About The Last Kingdom Season 2 – TV Series

The Last Kingdom Season 2 TV Series Details

The Last Kingdom is a British historical fiction television series based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories series of novels. The series was developed for television by Stephen Butchard and premiered on 10 October 2015 on BBC Two. For the second season, Netflix co-produced the series. In 2018, the series was acquired by Netflix who continued to solely produce the series for three more seasons. The series concluded on 9 March 2022 after five seasons for a total of 46 episodes. A feature-length sequel that concluded the series story, titled Seven Kings Must Die, premiered on 14 April 2023 on Netflix.

STORY

Episodes 01

In 878, the fearless and instinctive warrior Uhtred begins his voyage north to reclaim his ancestral lands of Bebbanburg. Alfred’s conviction to unite the kingdoms of England is stronger than ever, and he sets his sights on the wildlands of the north, which have fallen under the control of the Danish warlords Erik and Sigefrid. Beocca recruits Uhtred and his companions to rescue Guthred, the king of Cumberland, from his Danish captors. Guthred is both Dane and Christian and the hope is that he will unite northern England against the pagan invaders. Guthred is held for ransom by Sven, and Uhtred pretends to be an undead warrior, sent by Odin to avenge the death of Ragnar the Elder. The ploy works and the Danes are scattered. At his keep in Dunholm, Kjartan hears the word of Uhtred’s presence in Northumbria and plots revenge.

Episodes 02

Kjartan’s spies infiltrate the Cumberland camp. Uhtred is attacked, but saved by his warriors. Hild goes on a journey of self-discovery as she considers exchanging her life as a nun for that of a warrior, and Guthred’s efforts to emulate Alfred’s conciliatory tactics backfire when his indecision and lack of ruthlessness weaken the Saxons’ position. Uhtred and Guthred’s sister Gisela discover a mutual attraction while the Cumberland count brokers a truce with Erik and Sigefrid. Uhtred swears loyalty to Guthred as his ealdorman, but Guthred’s advisor Eadred convinces Guthred that Uhtred’s popularity among the men will eventually lead to Uhtred usurping the crown. Guthred enters an alliance with Uhtred’s uncle Ælfric and has Uhtred made a slave, to be sold off. Uhtred’s follower Halig refuses to leave his master and is sold as well.

Episodes 03

Uhtred and Halig are thrown in chains on a ship by the Icelandic slaver Sverri. The lords of the north congregate in Eoferwic, where Ælfric abandons his alliance with Guthred due to him not being presented with Uhtred’s head. Erik and Sigefrid break their truce with Guthred as well, now that he has no backing. Uhtred and Halig are brought to the Norse colony at Húsavík as timber workers. After a failed escape attempt, Sverri has Halig bound to the prow of his ship, where he eventually dies. That spring, Uhtred is brought back to England to be sold to Sven. Young Ragnar arrives and rescues Uhtred, having been instructed by Alfred to bring his field commander back. Hild nurses Uhtred back to health. Eadred tries to force Gisela into marriage with Ælfric to rekindle the alliance, with a proxy standing in for the missing Ælfric. Uhtred and Ragnar interrupt the “marriage”, and Eadred is killed by Uhtred after taunting him numerous times. In Wessex, Alfred confronts Uhtred about the murder. As Ragnar held responsibility for Uhtred, Alfred blames him and blackmails Uhtred into swearing fealty once more to save Ragnar from retribution.

Episodes 04

The followers of Ragnar the Younger, led by Rollo, gather to avenge the death of Ragnar the Elder. They decide in order to have sufficient men to storm Dunholm, Guthred’s men are needed and an alliance is necessary. However, Brida does not want Ragnar’s men to die for Guthred, whom she dubs “the Turd”. Uhtred sneaks into Erik and Sigefrid’s camp and attempts to assassinate Sigefrid. He fails but manages to cut off Sigefrid’s sword hand and take him hostage. In order to save his brother, Erik agrees to leave England. Uhtred then presents Sigefrid’s hand to Guthred and confronts him about his betrayal. Guthred agrees to support Ragnar’s campaign against Kjartan. Uhtred and Beocca infiltrate Dunholm through a secret entrance and let Ragnar’s and Guthred’s forces into the keep. In the ensuing battle, Rollo and Sven are killed, and Ragnar duels with Kjartan to the death. Thyra scolds her brothers for not rescuing her years ago, but Beocca soothes her and helps her deal with her trauma.

Episodes 05

Three years have passed since the battle of Dunholm, and Uhtred still serves Alfred as lord of the Wessex town of Coccham. Despite the peace of recent years, trouble is brewing in nearby East Anglia and Æthelwold brings Uhtred a strange tale, along with a proposition that is hard to ignore. Uhtred’s continued strong will and latent restlessness create tension and strain during a royal visit from Alfred, and an unexpected meeting with the Northman Erik gives Uhtred more food for thought, although it puts him and Gisela at odds. Meanwhile, at Winchester, preparations for the royal wedding are underway, as Æthelred of Mercia arrives. Beocca confides in Uhtred and is left with an important question to ask.

Episodes 06

Winchester celebrates Æthelred and Æthelflæd’s wedding, but the festivities are short-lived as the clouds of war gather and Alfred runs out of options to keep the peace. When rumors swirl, Alfred’s mistrust of Uhtred deepens and Uhtred is relegated in his duties as the warlord of Wessex. Æthelred is called to step forward, but a fatal mistake allows Erik and Sigefrid to outwit the Saxons. Terror reigns.

Episodes 07

Æthelflæd is missing and Æthelred and the Saxons return to Winchester to break the news to King Alfred, while Uhtred goes home to Gisela with plans to uncover the truth by his own means. Alfred’s stubborn determination causes Odda to question whether the will of the king and the good of the kingdom are at odds – will he need to make a choice of loyalty between the two? Uhtred and Sigefrid come face to face for the first time since the Northmen’s banishment from Northumbria, and Uhtred is confronted with a decision that will define the fate of Wessex.

Episodes 08

When King Alfred is told the great sum of Æthelflæd’s ransom – and the horror that will likely befall his daughter if Wessex does not pay – he feels there can be only one way forward, despite this jeopardizing the kingdom. Suspicions at Beamfleot threaten to unravel the lovers’ escape plan, and Uhtred must think on his feet if he is to secure Æthelflæd’s freedom and save Wessex. Odda risks everything for the kingdom and makes an unlikely ally, while Gisela and Uhtred contemplate a future as enemies of Alfred. In a devastating showdown at Beamfleot, there is passion, heartbreak, and treachery.

CAST

Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon warrior raised by the Danes who desires to reclaim his birthright at Bebbanburg
Emily Cox as Brida (series 1–5; guest Seven Kings Must Die), a free-spirited Saxon who, like Uhtred, was adopted by the Danes at a young age
Joseph Millson as Aelfric of Bebbanburg (series 1–2, 4), Uhtred’s uncle, who usurps his position as the Lord of Bebbanburg
Simon Kunz as Odda the Elder (series 1–2), the Ealdorman of Devonshire and Alfred’s closest advisor
Thure Lindhardt as King Guthred (series 2), a former slave and the pretender king of Northumbria
David Schofield as Abbot Eadred (series 2), Guthred’s closest advisor
Eva Birthistle as Hild (series 2–5; guest series 1), a resourceful nun who becomes one of Uhtred’s allies
Gerard Kearns as Halig (series 2; guest series 1), a Saxon messenger who becomes one of Uhtred’s allies
Peri Baumeister as Gisela (series 2–3), Uhtred’s second wife and Guthred’s sister
Eliza Butterworth as Lady Aelswith (series 2–5; recurring series 1), Alfred’s wife and the queen consort of Wessex
Peter McDonald as Brother Trew (series 2), a priest who serves under Guthred
Mark Rowley as Finan (series 2–5; Seven Kings Must Die), a fierce Irish warrior sworn to Uhtred and his second-in-command
Alexandre Willaume as Kjartan the Cruel (series 2; guest series 1), a Danish warrior responsible for massacring the household where Uhtred was raised
Ole Christoffer Ertvaag as Sven the One-Eyed (series 2; guest series 1), Kjartan’s sadistic son
- Andrew Lukacs portrays a young Sven (guest series 1)
Julia Bache-Wiig as Thyra (series 2–3; guest series 1), Ragnar’s sister and Uhtred’s foster sister who was kidnapped by Kjartan and held captive for many years
- Madeleine Power portrays a young Thyra (guest series 1)
Björn Bengtsson as Sigefrid (series 2), a Norse Earl who, alongside his brother Erik, ruthlessly raids settlements throughout England
Cavan Clerkin as Father Pyrlig (series 2–5; Seven Kings Must Die), a Welsh priest and former warrior sworn to serve the ruler of Wessex
Arnas Fedaravičius as Sihtric (series 2–5; Seven Kings Must Die), Kjartan’s bastard son who becomes one of Uhtred’s most trusted allies
Christian Hillborg as Erik (series 2), a Norse Earl who is Sigefrid’s kinder and more diplomatic brother
Jeppe Beck Laursen as Haesten (series 2–5; guest Seven Kings Must Die), a Danish chieftain who serves Sigefrid and Erik and will do anything for personal gain
Toby Regbo as Lord Aethelred (series 2–4), the Lord of Mercia who hopes to one day rule England
Millie Brady as Lady Aethelflaed (series 2–5), Alfred and Aelswith’s daughter, Aethelred’s wife and the Lady of Mercia
- Zsofia Farkas portrays a young Aethelflaed (guest series 1)
James Northcote as Aldhelm (series 2–5; Seven Kings Must Die), Aethelred and Aethelflaed’s closest ally and chief Huscarl
Ewan Mitchell as Osferth (series 2–5), Alfred’s bastard son who becomes one of Uhtred’s most trusted allies

PRODUCTION

Development

The series started shooting in November 2014. It was produced by Carnival Films for BBC Two and BBC America. Nick Murphy (Prey, Occupation) served as co-executive producer and directed multiple episodes. For portrayals of the Vikings at sea, the Viking ship replica Havhingsten fra Glendalough was used. The series was filmed primarily in Hungary, with most scenes at the eight acres near Budapest owned by Korda Studios with its Medieval Village Set and surrounding mountains, forests and lakes.

Filming for the second series began in Budapest in June 2016. Richard Rankin, Gerard Kearns, Thure Lindhardt, Millie Brady, Erik Madsen, and Peter McDonald joined the cast. In August 2016, Aftonbladet reported that Swedish actors Björn Bengtsson and Magnus Samuelsson would join the main cast. Also that month, it was reported that Stephen Butchard would return as the sole script writer and that Netflix had signed on as an international co-production partner for the second series.

In April 2018, Netflix confirmed that a third series was in production, based on the books The Lords of the North and Sword Song, which would air exclusively on the streaming service, and Bernard Cornwell indicated that he had been offered a cameo appearance. Swedish actor Ola Rapace joined the cast for series 3, as Jarl Harald Bloodhair. Swedish director Erik Leijonborg was behind the camera for series 3; he has collaborated with Rapace on several Swedish TV series.

On 26 December 2018, the series was renewed for a fourth series by Netflix. On 7 July 2020, the series was renewed for a fifth series by Netflix. On 30 April 2021, it was announced that the series would conclude with the fifth series. Filming for season 5 wrapped in June 2021.

The final season was followed by a feature-length film titled Seven Kings Must Die, which completed filming on 19 March 2022. It premiered on Netflix on 14 April 2023.