‘Like every kingdom before it Wessex has fallen. He is Alfred, a man. King of nothing’
This series has been gaining in power and momentum over the past couple of weeks and the penultimate episode was easily the best so far – a fantastically paced hour of rising tension in which we saw Wessex fall, Alfred brought low and Uhtred finally find some common cause with the man he has promised to serve.
But first there was the little matter of the promised fight to the death between Uhtred and Leofric to get out the way, a matter that thankfully resolved itself not in the death of either man but in ambush by the Danes and the apparent collapse of the Last Kingdom itself. While I enjoyed the well-choreographed match-up between our hero and his best friend, this was an episode that belonged largely to David Dawson’s weary Alfred, reduced to tears over his son’s possible death and admitting for the first time that the crown should have been Aethelwold’s (an admission that was quickly dismissed by Uhtred, who clearly only has truck with the concept of primogeniture when it applies to his own lost land at Bebbanburg).
This was Alfred as we haven’t yet seen him, removed from the superficial trappings of power and stripped of his authority, a harassed father with a dying son and grieving wife sustained only by a cause and faith he was beginning to doubt. Dawson rose to the challenge beautifully, allowing us to see Alfred’s doubts and fears and ensuring that we were left as unsure as Father Beocca as to whether the king still believed in his God.
They even threw a quick burnt cakes joke into the mix, to the joy of fans of apocryphal stories everywhere – although in this version it was no peasant woman scolding the King but rather a powerful and irate British priestess, and I think we all know that it’s best to keep them onside.
‘Iseult is a pagan and a woman – if the baby dies, she will be blamed’
Talking of Iseult, she also came into her own this week, whether delivering brutal justice to stop Hild’s rape, helping Alfred’s stomach issues or saving his baby thanks to a mysterious mud ceremony (interesting notions of childcare, these Britons). Hild was another a nice addition to the storyline. I’m not generally a fan of rape as shorthand for brutality plots but her rape was well handled. I liked the fact she was saved not by Uhtred or Leofric but by Iseult (and thought it was a subtle point that the two men, while clearly unhappy, could sit and listen to it happening but that Iseult could not). The fact she then got her own vengeance in ran bleakly true, but I was also interested in the way the attack was later referenced during a scene that demonstrated her continued faith in both God and humanity.
Similarly, the scene between her and Aelswith was managed well and moving. Aelswith might be a deeply annoying individual but she also spent much of the episode terrified that she was going to lose her son. To be honest, I understand why you might not be terribly happy about handing your dying son over to a strange pagan priestess just because she says she has an ancient rite that will cure him. These deals have a tendency not to work out very well. Thankfully, Iseult is a kind and benevolent priestess and thus little Prince Edward was saved. Now, all he has to do is stay strong and make it out of the Athelney marshlands alive. Piece of (his father’s burnt) cake, wouldn’t you say?
‘Only Guthrum can save you. Guthrum is your god now’
Not if Guthrum has anything to do with it. My favourite Dane was on top form this week, dispensing wit and wisdom to everyone from whimpering priests to poor, pointless Aethelwold, whom he dismissed rather as though swatting an irritating fly. What’s interesting about Guthrum is that, like Alfred, he’s a complicated man. He’s smart enough to recognise that fighting in the swamplands would be a huge mistake and interested in a world beyond pillage and plunder. He plays with the Church, toying with its language and using it to his own ends yet you can also see that he’s fascinated by it and by the faith of the priests.
In the same way, he recognises that much of Alfred’s power comes from the way in which he wields words. He wants to use the “magic” of the scrolls to his own ends, and he’s right. Guthrum is no berserker like Ubba and no psychotic Skorpa. He’s a practical, pragmatic leader who is not afraid to use casual violence to make his point – the scene with Aethelwold was both funny and wonderfully tense – and, as I mentioned in the comments last week, that might just make him the scariest Dane of them all.
Additional notes
- Ragnar is apparently about to head north soon to confront Kjartan. Will Uhtred make it back to Northumbria with him, or is this destined to be one of those drawn-out revenge quests, often spoken of but never achieved?
- Uhtred might be awful at dealing with Kings but he’s actually a great guerrilla tactician. The ambush of Skorpa’s men was clever and well carried through.
- I enjoyed Father Beocca’s “God is Good. Praise Him” moment – Ian Hart did a great job of showing us the priest’s fear that Alfred would abandon his faith.
- Regarding Iseult’s success with the little prince, it should be noted that, just as with any sacrifice, a price clearly has to be paid. Iseult stated that the death would be that of a stranger’s child but I’d add she may not be right – prophecy is an infamously imprecise art.
- I do wonder how much longer Uhtred is going to stand for the whole “I must stay pure to preserve my powers” line. If the past seven weeks have taught us anything, it’s that Uhtred is a man with many and varied needs.
- Finally, this week’s fashion news: if Brida still looks as though she’s heading off to Glastonbury, Iseult rather resembles a tarot card teller I used to know in Kensington Market. Certainly, they share a fondness for flowing robes, chunky jewellery and gnomic pronouncements about death.
Violence count
One fight to the death between Uhtred and Leofric, which was interrupted by the sacking of Winchester in what turned out to be good news for Leofric and Ulfric and less good news for the poor people who were subsequently brutally slaughtered by Danes. One priest with a hand severed by a Danish earl with a suspect sense of humour and the ongoing chastisement of Aethelwold. One rapist with a dagger through the eye courtesy of an enraged priestess and several stab wounds courtesy of an even more enraged nun. Several dead priests killed trying to aid a disguised kings escape and a group of dead Danes, many with arrows through them following the successful implementation of Uhtred’s brand of guerrilla warfare, plus the burning of Skorpa’s boats with the promise of violent retribution to come.
Quote of the week
“I’ve never cooked before, and never will again I fear…” Oh Alfred, that’s the age-old excuse of lazy people everywhere.
So what do you think? Was this the best episode so far? Did you manage to feel pity for Aelswith? Did you think Father Beocca might expire with horror when he saw Iseult’s baby mud pit? And how relieved were you that Leofric lived to fight another day? As ever all speculation welcome below …
