The Last Kingdom: What Still Needs To Happen Before It Ends

The Last Kingdom‘s conclusive season 5 is primed to resolve a number of the Netflix series’ most compelling plotlines and there are a number of things that need to happen before the series ends. Beginning in 9th-century England, the show follows Uhtred Ragnarsson (Alexander Dreymon), a warrior who was born as a Saxon but raised as a Dane, over several decades as he seeks to claim his ancestral land of Bebbanburg following his father’s death at the hands of Vikings. The Last Kingdom largely adheres to history, though the character of Uhtred is only loosely based on the real-life persona Uhtred the Bold, who lived as an ealdorman in Northumbria during the 11th century. Since its commencement, The Last Kingdom has produced various intricate storylines and characters amassing its larger narrative, which promises to come to reach its highest intensity in season 5.

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The Last Kingdom premiered in 2015 on BBC and was later picked up by Netflix in 2018. The show derives from the series of novels known as The Saxon Stories, written by Bernard Cornwell. While 13 books make up The Last Kingdom‘s source material, only 10 will have made it into the screen, as each season of the show has typically based itself on two novels. After season 5 airs on Netflix, the streaming service will release a follow-up feature film titled Seven Kings Must Die, with much of the TV series’ main cast set to return.

Given that The Last Kingdom season 5 does not signal the end of the show’s source material, it’s guaranteed that a number of loose ends will remain after the final season. Nonetheless, the Netflix show will likely pay off some of its foremost plotlines that have begun to culminate as of season 4’s end. Here is every major development The Last Kingdom season 5 needs to address before it concludes.

Brida’s Quest For Revenge On Uhtred

From starting as childhood friends to becoming lovers, Uhtred and Brida share nothing short of a rich and complicated history. The pair were kidnapped when Uhtred’s father fell in battle and lived under Earl Ragnar until the Dane leader was killed by another Dane warrior named Kjartan out of revenge for Earl Ragnar’s partial blinding of the former’s son. When Kjartan falsely claimed that Uhtred had murdered his adoptive father, Uhtred and Brida fled to Wessex, where their romance blossomed. Their paths soon diverged when Brida joined Uhtred’s adopted brother Ragnar Ragnarsson and the Danes, while Uhtred swore an oath to serve King Alfred of Wessex.

Uhtred and Brida’s opposing allegiances in the midst of bloody confrontations between Saxons and Danes have brought the two together on multiple occasions, though the rift in their relationship became irredeemable when, in The Last Kingdom season 4, Brida was enslaved by Welshmen after Uhtred refused her request to die in battle instead. Brida interpreted the act as betrayal rather than mercy, and now that she has been freed from her captors by the young Dane Sigtrygger, Brida looks primed to pursue a brutal quest for revenge upon Uhtred. The Last Kingdom season 5’s trailer evidences an enraged Brida leading an army of Danes, hellbent on defeating Uhtred. The two were also briefly shown engaging in a swordfight, indicating a possible violent end to their relationship. Uhtred and Brida’s division has only grown more intense with each season of The Last Kingdom, therefore, the show must present a resolution to their conflict before it ends.

Uhtred And Æthelflæd’s Relationship

Toward the end of The Last Kingdom season 4, Uhtred stunned the people of Wessex when he relinquished Mercia’s throne, offered to him by King Edward, to Æthelflæd instead. The daughter of the late King Alfred had been married to the former lord of Mercia, Æthelred prior to his death, and had begun a romance with Uhtred. Uhtred’s surprise move came with a price, though, in the form of Æthelflæd having to swear to remain chaste as long as she holds the title of Queen of Mercia, extinguishing her budding romance with Uhtred. At the end of the season, Uhtred went off on his own because he estimated it would be too difficult to remain in Mercia but unable to be with Æthelflæd. The Last Kingdom season 5 needs to address whether Uhtred and Æthelflæd’s separation is temporary or final. In the trailer, the pair appeared to share a conversation, so it’s guaranteed that their paths will cross again. The elephant in the room remains whether or not Uhtred and Æthelflæd can separate their feelings from their political oaths.

The Fates Of Uhtred’s Children

The Last Kingdom season 4 left Uhtred’s two children in fascinating positions. His daughter Stiorra decided to live with Sigtrygger and his band of Danes, as she wanted an independent life and to become acquainted with her Norse heritage. Uhtred’s son, who bears the same name, returned to the Church to further pursue his Christian faith. This constituted a significant moment of growth for Uhtred, as he learned to respect his children’s right to choose their own paths after initially acting displeased with young Uhtred’s religious affiliation and resentment of him. In season 5, it will be interesting to see how the trio will reunite again and the circumstances that will impact their familial bond. The Last Kingdom season 5’s trailer revealed that Brida’s band of Danes not only aims to hunt Uhtred but also his bloodline. This places Stiorra and young Uhtred in a precarious situation that could lead to either’s demise.

The Saxons’ Inner Power Struggle

After much of The LastKingdom seasons 1-3 focused on the brutal conflict between Saxons and Danes, season 4 introduced internal strifes among the Saxons of Mercia and those of Wessex. The clashes were instigated by the stubborn King Edward and the power-hungry Æthelred, causing the Saxons to lose faith in each other and stray from the late Alfred’s goal of a united England. Æthelred’s devious conspiring with the Danes came to an end and peace was restored at the end of season 4 with Æthelflæd named queen. However, the treacherous events of the past are guaranteed to produce further conflict in season 5 as Danes wage war on the Saxons once again. In The Last Kingdom season 5, Edward’s strength will surely be tested, as will Æthelflaed’s, as the sibling rulers vie to protect their lands. On the other hand, the longstanding battle between Saxons and Danes is not likely to be resolved in season 5 since it has been a focal point of the show. Viewers should expect both sides to continue their violence against each other in Seven Kings Must Die.

Uhtred’s Identity And Allegiance In His Pursuit Of Bebbanburg

The Last Kingdom season 5 promises to pave a path forward for Uhtred. The series’ central figure has pledged many allegiances in the past, formed his own band of warriors, and reunited with his estranged children, but he is yet to achieve his ultimate goal of claiming his birthright as the rightful heir of Bebbanburg. While there is much more story to tell after season 5, The Last Kingdom‘s final run should solidify Uhtred’s sense of self, which has wavered throughout the show’s previous four seasons. His constant battle between Saxon and Dane has led him to a point where he bears no allegiances, though Brida’s quest for revenge and his pursuit of Bebbanburg should compel him to rejoin forces with Saxon leaders. It remains undetermined whether Uhtred will succeed in capturing his elusive ancestral land, though after failing his first attempt in season 4, he certainly will put up a stronger fight in The Last Kingdom‘s final season.

The Last Kingdom season 5 premieres March 9 on Netflix.

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