I Am Obsessed with The Last Kingdom

I have recently gotten back into watching The Last Kingdom with my husband on Netflix over the past month or so after finishing season one sometime last year and really being into the show, but unable to find time to enjoy it while keeping up with everything there is to get done in a day. So what better way to cement myself back into the world of Uhtred of Bebbanburg than to force my husband to endure the show with me during our evenings together <3.

Ah. Twue Wuv.

Suffice it to say though that I think within the first two episodes, my husband was equally hooked. The Last Kingdom more or less intrigues the mind of all who love the historical/fantasy genre with it having similar themes to shows like Game of Thrones, which is also, a show that my husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed--well, up until the last season more or less, but we all know how that one went. No need to unpack that here.

For my part, I have a history in studying all things related to Old/Middle English and basically being absolutely obsessed with the part of English history that deals with the Anglo Saxons and the Danes. So once I read the description of the show originally, I knew it was something I would be able to enjoy even without all the amazing action sequences and detail-oriented plot development, which I will point out...is exceptionally well done. I knew of the "story" of Alfred of Wessex through linguistic courses of study and I was infatuated with this telling of it through the beloved main character, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who within the first episode becomes the "oh-so-overdone, but nevertheless enthralling" sympathetic protagonist with a sad backstory.

And do not worry readers! I intend not to spoil too much of the series or plot just in case you do become interested in watching the series. Although, if you are someone who is more or less familiar with the history of 800-1100 "England" then you will also, most likely, know how certain elements of the story must play out.

Once hooked by Uhtred's backstory and character development, I no longer needed any other reason to continue hitting "Next Episode" and so many elements of this story have been done so beautifully that I've been happy, angry, sad, and miserable with both Saxons and Danes alike at various different points throughout each and every season. The show itself follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg, as I stated earlier, who from early on in the story gets involved in the world of Saxons and Danes in a way that makes him--not only the main hero of the adventure, but also--pivotal to both sides. Good and Bad. Although, once you become invested in the story a bit more, you'll realize, much like most historical drama pieces, the lines between who is Good and who is Bad are very obscure indeed.

More or less, I find this line of storytelling (where you have an ostracized main character dealing with personal issues) to be the most compelling and interesting dynamic in a series because it makes the world of historical/fantasy, whether it's historical fiction or just fantasy in general, more enrapturing and realistic. By dealing with the specific character's flaws and advantages, it typically allows us, as the audience, to see facets of history from multiple perspectives in a way that is both engaging and inspiring. Uhtred, himself, is by no means perfect and deals with a lot of serious issues not just from a personal level, but from a socio-historical level as well throughout all five seasons of this wonderful adventure.

So, finally, Reader, if you are someone who enjoys a good historical drama from any previous interest in shows like Game of Thrones and/or Vikings then I cannot recommend this show enough. And I, for one, think I will be investing in the novel series by Bernard Cornwell, as well, titled The Saxon Stories in order to just further implement myself all that I can into the world of Danelaw, Alfred, Guthrum, and of course, Uhtred. It's 900 AD somewhere after all.