Even some of the more questionable changes feel justified. Or a sword strike that comes from bellow.
Not to mention many small moments that shows the people responsible for the series really cared about the source material, like in shield wall battle (it doesn't reach the greatness of the book, but then, what battle scene anywhere does?), there is a scene of people walking over a dead body, something that feels taken right from the book. For the books fan in particular, this is a series that even when it changes the story of the book it feels it belong, Bernard Cornwell's tone is ever present in it. No matter what you like, The Last Kingdom (the first two episodes together are a nice demonstration of everything good about this story) might offer something for you. Add to that a great score, beautiful scenery and great acting (although a little bit inconsistent in some moments) and you have the recipes for a series that stand tall and deserves to be seen. That, along with its character, might be the two most appealing things about The Last Kingdom. That is done is the series by skillful directing, writing (in the first two episodes done by Nick Murphy and Stephen Butchard respectively) and editing. Maybe lightness is not the best word, since there is plenty of violence and moments that will leave you shocked, but the story is told in a way that feels amiable and pleasant. This passage helps to illustrate a kind of 'lightness' that the series, just as the books, have. In one opportunity Uhtred explain Heaven as Valhalla without all the drinking, fighting and humping. The Danes of the other hand, view Christianity with a disinterested curiosity. Christianity is a defining characteristic of the English, and because of the Norse paganism, they view the Danes not only as enemy of the Saxons, by enemies of God. Together with political issues, there is religion. The political plotting and machinations are ever present in the fractured world that these people inhabit, and the leaders of both the Saxons and Danes are constantly trying to get things working in their favor. And from them stem all the other conflicts in the series. And you will care for the fate of Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), Brida (Emily Cox), Alfred (David Dawson) and the many other great characters that are present in the first two episodes. And in the end, that is what keeps you interesting in a series. By the end of the first episode, you will find you will have feeling for these people, both positive and negative. You won't find good or bad here, nor one dimensional characters. Doing what they think is right and/or what is best for them and their loved ones. When it comes to characters there is no compromise, they feel like real people that are just living their lives. It's subtle and skillfully done, and with something that feel effortless you have a lot shown to you what Ælfric is all about. Uhtred get his pony and goes to join his father, and then you realize that that was Ælfric's plan all along.
But the directing and acting in the scene makes it clear Ælfric has something sinister in mind. His uncle barely talks to him and say he has to go and clear the stables. When the young Uhtred (Tom Taylor) wakes up and realize his father went to war without him, he promptly go and ask him why he was left behind. Take Ælfric (Joseph Millson) for example, Uhtred's uncle. At the center of The Last Kingdom is its characters and the show presents and develops then masterfully. Here there is a commitment to reality that goes beyond most historical shows, and I'm not talking only about the clothes, weapons or history itself, but characters, their motives and relationships.
In many ways, talking about how this series make this simple enough premise into a engrossing story full of nuance is talking about how the books do it. His future will be one of battle within and without, fighting against powerful warlords and struggling between his love for the Danes and their culture and his duty for the Saxons. The Last Kingdom tells the history of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon noble who is captured and raised by the Danes, first as a slave and then as a son.
I'll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but some are impossible to avoid. And so, inspired me to write my first review here. And I'm so gladly to say that based on the first two episodes of the series, my hopes were made into reality and my fears into joy. So seeing it rumored, then officially announced and finally premiered was very interesting and exciting. But it's the first series which I'd read the books it is based on way before it was even announced. It's certainly not the first series I watch, nor it's the first series based on books, not even historical fiction books. In a way, BBC's The Last Kingdom is a first ever experience for me.