When this episode of The Last Kingdom begins, Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) drinks at the pub. Leofric (Adrian Bower) interrupts and attempts to convince him that he has done him a favor. After a little contemplation, Uhtred admits it is true. Later that night, Uhtred tells Queen Iseult (Charlie Murphy) he wants to sleep with her, even if she does lose her powers. She also insists she doesn’t see Uhtred dying. In the morning, Uhtred is calls to Alfred’s (David Dawson) chambers. Alfred tells Uhtred about his problems and offers him a way out. The offer is refused, since Uhtred refuses to give up Iseult.
We witness Brida (Emily Cox) survey the city and escape, before the battle between Uhtred and Leofric begins. The pair fight evenly for a period, before the King leaves. Their battle is quickly halted, when the Danes arrive. The horde is led by Ragnar (Tobias Santelmann) and Guthrum (Thomas W. Gabrielsson). Leofric and Uhtred use the opportunity to escape. The group retreats inside of a house and takes shelter upstairs. Inside of the castle, Aethelwold (Harry McEntire) scours through Alfred’s belonging and steals the crown. Then, he witnesses Guthrum and his horde annihilate a few priests.
After Guthrum has cleared the room, Aethelwold approaches, puts on the crown and attempts to negotiate. Unfortunately, he is pushed around and bullied by the Dane. Meanwhile, a commoner, Hild (Eva Birthistle) is brought into the home, where Uhtred and the others are hiding. A few Danes attempts to rape her, but Iseult intervenes. After the incident, Uhtred and the others attempts to escape the city. They run into Brida, who allows Uhtred to escape once more. The group camps out in the forest that night. Hild contemplates the future and safety of the king, while Iseult escapes into the darkness, so she can use her power.
In the morning, the group travels to Athelnev. They’re forced to travel through swamplands, before coming up on a group of priests fleeing from Danes. With their assistance, the priests manage to make their escape. Once they manage to row the boat to safety, they learn that the priest is actually Alfred, who reveals his family is safe and has boarded the boat ahead of them. Uhtred immediately belittles Alfred for pitting his warriors against one another and leaving the kingdom open to attack. He also insists Alfred is now the King of nothing. Once they arrive on shore, a priest attempts to pray over Alfred’s ill son.
After the prayer session, Alfred clutches at his stomach and it appears his old ailment is plaguing him once more. He visits Uhtred and receives a potential cure from Iseult. Alfred and Uhtred speak in private. The pair contemplate their next move and agree they need to face the Danes in one final battle. Uhtred tells Alfred to send out word to his men. He manages to convince Alfred to send out the priest and he does. That night, Alfred attempts to comfort his wife, Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth), and agrees they will not leave, until their son is well.
Uhtred speaks with Iseult and questions, whether or not she can heal the king’s son. She admits it is possible, but the method is not a good one. Despite her concerns, Uhtred insists she must try. In the morning, Alfred returns for another tonic and learns about Iseult’s intentions, but doesn’t seem interested. He walks away, before Hild warns Iseult she better succeed or she will be blamed for the boy’s death. Back in the castle, Guthrum rummages through Alfred’s scrolls. He insists it is magic. Along with Brida and Ragnar, the group contemplates their next move.
They agree to wait, until Alfred leaves the swampland. Afterwards, Uhtred and an Archer (Akos Baji) go hunting. They manage to snag a deer and also discover a fleet coming their way. Uhtred returns to Alfred and tells him that the ships carried Skorpa’s colors. They figure that nearly 1,000 Danes are headed their way. Despite concerns from the others, Uhtred is adamant that they can save themselves. Alfred returns to his wife and attempts to convince her that sending out the priests was a wise choice. Next, we see the priest arriving in Sherborne. Wulfhere (Sean Gilder) and Beocca (Ian Hart) learn about the king’s whereabouts and plan to head in his direction.
Back at the marsh, Iseult delivers medicine to Alfred and is ridiculed by his wife. Iseult offers her assistance in helping the child and insists it needs to be done tonight, because tomorrow will be too later. The king’s wife goes berserk, but the King agrees to accept Iseult’s help. Uthred and Iseult prepare for the ritual. Iseult explains how everything will work and insists a stranger will die in the boy’s place. That night, Hild pays a visit to the King’s wife and tells her that Iseult is a good person. Uhtred speaks with Alfred and takes the baby.
In the morning, Alfred is awoken by Beocca and his men. Alfred is questioned about his son, Edward, before he rushes to Iseult. He learns that the baby has been healed. Beocca is unhappy about the King’s decision to embrace the Pagans. After Alfred leaves with the baby, Iseult weeps for the other lost child. Next, Uhtred scours through the swamp and familiarizes himself with the lands. Uhtred returns to Alfred and explains that they can destroy the ships. He believes that once the ships have been destroy, Skorpa will be required to enlist Guthrum’s help and Alfred will have his final decisive battle.
After the king agrees to the plan, Leofric and Uhtred approach the Danes. They first anger them with arrows and force them to give chase. Then, they lure them through the swamp and into the water. From there, they’re sitting ducks. With the Danes defeated and the ships torched, Alfred admits they’ve found a beacon of hope.
The Last Kingdom Recap
Although some of the action was a little predictable, the 7th episode of The Last Kingdom was still great. It was nice that neither Leofric nor Uhtred were forced to kill their friend. The episode played a lot on religion and it seemed to take a toll on Alfred. The Pagan ritual managed to save his child and potentially transformed him into a decent person. Now that everyone is finally on the same level, it is time for the final showdown. This episode deserves an 8.5 out of 10. Be sure to catch up with our previous recaps of The Last Kingdom right now!
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
