The Last Kingdom

:

Season 1
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 211 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 179 out of 211
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 211
  3. Negative: 12 out of 211
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User Reviews

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  1. tobijasz
    Oct 19, 2015
    2
    As an avid reader of all the books the casting is awful and the story isn't even close. I had such hopes for the show and it certainly isn't delivering.
  2. hedop
    Oct 11, 2015
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow. So far (Episode 1) this adaptation is really bad. As an avid reader of all the novels I can say that there are already so many small things wrong with the first episode that apart from the names of the characters I fear this tv-show will have nothing in common with the source material first up and most glaringly:
    - Uthred is described as being light blonde -> his TV character has raven black hair

    - Ragnar is described as being light blonde hence why people always assume that he is Uthred's father

    - in the books Ragnar takes a liking to Uthred straight away and is described as a jovial man and lover of people --> in the TV show his counter part is so far rather sour and treats Uthred like a slave.

    - Ubba is described in the books as having a chest like a barrel, a big belly and raven black hair and being fiercely bearded --> the TV show has some tall lanky guy with light blonde hair and a red beard.

    - Ubba has a brother named Ivar who invades the British Isles with him and Ragnar. This person does not exist in the TV show yet.

    - Pater Beocca is described as being young, red haired and crippled -> his TV character is a man easily in his 50's (which at the time of the novels was considered ancient) and apart from that a normal looking priest

    - Ragnars younger son is said to be in Ireland when in the TV show he is apparently hanging around his fathers homestead

    - Ragnar has a son close to Uthred's age in the book called Rorik who is his main companion throughout the whole first book during his childhood

    - Uthred's father takes Uthred with him for the battle in Eoferwick --> in the TV show Uthred somehow escaped on his own, magically finds armor that fits and runs after his father on horseback

    - the main battle is described as taking place close to Eoferwick's city walls which the Danes have apparently lazily repaired, the Saxons take this as a sign of weakness and attack that section of the city in which they are then trapped because behind the bad walls the Danes had places fresh ones. --> in the TV show the battle happens in some kind of field which is completely flat (as Uthred's father points out) yet the Danes are somehow able to disguise half their army and attack the Saxons from the rear.

    - now at this point it is important to note that Bernard Cornwells is famous for the meticulous detail he uses when describing battle scenes and tries to get them as accurately as possible. Usually his research in this area is absolutely on par with a professional historian --> in the TV show the shield wall of the Danes is absolutely wrong, instead of forming a swine head to break the shield wall the Saxons simply storm onto it and bash on it with their swords flailing. These are all details that Cornwell describes very differently in his books because in real life that kind of behaviour would have gotten you killed. Furthermore the Saxons abandon high ground which again, in Cornwells books, would never happen. The Saxons also only need 2 minutes to decide what to do. In the book the process of going about it because there is no true king but 3 equal generals is described at length and in great details. Also in nearly every novel Cornwell takes great pains to explain to have Uthred explain to the reader that breaking a shieldwall and fighting in one is nasty business and requires a lot of mental toughness and takes time to get into Blood Rage. Yet in the TV show the Saxons simply storm onto a ready made shield wall (certain death) within 30 seconds or so.

    - Uthred's youth is spend invading the British Isles with the Danes yet after a cut Uthred is now apparently in his late 20's and still with the Danes althought in the books by then Ragnar has long been dead, Uthred has met Alfred, Brida, escaped the North and joined Alfred's fleet as it's commander and has had several assassination attempts behind him.

    - Uthread has a shaven chest... seriously... the guy who plays Uthred a guy living in 865 A.D. has a shaved chest and a finely cut and shaved goatee even though there were no razors per se about and no mirrors either.

    All in all this first episode has been so disappointing that I doubt I will continue watching it. The novels are so amazing and so great and I was so looking forward to a TV make but I should have expected it after what they did to the Sharpe novels. Why the hell can't they just simply take a well written and beloved novel as it is and don't tinker around and cast someone who actually looks the part? What the hell is so hard about not trying to make something better?

    It's a damn shame... this could have really been a realistic Game of Thrones but it looks like it's going to be the Tudors in 9th Century England.

    Oh btw. everyone talks about England in the tv show even though there was no England at the time and won't be for another 80 years. Furthermore why do all the Danes speak English? That's just weird.    … Expand
  3. roxannevictor1
    Oct 30, 2018
    0
    I cannot remember a series that pulled me in so quickly. The acting is outstanding in every role from small to star. The settings are realistic and the story is compelling. This is movie quality on television, one you cannot wait to see the next episode of. There are characters you love and ones you love to hate. You will be mouth agape or yelling at the screen. I hope this series runsI cannot remember a series that pulled me in so quickly. The acting is outstanding in every role from small to star. The settings are realistic and the story is compelling. This is movie quality on television, one you cannot wait to see the next episode of. There are characters you love and ones you love to hate. You will be mouth agape or yelling at the screen. I hope this series runs for years. There are enough books by the author, and it is just that good, camera, sets, acting.… Expand
  4. MacSteady
    Oct 23, 2015
    1
    I thought this was a terrible start to what I hoped would be a great TV conversion of the rich Cornwell books, I even thought the BBC was a good vehicle for this potentially epic journey into Saxon Briton. Alas from the casting of Utred Senior to the little or no background story of Utred Junior it is was a very poor attempt, very amatuer. One of the main villans from the books actuallyI thought this was a terrible start to what I hoped would be a great TV conversion of the rich Cornwell books, I even thought the BBC was a good vehicle for this potentially epic journey into Saxon Briton. Alas from the casting of Utred Senior to the little or no background story of Utred Junior it is was a very poor attempt, very amatuer. One of the main villans from the books actually had my sympathy, Kjartan, is potrayed in the episode as a wronged father rather than than the vicious individual the book potrays him as. No there was too much scrimping and cost cutting and a total lack of character casting in any of the main players to even raise interest. The climax was the hall burning at the end of the show because at least it was over. The Ravn character was the only highlight but alas he wasn't in it for long.

    ITV have a better track record with Sharpe and Hornblower under their belts. The history channels Vikings with all its flaws and Game of Thrones have nothing to worry about, this is a poor adaptation of an excellent story and I would be surprised if it gets a 2nd season. The viking sheild wall was ludicrous. The main Saxon Warlord also appeared to be wearing a wooden bowl on his head rather than a impressive battle armour Cornwell describes in the book.

    The Saxon's casting was well wide of the mark. No wonder the vikings invaded, all the saxon actors look like they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

    Leave this well alone, watch History's Vikings or Game of thrones to get your Dark Age/ Medieval fix    … Expand
  5. Beas7ie
    Nov 9, 2015
    3
    It does have some good scenes and funny moments, but all in all, from the costume design (WHY THE HELL ARE UHTRED AND UBBA FIGHTING IN BASIC CLOTHES AND NOT ARMOR IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE LIKE THE BOOKS) the way the battle scenes are twisted and just the extreme amount of content cut out there is much to be desired.

    I'm a recent discoverer of Bernard Cornwell's books and have pretty    It does have some good scenes and funny moments, but all in all, from the costume design (WHY THE HELL ARE UHTRED AND UBBA FIGHTING IN BASIC CLOTHES AND NOT ARMOR IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE LIKE THE BOOKS) the way the battle scenes are twisted and just the extreme amount of content cut out there is much to be desired.

    I'm a recent discoverer of Bernard Cornwell's books and have pretty much devoured the series from The Last Kingdom to The Pagan Lord and will be reading the remaining books soon and I recommend you do that too.

    In the mean time leave this series alone and wait a good ten to twenty years and maybe someone who's actually read the books will try and produce it again and actually do it properly.    … Expand
  6. Artor
    Nov 23, 2015
    2
    It took a lot of persuading for Cornwall to allow another series be adapted from one of his books after ITV took on SHARPE. He believes they never do them justice. After watching the first five episodes I can't help but feel he has once again been let down but this time by the BBC. He had probably hoped that they might hire a show runner like Michael Hirst - but they didn't. It's not evenIt took a lot of persuading for Cornwall to allow another series be adapted from one of his books after ITV took on SHARPE. He believes they never do them justice. After watching the first five episodes I can't help but feel he has once again been let down but this time by the BBC. He had probably hoped that they might hire a show runner like Michael Hirst - but they didn't. It's not even close to "VIKINGS" but to be honest Vikings is slowly crumbling.

    Although Cornwalls' books aren't necessarily subtle or complex, they are a rollercoaster. They're fun. This isn't, mainly because it lacks the wit, and the empathy or antagonism he Creates for his colourful characters . The script is poor to say the least, there is a vast amount of exposition and constant interjections of "old language" which just sits so badly.

    Props, costume and cinematography are as unsubtle and unrealistic as the dialogue - Although it has moments of beauty they are far and few between only serving to highlight how simple and unthought out the rest of it has been shot.

    I'll forgive the fact that in the ten years that uhtred grows into a man, the Vikings have built a mud hut for a farm and haven't been attacked once by their enemies, what I won't forgive is the fact that I simply don't care for any character, mainly because I have no idea what anyone wants, nor have I gotten to know their flaws. This lack of empathy has simply resulted in a lack of interest in a cast of cardboard cut outs.

    I gave this two stars, one for the attention paid to the shield wall formation and execution of the battle and the other for the kid who acts as young uhtred.

    With the exception of PEAKY BLINDERS, Why can't British TV get their epic shows right. Even for a viking period drama it still ends up looking and feeling like DOWNTON bloody ABBEY!    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best TV Season of 2015
22
#22 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015
18
#18 Most Shared TV Season of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Oct 9, 2015
    70
    The series has a sprawling cast and high production values, yet it starts off rather generically--bearded men playing with swords, battling over territory.... Hang around until Episode 3, though, and substantive themes begin to take shape that give this series a distinctive personality.
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  2. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    Oct 9, 2015
    80
    The truthful background of this high-stakes history makes it thrilling on a deeper level. Along with the battle scenes and other entertainments, the series reflects many challenges of today’s world.
    Read full review
  3. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Oct 9, 2015
    91
    It all meshes together in enthralling fashion with a tale that’s understandable and a setting that’s tailor made for picturesque vistas. Last Kingdom livens up Saturday nights with Emmy caliber storytelling and oft-sumptuous production values.
    Read full review
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