At the beginning of the third episode, we see Halig (Gerard Kearns) and Uhtred (Alexander Dreymond) on a slave ship. Sverri (Johannes Haukur Johannesson) oversees the men and orders them to pull. Another slave, Finan (Mark Rowley), tells Uhtred that he will happily kill Sverri one day. Meanwhile, Aelfric (Joseph Millson) arrives with his men and meets with Guthred (Thure Lindhardt). The negotiations begin, but quickly turn sour when Aelfric asks about to see Uhtred’s head. Gisela (Peri Baumeister) is offered up in return, but she winds up fleeing the city almost immediately. Before she leaves, she gives a message to Sihtric (Arnas Fedaravicius) and asks him to give it to Hild. During this time, the deal falls through. Aelfric storms out. Sigefrid (Bjorn Bengtsson) and Erik (Christian Hillborg) also backtrack. Seconds later, the two Dane brothers begin pillaging nearby towns.
Alfred (David Dawson) and Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth) give Aethelflaed (Millie Brady) a lesson about geographic. Aethelflaed also learns that she will be married off to form a union with another nation. Ragnar (Tobias Santelmann) and Hild (Eva Birthistle) arrive and speak with Guthred. While Guthred refuses to tell them where Uhtred has been sent, Sihtric gets his message to Hild. Uhtred and the ship runs into a storm. They’re forced to work quickly to prevent the ship from sinking. Once the storm passes, Uhtred refuses to stop working. Sverri speaks with him and tries to convince him he is nothing more than a slave. Uhtred and Finan maintain confidence that they’ll escape soon enough. Saxons from the cities ransacked by Erik and Sigefrid arrive in Eoferwic. Abbot Eadred (David Schofield) insists they need Aelfric’s help more than ever.
Ragnar tracks down Jonis (Christopher Sciueref). Ragnar gives the man money for information. He learns that the slaver, who took Uhtred, should return. Ragnar, Hild and Steapa (Adrian Bouchet) have no choice, but to wait. Halig freaks out on the ship and tries to climb onto land. Uhtred covers him and is whipped. Uhtred manages to calm his friend. Alfred receives a visit from Lord of Mercia Ceolwulf (David Gant). Ceolwulf, who is visibly angry, demands repayment for his support in the recent battle. He demands men to help him push the Danes out of his lands. Alfred tries his best to negotiate with the man. Nevertheless, Ceolwulf wants men and nothing else. He lays down a note containing the name of a potential suitor for Alfred’s daughter. Then, he unexpectedly passes away. Aelswith reads the note and points out Aethelred (Toby Regbo).
As winter arrives, the slave ship is forced to stop in Iceland. Brother Tew (Peter McDonald) and the Abbot speak with Aelfric. At first, Aelfric is not interested in marrying a missing bride. However, he agrees once he learns that Uhtred had an interest in her. Aelfric sends Aidan (Anthony Cozens) with them to find Gisela. Aethelred returns to Alfred and confirms they have been able to fight off the Danes with the men provided. He also makes an offer for Alfred’s daughter. Aethelred agrees to give her lands in his kingdom. Sven (Ole Christoffer Ertvaag) arrives and speaks with Jonis. Meanwhile, Uhtred and his friends attempt to make their escape. They break free from the guards briefly, but are captured on the beach.
Back on the ship, Sverri hassles Uhtred and orders him to pull. We see the Halig has been tied to the front of the ship. He ends up drowning in the water, as the ship sails towards its destination. Sven and Jonis wait for the slaves to arrive. When they finally do, Sven looks them over and spots Uhtred. He gives Uhtred a sword and orders him to fight. However, Uhtred is simply too weak to defend himself. Sven prepares to slay Uhtred. Before he can, Ragnar and his men arrive. Sven escapes with his life, but Finan kills Sverri. That night, Ragnar confirms Halig has been given a proper burial. Later, Hild wakes Uhtred and washes the wounds on his back. She also returns his sword. Hild admits she kept it sharp, because she knew he would return. Hild gives Uhtred a cross necklace and insists it will protect him. Uhtred promises to repay the favor.
Meanwhile, Gisela is forced to hide when Trew and Aidan arrive at the church. That night, Ragnar is told he will need to return to Alfred first thing. Uhtred learns about Gisela waiting for him and he decides to reunite with her immediately. At the church, the Abbot tries to marry Aelfric and Gisela, while using Aidan as a proxy. Uhtred arrives just after the vows are completed. He becomes angered with the Abbot and kills him. Afterwards, Uhtred returns to Alfred. Alfred quickly uses the Abbot’s murder to manipulate Uhtred and force him to join his army. Uhtred eventually agrees and helps set Ragnar free.
The Last Kingdom Review
The 3rd episode of The Last Kingdom’s 2nd series was undoubtedly the best this far. The episode was unlike any from the past and put Uhtred in an unusual situation. As a slave, Uhtred had little to no control over his destiny. Nevertheless, he managed to band together with Finan and Halig to overcome the struggle. Sadly, Halig was killed brutally by the slaver. While Uhtred was able to reunite with Gisela, his recklessness played right into Alfred’s hands. Now, Uhtred is once again indebted to Alfred.
Meanwhile, Guthred’s incompetence and naivety finally caught up with him. His treaty with the Danes fell apart, forcing him to sell his sister to Aelfric for men and peace. Now that Uhtred is working with Alfred, it is highly likely he will encounter Guthred before too long. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. The episode scores a high 8.5 out of 10. Catch up with previous recaps of The Last Kingdom 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.
