The Last Kingdom

Based on Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories historical novels, this British series retells the story of King Alfred the Great—the 9th-century Saxon King of Wessex—through the eyes of a fictional character: Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon). Born a Saxon but raised by a Danish warrior, Uhtred is a man caught between two worlds. Blamed for the massacre of his Danish family (who are actually murdered by another Danish clan) and cheated out of his rightful Saxon heritage by his uncle, he pledges his loyalty to Alfred (David Dawson) to defend Britain against the invading Danish forces and seals his pledge with a marriage to a Christian woman, Mildrith (Amy Wren). Serving up a mix of historical and fictional characters, The Last Kingdom tells the story of the birth of Britain, which is presented as an uneasy alliance between the Christian Alfred—who is sickly, but also learned and wise—and the pagan peoples who identified themselves as neither Dane nor Saxon but simply Britons. The series offers an interesting take on faith and religion, with complex characters who are able to look beyond the blinders of Scripture to see the worth of individuals, including Alfred, who comes to respect his honest pagan subjects. A handsome period production that presents a realistic portrait of life in the Dark Ages, coupled with lavish battles that illustrate the tactics of medieval warfare, the busy narrative features betrayal, vengeance, romance, conspiracy, loyalty, and a nascent sense of patriotism in the British kingdom that Alfred is building. Compiling all eight episodes from the 2015 first season, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)