Tag Archives: Aelswith
From my blog...
The Last Kingdom 5.9: The Best Laid Plans…
TLK Episode 9 begins with Uhtred’s men and the Mercian Guard preparing to ride out from the burh at York to make for Bebbanburg under Uhtred’s command. Uhtred has plenty of reasons for leading a force against Bebbanburg: the … Read More
The Last Kingdom 5.8: Daughters and Sons
In the previous episode (Ep. 7), while I was totally fixated on Brida, the other story threads inched forward. Aethelhelm approached the Scots king with the offer of a Mercian bride (Aelswith) in return for putting his grandson on … Read More
The Last Kingdom 5.1 Old Friends
This 5th Season of The Last Kingdom, if it follows the pattern we’ve seen in the past, will be based loosely on two of Bernard Cornwell’s novels: Warriors of the Storm and The Flame Bearer. Episode 1 opens with Uhtred … Read More
The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 9
Episode 9 opens in Aylesbury where Edward is lingering (too long) to witness Aethelflaed become Lady of Mercia in what looks like a wedding ceremony. Eventually we learn that the king is going to return to Wessex (finally) and Aethelflaed … Read More
The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 6
Episode 6 brings us right into the present day as Uhtred and his company, on the road to Chester with 4 children in their midst, discover that folk in Mercia are dying of The Sickness. The showrunners couldn’t possibly have … Read More
The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 4
In this episode of The Last Kingdom, women are the prime movers behind the events that lead to the Battle of Tettenhall. Kudos to this production for imagining the role of women as something more than hapless victims needing rescuing. … Read More
The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 3
Episode 3 of Season 4 of The Last Kingdom is permeated with threat, devastation and loss. There is no place in the dialogue for ribald humor or even wry jests among Uhtred’s companions. The father/son theme continues, and the contrast … Read More
The Last Kingdom 4, Episode 2
Episode 2 of this season’s The Last Kingdom picks up right where the first episode left off, following the two story lines of 1) Uhtred’s effort to re-take Bebbanburg and 2) Cnut and Brida’s effort to conquer Mercia and Wessex. … Read More
THE LAST KINGDOM 3, Episode 9
“To Uhtred, the true lord of Bebbanburg; a man I have never understood but without whom I would not die a king.” King Alfred in THE LAST KINGDOM. THE LAST KINGDOM is a tv drama based on a series of … Read More
THE LAST KINGDOM 3, Episode 7
It’s interesting to consider the women in this episode—Æthelflaed the Lady of Mercia; Brida the Danish war leader; Ælswith the wife of the Wessex king; and Skade the sorceress—because all of them act with agency. Not Edward’s betrothed, alas. She … Read More