# The Last Kingdom: Season 1 (spoilers)



## Gramm838 (Jul 16, 2014)

Apparently the BBC are going to turn Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom saga into a TV series.

I'm really looking forward to this as long as it's fairly true to the books.


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## Narkalui (Jun 30, 2015)

A whopping 16 seconds long and we didn't see much, but I think I saw enough to convince me that this series will do justice to the books and be awesome.


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## Brian G Turner (Jun 30, 2015)

Is this what you meant?


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## Narkalui (Jun 30, 2015)

I did see that too but there's another without the weird shots of the script pages...


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## Warren_Paul (Jul 11, 2015)

Yay, epic fantasy it looks like. Looking forward to learning more about it. Do we know when it's coming out?


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## Narkalui (Jul 11, 2015)

This autumn apparently, and its historical not fantastical, just so you know


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## Warren_Paul (Jul 11, 2015)

Right, well I still consider historial fantasy to be much the same genre as far as TV shows go. The White Queen and Reign are considered historical fantasy too yet they definitely contain some more fantastical elements. Even if it doesn't I'll still enjoy it, much like I did The Pillars of Earth and World Without End.


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## Bugg (Oct 13, 2015)

Longer trailer:






Starts next Thursday, 22nd October, on BBC 2 at 9pm.  Started in the U.S. last weekend, I believe.

I love, love, love the books, so I'm really excited about this.  Hope they've done a good job of adapting it.


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## REBerg (Oct 16, 2015)

Watched the premiere and liked the story. Seemed similar to the History Channel's_ Vikings _series from a different perspective. Plan to keep watching.


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## Bugg (Oct 16, 2015)

It's interesting that the BBC waited until now to make the series.  The success of _Vikings _must have had some influence.  Cornwell's novels started in 2004, so pre-dated the History Channel series by some years.  Assuming the BBC series follows Cornwell's books it's set a bit later than _Vikings _and becomes less about the Danes and more about Alfred the Great and his vision of England as one nation.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 10, 2015)

Not read the original series, but watched the first episode last night and really enjoyed it. Within the first couple of minutes it was clear we were looking at good production values. I can also see how some of the imagery (Viking shield wall) and dialogue must have come from the books.

Really engaging so far - looking forward to watching episode 2.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 19, 2015)

Really enjoyed the second episode, too - love the attention to detail in the production.

For example, I noticed that Alfred's building had brick pillars - but brick wasn't ordinary in England until the late mediaeval period. Then on closer inspection I realised that they were actually Roman tile bricks - much thinner. And then later in the episode Alfred mentioned that it was a Roman building. 

A lot of production companies might have completely missed any Roman building features in a Roman building, but this programme didn't. Kudos to the production crew for that.

And - the dialogue and characters and setting are all quite wonderful. If the standard carries through this series, it could easily become a favourite. The next question is - are we looking at a single series, or multiple seasons? Because if the latter, we might just have to set aside a dedicated board for it on chrons.


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## Bugg (Nov 19, 2015)

Brian Turner said:


> The next question is - are we looking at a single series, or multiple seasons? Because if the latter, we might just have to set aside a dedicated board for it on chrons.



Ooh, I really hope it's the latter   As far as I know, the first season will roughly cover events from the first two books, so there's plenty left to tell.

The third and fourth episodes were excellent, also.  Can't wait for tonight's!


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## Bugg (Nov 20, 2015)

Thought last night's episode was the best yet


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## svalbard (Nov 20, 2015)

Agree. It was a very good episode. Young Odda is such a little ****.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 20, 2015)

Just watched episode 3 and still really enjoying it.

What I especially love about this series is the characterisation - Brida and Alfred are outstanding characters in their own right. 



Spoiler



In the last episode, it looked like Brida might be killed off as part of the old stereotype "kill the hero's woman to motivate him". Instead, through this episode, we see Brida very taking her life in her own hands, reaching an understanding with herself and with Utred, before leaving him for what she felt was more important. A character-driven decision that really helps bring her character to the fore. Loved the reunion with Ragnar, too.


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## svalbard (Nov 20, 2015)

The good news is that Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles have being optioned and we should see the first series on our screens in the not too distant future.

Still waiting on news for a 2nd season of The Last Kingdom.


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## Davidjb (Nov 20, 2015)

Great programme so far and they've adapted it for TV quite well. Shame theirs little about the fleet Uhtred gets to lead. Leading the training of the shield wall was a poor replacement, if not a funny one.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 24, 2015)

Episode 5 continued the excellence in the storytelling. The battle, the humiliation - all strong stuff.


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## Davidjb (Nov 24, 2015)

Brian Turner said:


> Episode 5 continued the excellence in the storytelling. The battle, the humiliation - all strong stuff.


Not seen that episode yet so looking forward to it. I reread the book in anticipation


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## Davidjb (Nov 24, 2015)

I think they are hoping for a similar response to Game of Thrones. Last Kingdom is good as a saga but won't attract the same sort of following as Game of Thrones.


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## Brian G Turner (Dec 10, 2015)

Just finished the last episode - of what I hope is just the first season. 

Can anyone who's read the Cornwell books advise how much of that series remains untold?


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## Bugg (Dec 10, 2015)

I think that season covered the first two books, Brian - although I can't remember for sure.  Anyway, there are 9 books to date.


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## Davidjb (Dec 11, 2015)

Bugg said:


> I think that season covered the first two books, Brian - although I can't remember for sure.  Anyway, there are 9 books to date.



I agree it's definitely most of Pale Horseman as well as Last Kingdom. I will need to reread Pale Horseman to be sure though. I liked the final episode, although their view of a shield wall is a bit bizarre.


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## Brian G Turner (Dec 11, 2015)

Oh, forgot - the filming for that final battle was amazing. Especially the overhead shot of the two armies parting to show the bloody field between them. As my wife pointed out, there was nothing glorified in the violence at all.



Spoiler



The only downer is that with Leofric and Iseult gone, Alfred left behind, Brida and Ragnar currently out, the story has lost its best characters.



(EDIT: I've also renamed this thread from _LK - teaser trailer_, to _LK - Season 1_, as that seems the better description for it.)


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## thaddeus6th (Dec 11, 2015)

Could you add 'spoilers' to the title? I've seen it, so they don't bother me, but others may be behind schedule [this is an increasing problem with the way things are viewed/aired. I'm a season behind on Gotham, The Walking Dead, and Supermodels of SHIELD. And maybe The 100].

I do like a nice death toll. Highlight of the series was probably the chap playing Alfred. No idea how historically accurate that portrayal is, but it's a change from either the very sly or typically warlike, heroic sort of king. Felt like a very balanced, deep sort of character.


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## Bugg (Dec 11, 2015)

Brian Turner said:


> Oh, forgot - the filming for that final battle was amazing. Especially the overhead shot of the two armies parting to show the bloody field between them. As my wife pointed out, there was nothing glorified in the violence at all.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Agree on the spoiler . . .



Spoiler



Uhtred's kind of like Luke Skywalker - he's the least interesting character on show but he served to bring all the others together (ooh, a bit like The Force!!).  I do think the guy playing Guthrum is excellent, though.

That said, my absolute favourite character from the books has yet to appear - and I think he first turned up in book 3, so very hopeful for next season!


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## svalbard (Dec 12, 2015)

I thought the whole build up to the final battle was brilliant and the battle scene itself was nothing short of breathtaking. We cannot know but maybe it was close to how two shield walls clashed in reality.

Beocca is a much more sympathetic character in the show, as is Alfred. If my memory is correct about the books then Beocca and Uthred were not on the best of terms towards the end of the first book.


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## Khuratokh (Feb 8, 2016)

thaddeus6th said:


> Could you add 'spoilers' to the title? I've seen it, so they don't bother me, but others may be behind schedule [this is an increasing problem with the way things are viewed/aired. I'm a season behind on Gotham, The Walking Dead, and Supermodels of SHIELD. And maybe The 100].
> 
> I do like a nice death toll. Highlight of the series was probably the chap playing Alfred. No idea how historically accurate that portrayal is, but it's a change from either the very sly or typically warlike, heroic sort of king. Felt like a very balanced, deep sort of character.


From what I've read about him this was a fairly accurate portrayal. I like that his belief is genuine and not just a cynical ploy to bind the people


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## Vertigo (Nov 21, 2016)

So now I've read the first few of Cornwell's Saxon books I decided to start watching the series and have watched the first three episodes. Whilst it's visually beautiful and the acting is great I struggle to understand why they have almost completely abandoned Cornwell's excellent story. As far as I can tell about the only things that are common between the books and the TV series are the history, which cannot really be changed, and the characters. Almost everything else that happens is completely different to the books.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 21, 2016)

I watched the TV series first, then read the books. As usual with film/TV, they've simplified things while trying to keep to the core and spirit of the story. I still enjoyed both, but I'll wait to watch Season 2 before continuing with the novels so that I don't feel as though I'm missing out on the extra depth inevitable in the books.


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## Vertigo (Nov 21, 2016)

It's not just a question of simplifying it's completely changed. About the only things that were the same was Uhtred's baptism and Ragnar's murder. Uhtred arrives in Alfred's court at a completely different time and a completely different way. Admittedly I've only watched the first three episodes so far but after the murder of Ragnar I can find nothing in the tv series that actually matches the book. Even the historical killing of Edmond was placed in a totally different context. The whole 'rumour' of Uhtred leading a slave rebellion was completely new. I mean I've enjoyed the three episodes I've watched so far; it's just that they bear no resemblance to the books.


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