Netflix’s British historical fiction drama The Last Kingdom begins five years after concluding its drama in season four, bringing back familiar faces and ones viewers may have forgotten about. The episode opens with Brida, played by Emily Cox (The Fatherless, The Silent Mountain) with a blindfold on her child. Brida instructs her daughter, a seer, to select the groups’ human sacrifice – a sacrifice which will ensure a safe voyage off the island and into battle.
This scene is particularly haunting; the subject matter is rather grim, with a child having the power to determine the fate of a grown man. It is not something that one sees every day. Not to mention, the setting itself is stunning in the snow, creating a juxtaposition between beauty and death, all within the first few minutes of the episode.
Farther down in the land of Runcorn, the border between Northumbria and Mercia, leader Uthred, played by Alexander Dreymon (American Horror Story: Coven, Horizon Line) believes that something in the air has changed around him and his people. Uhtred ends up not necessarily being wrong; as he goes to hunt in the forest, his men are met by assassins rather than fresh meat and are forced to retreat.
Uhtred also worries when he spots an unfamiliar ship, which only increases his paranoia regarding possible attacks. Afraid it’s his enemy Rognvaldr, played by Micki Stoltt (Surrogate, A Horse Named Allan), but Uhtred need not be worried, as he’s in York with Stiorra and Sigtryggr, rambling about how he’s now a changed man and no one should be concerned about his actions from this point on. However, Rognvaldr’s change is not all that it seems; he’s in cahoots with a fierce woman who we all know. This alliance is sure to stir the pot further down the line.
More chaos ensues as many of the characters from past seasons are reunited in strange ways after many years apart. Certain groups begin to plan attacks, and some relationships are irreparably shattered. The opening episode for The Last Kingdom’s final season is undoubtedly action packed, full of murder, scheming, and political plotting.
It seems as though this episode of The Last Kingdom is fairly decent and solid, doing justice to its predecessors. It eases viewers back into the world of Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories as it catches us up on the lives of main characters as well as the introduction of some newer faces among the inevitable conflicts to come.
The ugliness and barbaric tendencies of war are on the rise in the viking world, and from what this new episode gives us, there are some bloody battles guaranteed.
Rating: 7.0/10.0