The Last Kingdom Season 3 Episode 4 REACTION!!
Added 2021-02-05 05:52:31 +0000 UTC
Comments
Aethelwold is pretty smart and cunning, that's all true but he's also a coward and will do anything to try to survive a situation where his life may be in jeopardy. Canute played on Aethelwold's fears and it resulted in Ragnar's death. It's screwed up but it makes sense. Also, have you two seen Brida? She's not the "I need protection" type. She'll be fine.
Teyon Alexander
2021-02-06 06:35:26 +0000 UTCThe skirmish at the Nunnery is a great set piece. Haesten and Uhtred's standoff and the selflessness of Aethelflaed even to her detriment. That Mother Superior was brave to go and try to reason with Haesten. Though he wasn't interested in being merciful, thus cut throats for the poor guards and the Nun getting impaled on a spear, courtesy of Dagfinn. However things turned out alright, Uhtred beat back Haesten's attack and negotiated a deal. He gets Skade and leaves Aethelflaed alive, though Skade while unhappy with the turn of events does still maintain her agency by choosing to go with Haesten. Say what you will about that nasty, deceitful witch, she knows her worth. Though Uhtred is not off the hook, still cursed and still at the whims of fate. However he comes in clutch saving Aethelflaed again so she can inform Alfred of these new developments and hopefully save Wessex from the incoming Dane army bent on destruction. This was a season highlight for me ladies, sorry for the essay length comments but I do love writing about this show. All the best to you and your families Abi & Imon, good day and peace.
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 12:51:06 +0000 UTCEdward has to be King, but no one said he would enjoy it. Alfred The Great, Alexander the Great & Peter the Great got those monikers for doing extraordinary things but they had rarely got enjoy the fruits of their labors. Being a good ruler means you give up your own desires for a greater purpose. Aethelflaed is a highly competent stateswoman, diplomat and warrior. If she was born a man, she'd be a awesome King, unfortunately that wasn't the case. Feudal England and most of Europe was a Patriarchal, Male centric society. Men could go very far depending on their circumstances. For most women they could have five roles at best. Be a Mother, Wife, Consort, Nun or Whore. There were exceptions, Lady Aelswith was Alfred's equal and they a strong marriage built on trust, duty and love. A rare thing for arranged marriages back then. Aethelflaed is a woman who defied the constraints and limitations of her gender to become a accomplished ruler and diplomat. She was married off to the Lord of Mercia, but she quickly overshadowed him and became in essence, the true ruler of Mercia. A beloved figure in English history, statues of her still stand to this day in her honor. Aethelflaed, The Lady of Mercia yet she couldn't be her father's heir, heavy lies the crown indeed.
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 12:46:23 +0000 UTCAs for Alfred and Edward, it's tough being King and especially tough being the Aetheling. Edward in truth doesn't want to be King, he wants to stay married to Ecgwynn and raise his kids with her. Unfortunately for him, he is Alfred's son and sole male heir. Alfred like his son, didn't want to be King and likely wouldn't since he had elder brothers who more impressive than him. Yet fate choose him to be King and he accepted his duty and turned out to be a very fine King indeed. He has worked his whole life to bring about the dream of England united and before he dies he will ensure that continues. So he will get Edward to be King, annul his previous marriage, send his wife to a nunnery, give his kids to the church and have him marry a powerful Alderman like Aethelhelm's daughter and have children.
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 12:30:08 +0000 UTCThe Dane army that now threatens the free Saxon Kingdoms is dangerous if they indeed can unify under a leader to destroy Alfred and his armies. Bloodhair is a fierce warrior, strong but not smart. He gets roused to anger too easily and outsmarted and bested, any wonder Skade decided to ditch him for Uhtred. Haesten is ruthless and tenacious, willing to play both sides and do whatever it takes to secure what he wants. He however is a venal man who more interested in gold and territory than loyalty to Viking honour and will gladly stab you in the back if it suits him. Cnut is cunning, manipulative and passionate, he does love Brida and thinks Ragnar is not worthy of her or still serves a purpose. He will climb to power even if he has to do terrible things to get there. However he is a untested as a leader, he is narrow minded in his approach to the Saxons and he is dishonest in his nature. Cnut is bad news, but being around worse people means you can hid it far better.
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 12:21:33 +0000 UTCAnyway you slice it, Cnut comes out on top. Just the way he wanted it, that duplicitous Ginger is definitely the most cunning of the Dane warlords. Ragnar's death will have consequences that will ripple out across the rest of the season. Only the Gods now how Brida will react, but it will not be good. As for Ragnar "cheating" it's less that and more him and her having a open relationship because she can't get pregnant. Ragnar needs children to carry on his legacy, unfortunately Brida cannot do that, which only makes what happens even sadder. She will never have children with Ragnar and the fact he died promising her that he would no longer be with other women is just another stab in the heart for her. She wasn't there at his death, because she knew he had to secure his legacy by bedding other women. She also couldn't prevent it because she couldn't give him children, Brida already feels like she's failed as a woman and this will only compound it.
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 12:10:02 +0000 UTCRagnar killing Aethelwold was the right move but Ragnar is far too honorable to knife him in the night. Unfortunately Cnut had no such scruples, playing on Aethelwold's fears and getting him to remove his cousin from the picture and allowing him to assume his place as Earl. It's pretty clever, you want your cousin's lands, castle, men and woman but you can't oppose him directly. So you get a Saxon well known for his underhanded and devious nature who Ragnar would want dead to kill him. Aethelwold staged the murder as if the woman killed Ragnar and he killed her before dying. So either Ragnar died in a struggle with a whore, sad but understandable in that context. Or Aethelwold fearing for his life, snuck into Ragnar's tent and killed him while sleeping and staged the murder to look like a quarrel between him and the whore. Aethelwold is a patsy that no one would have a problem believing would do such a shameful act. On the other hand it does raise the question, could a weasel with his middling sword skills really kill a accomplished and veteran warrior like Ragnar?
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 12:01:16 +0000 UTCThis was rough episode indeed ladies, emotionally and physically. The most shocking thing in the episode was the death of Young Ragnar. Stabbed when he woke from the commotion of Aethelwold killing the woman he laid with. Then getting shanked 4 to 6 times before being impaled on a sword. Worst still he was not able to reach his sword, thus denying him a warrior's death. He cannot enter Valhalla now, a dishonorable death like what he delivered to Kjartan, deservingly though. Undeservingly for Ragnar though, the best of the Danish Earls is now dead. He was a stabilizing influence and reasonable, he still loved Uhtred even though he felt betrayed and correctly called Aethelwold's duplicity and treachery.
Jamie Rees
2021-02-05 11:50:35 +0000 UTC
