dynamics at play. Within Wessex Aethelhelm (Adrian Schiller) has become Edward’s main advisor and he had side-lined Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth), Edward’s mother. Despite this situation Aelswith was a clever and resourceful woman and finds ways to wield power and protect her husband’s legacy.

There was even more political manoeuvring within Mercia. Æthelred was seeking to expand his lands by any means. He ordered an invasion of East Angelia whilst the Danes were away and sought to pay the bones of St. Culbert to help legitimate his claims. Æthelred’s main commander, Eardwulf (Jamie Blackley) was a man whose family has lost their land and seeks them by gaining his lord’s favour. He did this through lying to pimping out his sister. Mercia also falls into a political crisis which Uhtred ends up getting involved with. This season of The Last Kingdom can fill that Game of Thrones hole some people have.

Besides the Medieval politics one of the best features of The Last Kingdom was the character dynamics. The cast of characters has grown a lot since the first season and there has been a big time-jump. In the first season Alfred’s children were well, children, and by season four Edward is in his early 20s with a 3-year-old child.

Aelswith was the character who changed the most since Season Three. She used to hate Uthred and usually advocated harsh punishment. However, after her husband’s death she had developed a grudging respect for him and realise the man was needed to fulfill Alfred’s dream. Aelswith also sets out to right a wrong she did in the previous season where she exiled Edward’s first wife and son to ensure a more politically convenient marry. She has softened a lot in this season.

Uthred has several relationships in the show. In this season Uthred had formed a relationship with Æthelflæd (Millie Brady): but this was made complicated because of Æthelflæd’s status. Uthred’s most complicated relationship was Brida (Emily Cox), a woman who grew up with and pretty much brother and sister, but they end up fighting for different sides. Their relationship deteriorates so much in this season it leads to final conflict of the season.

This season also looks at Uthred’s relationship with his children. Uthred had a strained relationship with his son (Finn Elliott) because they were separated by Alfred and Young Uthred was raised by the church. Young Uthred was resentful towards his father because of his perceived abandonment and Uthred and Young Uthred having different religious views. Uthred wanted to turn his son into a warrior like he is, but Young Uthred was raised to be a monk.

Stiorra (Ruby Hartley) was her father’s daughter because she was smart and headstrong. But being headstrong meant Stiorra was independent and wanted to forge her own path, even if it means clashing with her father.

The Last Kingdom was mostly a serious show, but the showrunners knew when to add humour when required. This was done through Uthred’s comrades in arms who share a lot of banter with each other. In the first episode of the season sees the gang causally abduct someone for a monastery and watch some monks doing some unholy actions.

Since Season Three The Last Kingdom has moved to solely be a Netflix production. Because of this there was an increase in the show’s budget. When The Last Kingdom was shown on the BBC there was a limit in number of action and battle sequences. The fourth season had more action sequences: the fourth episode had a massive battle between the Saxons and the Danes which was bigger than any of the previous seasons. However, the Welsh troops in the battle wore red capes which made them look like they stepped out of a Total War game. The final episode had a siege. Winchester looks bigger than it did in the previous seasons and this season showed the city being surrounded by massive walls. The battles and action sequence in this season can stand alongside what’s achieved in the rival show Vikings.

The fourth season of The Last Kingdom lives up to the high standards of the previous seasons. Fans will be pleased by the continued mix of history, politics, drama, and violence.