The Last Kingdom: When small budget meets powerful writing.

Let’s start with The Witcher.

This isn’t about looks, Superman is hotter than Alexander Dreymon. But therein lies the problem. I’m still referring to the star of The Witcher as Superman. Wait… let me go look up his real name.

Ah, okay, it’s Henry Cavill. That man is fine. But he is a horrible actor. I am sorry. From Superman to Mission Impossible: Fallout to The Witcher, he only knows how to do one thing: grimace.

Cavill’s looks and grimacing don’t get me past episode 2 of The Witcher. And I only saw Episode 2, for purposes of this blog. I don’t care how many big spiders he wrestles. Or how pretty the effects are. The storyline is bland. Nothing relatable I can attach myself to and care about. And there were parts that simply moved too slow or were downright confusing— i.e., him saving a girl from a knife held at her throat, only for her to tell him to get out of town and never come back. That doesn’t endear those people to me. It was clearly written for the sake of creating sympathy for him, but it’s so random and out of place it doesn’t work. The girl who gets sold for 4 marks by her father is the most interesting person who has yet to be relevant. The princess who lost her parents and is now on the run, meh. The Witcher has a dream that she is his destiny. How interesting. Can’t wait for that.

Music - awful folk hymns that make me want to cover my ears.

The show is a beautiful mess.

Now. That off the table, The Viking.

Another visual, special effects stunner. Kissed by the big-budget gods. A little better with story. I believe we made it to Ep. 3. I appreciated the regular guy defying his lord to leave the island and go explore the West, where no one has gone. But what could be a semi-compelling story does drag. We spend a lot of time building the boat, riding the boat, and figuring out how to tell east from west. And I found myself wondering why he gave all his treasures to his lord when he could have hidden some for himself. He didn’t even have to mention his intentions for the trip at all. The story so far is alright, as in, I can tolerate some more, but I won’t be bothered if I never watch another. This guy might be really badass later in the series, but I don’t care enough to find out.

And truth be told, I am rooting for the English priest he kidnapped and made a slave to kill him.

That brings me to Uhtred Ragnarson.

© Kata Vermes via New York Times

A younger son whose father clearly views him as an afterthought. The spare.

He suddenly becomes important when his older brother’s head is brought to their fortress. By an invader. Simple introduction. What is this?

From there, I am introduced to the most powerful show I’ve come across in my short time on Netflix. I’ve only tested out a few - The Crown was excellent, Ozark was excellent.

The Last Kingdom is the one I miss most, and am heartbroken I won't get to see again until late 2021.

ACTING

First, Alexander Dreymon is a stupendous actor. Good looks aside, he is every bit a pagan, ragtag kid with no family and no home. Gritty, raw and unapologetically human. You can tell this actor wants to be taken seriously, and he is probably a method actor. When he faces off against opponents bigger and tougher than him, you hold your breath and curl your toes for his safety. He grows up to be the average guy in episode 1— part of a family, has a girl he likes— and by the end, his life is upended.

I was shocked the writers took Uhtred to some of the depths they do. I won’t give them away. But it’s not all glory and victory. Some episodes he takes major hits to his body, and to his soul. In his relationships, often with people he helped, I felt every bit of the betrayal, torment, and anguish he suffers.

© Fangrrls via Syfy.com

Here comes the dichotomy of pain creating beauty. Uhtred’s quick thinking and survival instincts get him out of tough situations - traits he may not have developed if he’d remained a wealthy lord living large in a fortress. In this story, I get Gladiator vibes. Kudos to Dreymon for making this character leap from the t.v.

CHARACTERS

Enter solid characters and good humor that keep you invested. Uhtred’s friends are hilarious guys I actually wouldn’t mind hanging out with.

His antagonists are all, in some way, meaner than him. Colorful and entertaining, their motives and personalities don’t feel contrived. Simple men who teach pointed lessons on greed and intimidation. The show reflects the pain and disappointment of real life. And that might be the main reason it resonates so much for me.

King Alfred is definitely not Cersei Lannister. He actually makes a thin effort to be a good, God-fearing Christian. But his schemer hat is never far from his cross. The resulting hypocrisy leads to good tension between him and Uhtred. I love the dynamic of despising and yet needing your biggest enemy. In that regard, Alfred holds his own- clever and calculating, always ensuring he has Uhtred where he wants him. His wife is a shallow, meddling woman who we hope gets what she deserves. Priest Beyorka is the father figure that softens and matures Uhtred, or sometimes goes along for the ride. Alfred’s nephew, Aethelwold, is the irritating gnat we love to hate. Uhtred’s good childhood friend Brita is the wild card, and her own pain and resentment at having no family make her an unpredictable storm.

© Picture Shows: Alfred

WRITING

It is obvious the show doesn’t have an HBO budget. So the writers can’t afford to spin up long, complicated schemes and plot lines that don’t resolve for two or three seasons. Since the director doesn’t have pretty effects to distract you, he realizes he must grab you quick with story. And I kind of like it that way. I know who’s who, who detests the other, and what their names are.

Many of the storylines I relate to. Again, I won’t reveal them, but they were basic and fundamental- issues that touch any human. Namely, working your ass off to help the person who then slides a knife in your back, or denies you what you earned. I can’t think of more universal tragedy that people of every color, race and background can understand.

There were nights I couldn’t turn it off, staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. binge-watching to see how Uhtred would save himself, his friends, prevent catastrophe, or endure King Alfred’s machinations, or those of Alfred’s children. My husband was up with me, and I’d have to force myself to bed.

I had no problem shutting off The Witcher. My husband couldn’t take anymore. He refuses to see anymore of that or Vikings, but he also enjoyed Uhtred.

I’ve read on other review sites the wardrobe is not period-accurate, the rooms and indoor sets are small, and there is no masterfully crafted Iron Throne, or dragons. So? Who cares?

Strip away all that big-budget gunk, and your story actually has to stand on its own.

The fights and problems we should actually care about, and not just be filler. Pacing, inciting events and driving action should be more than writing room checklists. The Last Kingdom’s stelar writing attaches me to the characters and their motivations, their fear and hope. So when they go into battle, it’s visceral and raw for me. I understand exactly what the stakes are, and I know whose side I’m on. I’m joined to the constant anxiety of the Englishmen as they struggle for their land and identity. It becomes my fight too. That’s the potency of good backstory and relatable characters. I don’t just feel like a spectator to the action; with them, I’m also behind that “shield wall” and could fall from an ax.

The Last Kingdom show uses simple effects and settings that serve the story. Not the other way around. This show is proof that pricey animation and effects that have become commonplace are nice, but not necessary. Bye bye, Vikings and Witcher.

Naturally, there are comparisons to Jon Snow from GoT. And rightly so. They are both good men. Both orphans who were dealt a terrible lot in life, and it propels them to glory. If I had to choose which of them I’m taking to a street fight, I’d take Uhtred. Jon is a formidable fighter, but indecisive. Uhtred is hot-tempered and impulsive, and it takes him less time to conclude his enemy must die.

The Music

It’s now in constant rotation on my play list while I write. Guttural and gritty, just like the show, yet beautiful. It places us in the wild, untamed fields of young England. They don’t have a soundtrack for each season, just one soundtrack that they rotate for all four seasons. It does its job every time.