Season 4 of ‘The Last Kingdom’ Recap – Everything You Need to Know
It’s been nearly two years since fans of Netflix’s The Last Kingdom got a new season. Although hearts began to race when word of a planned feature film based on the show leaked, Season 5’s trailer and release date were only released last month. With the wait gone, viewers may look forward to even more dramatic conflicts between the Saxons and the Danes, as well as a conclusion to Uthred’s (Alexander Dreymon) quest to take Bebbanburg.
Here is a brain refresher with everything you should know from Season 4 to help you prepare for the last chapter of the British series.
Uthred Returns to Bebbanburg
Uthred discovers that Leofric’s (Adrien Bower) influence over Bebbanbrug is restricted due of several Scot attacks in Season 4. Recognizing this as the ideal moment to retake the country that is rightfully his, Uthred travels to Wessex and asks King Edward (Timothy Innes) for assistance. Because the new king refuses to lend some of his warriors to the cause, Uthred, his son, Father Beocca (Ian Hart), and the rest of their companions return to Bebbanburg in the hopes of capturing it on their own. However, things quickly spiral out of control when Wihtgar (Leofric’s son) arrives unexpectedly. As the inhabitants of Bebbanburg join forces with Wihtgar (Ossian Perret), Uthred is not only put at a disadvantage, but he also loses one of his closest companions, Beocca, in the failed attempt. In the center of a crossroads, the protagonist has no choice but to become embroiled in the Saxon-Danish battle once more.
Mercia is Attacked
Meanwhile, Aethelred (Toby Regbo) focuses on capturing Dane land with the help of Haesten (Jeppe Beck Laursen). Eardwulf (played by Jamie Blackley as the commander of Aethelred’s household warriors) talks with Haesten, who advises the King of Mercia to invade East Anglia and add it to his kingdom while the Danes proceed to Ireland. Aethelred agrees to this idea and prepares to assault East Anglia, sending a handful of monks to Bebbanburg to retrieve the Heart of St. Oswald as a token to boost his mission’s chances of success. Despite the fact that the opportunity to capture East Anglia seemed ideal, Mercia was left undefended, allowing Cnut (Magnus Brunn) and Brida (Emily Cox) to invade it alongside Dane soldiers. Athelfled (Millie Brady) demands quick action, but her brother believes it is preferable to wait for Aethelred’s return so they may all band together. Aethelfled, realizing that she must defend her people, escapes Wessex in secret and demands that the King of Wales send his warriors to assist her in fighting the Danes.
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Battle of Tettenhall
As Aethelred and his army triumph against the Vikings in East Anglia, the news that Mercia is under attack enrages him, and he accuses Eardwulf of following Haesten’s advice. Uthred sees Athelfled and expresses his desire to fight beside her at the Battle of Tettenhall while they try to finish what they started. The conflict between the Welsh and the Danes is nearly too difficult to bear due to the heightened tensions on the battlefield. When King Edward and Aethelred arrive at Tettenhall, however, the Welsh gain the upper hand and ensure the Vikings’ defeat. Uthred has a one-on-one fight with Cnut during the battle, and Cnut unwittingly admits to killing Ragnar (Tobias Santelmann). Brida overhears this and turns against him, killing Cnut before being kidnapped and sold as a slave by the Welch.
Aethelred’s Death
Despite the win, Aetherlred died as a result of his injuries. While he waits for his sad end in bed, Aethelfled and Uthred try to work out a deal for Mercia’s succession by hiding her daughter in a convent with Uthred’s daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley). King Edward decides to take matters into his own hands and proposes to Eardwulf that his niece be wedded to him. Aethelred, on his deathbed, rejects the idea of Eardwulf inheriting the crown. As a result, he kills his lord in vengeance, hoping to establish his place in the Mercian throne. Eardwulf and his soldiers follow down Uthred in the hopes of finding Aelfwynn as the elders cease to acknowledge the betrothal and are unfriendly to Wessex’s role in determining Mercia’s future (Helena Albright). When they’re going to kidnap the princess, Edith (Eardwulf’s sister, Stefanie Martini) explains that her brother was the one who killed the King of Mercia.
When Uthred learns of this, he rushes to the senior men and King Edward to inform them of Eardwulf’s betrayal, but King Edward refuses to believe him and imprisons Uthred. Without the king’s consent, Edward’s counselor (Aethelhelm, played by Adrian Schiller) tortures Uthred into telling him about Aelfwynn’s hiding place. When Edward learns of the crime, he loses faith in Aethelhelm and places Mercia under the jurisdiction of Uthred, who subsequently hands the title to Aethelfled. Despite her affections for Uthred, Aethelfled swears to a vote of chastity to appease the senior males.
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Brida Is Set Free
Brida was carried as a slave to Wales after the Battle of Tettenhall, where she was humiliated and abused numerous times. She is imprisoned until Sigtryggr (Eysteinn Sigurarson) frees her. Brida is thirsty for vengeance after what the Saxons done to her and her loved ones, and she takes down many Welsh lands along the route. Brida, aided by Sigtryggr, tracks down Eardwulf and kidnaps him. To protect himself, Eardwulf makes it known that Winchester is vulnerable to attack, causing the Danes to invade. Edward tries to negotiate with Sigtryggr out of desperation, but Uthred ends up offering himself in return for Edward’s sons. Sigtryggr finds various means to reach a ceasefire, despite Brida’s desire to torture Uthred for everything he has done to her. By the end of the season, Uthred has averted another fight, and the Saxons have agreed to hand over Efowic to the Danes in exchange for Wessex.
How Will Season 4’s Ending Impact Season 5?
Season 5 shows that the truce between the Danes and the Saxons would not last long, despite the fact that Season 4 ended on a more peaceful note. Because Brida is still enraged by Uthred and the Saxons, she feels compelled to strike back and inflict pain on Uthred in the same way he harmed her by pursuing his bloodline. As these two heroes battle it out, we’ll see Edward struggle for a united England, exactly as his father wished. Season 5 promises to fill in the blanks for the fictitious characters’ unpredictable fate, even if we know what happens in the end historically.
