FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The Last Kingdom

One thing we can all thank Game of Thrones for is the popularisation of the realistic fantasy fiction TV show. By the time its first season ended, the HBO drama had stripped us of any illusions as to its romanticism. This was not a story where the heroic knight saved the day, got the girl and beat the villain. In Game of Thrones everyone was the villain, because all the heroes had already been brutally murdered.

Since then a number of shows have emerged offering either fantasy fiction or uncompromising realism in the vein of George R. R. Martin’s epic. Vikings, on the History Channel, has probably been the most consistent so far, which might be why the BBC are also betting on the Norsemen with their new series The Last Kingdom.

Taking just the first episode, The Last Kingdom feels like a fresh enough take on the Game of Thrones formula to be worth a real watch. Acting as an origin story for our hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the season premier sees the Vikings dispatch the Kingdom of Northumberland and its three kings. Uhtred, now the rightful ruler of Bebbanburg, is captured by a formidable Viking and later adopted as his son.

A simple summary of the story doesn’t quite do it justice though. There is a starkness to the setting, wet meadows overcast with clouds and wooden fortresses that look all too penetrable. Uhtred, who we see as both a boy and later a grown man, is not a stoic hero as we might expect in a story about medieval war. He’s a joker, something of a wild child with a twinkle in his eye. When he is captured by Vikings, it’s not that surprising that he prefers his new life to the oppressive formality of dark ages Christianity.

By The Last Kingdom‘s second episode though, the action has jumped forward to Uhtred’s adult life, and a betrayal that sends him running from the Danes who raised him. There’s plenty of political intrigue here, and with the Danes capturing East Anglia, there’s the lurking feeling of a land in crisis. In many ways, it feels like Game of Thrones‘ Westeros, with no one completely trusting anyone else.

For now it seems like Uhtred’s main goal is to take back his father’s lands from his duplicitous uncle. It must be said that series lead Alexander Dreymon instils Uhtred with a compelling wolfishness that’s endlessly watchable. It’s reminiscent of Ragnar Lothbrok of Vikings, another series spawned from Game of Thrones‘ grimness.

Meanwhile, there’s an entire cast of untrustworthy sorts to keep you on your toes. From Abba, the cruel and despicable Viking leader, to the dangerously clever future King Alfred there doesn’t seem to be an honest character in sight. Couple this with plenty of fighting and the stark countryside of England and the BBC might be on to a winner.

Other outstanding performances come from Emily Cox as Uhtred’s lover, Brida, who so far seems to be the show’s only female character of note, and Ian Hart as Beocca the priest. Given the sort of show this is going to be though I’m not at all convinced both of them will make it to the end of the first season. There is a lot of murder in this show. A lot.

The Last Kingdom doesn’t quite look as lavish as the show that inspired its existence. There’s no Kings Landing or Winterfell. The BBC are on a budget here, but as long as you’re engrossed in the story, the gorgeous but deadly countryside will be more than enough to keep you engaged.

There’s not that much to say on this one, really. It’s Vikings and Saxons plotting against each other. If you know the history, you know how it ends up, but in the meantime there seems plenty of scope for interesting stories here provided you’re into this sort of thing. That the show is based on a book series by Bernard Cornwell should add confidence. Most famous for the Sharpe series, which became a TV show starring Sean Bean of all people, Cornwell knows how to write historical fiction without a rose-tinted lens.

The Last Kingdom airs on BBC 2 and BBC America.