[Tiste Simeon]

So this is more than likely just going to be and TRB Fangirling over how much we love Beocca and how much we hate Æthelred but the new season of The Last Kingdom is nearly upon us!

YouTube Trailer

I am hoping it continues its upward trend - S1 was amazing but S2 was another level of awesome. I am very excited about this and once again have forgotten almost everything from the books.

Be warned spoilers will abound in this thread.

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah I had a look for a thread and couldn't find one... Oh well!

[Macros]

Still have to catch up on S2. Netflix haven it now yah?

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah it's all on Netflix.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I agree with Tiste that the second series really upped the game - some really stunning bits and pieces in it.

As to fangirling.... Beocca should be king of everything. Someone please give Ian Hart some awards!

Good to see Beocca, Ragnar and Brida all reappearing, just because I think all three have been played superbly - the books blur a bit for me but I think roundabout the end of last series was where Ragnar and Beocca in particular disappear off page.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 12 November 2018 - 11:48 AM

[acesn8s]

Woo-hoo!

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Fun fact I've just discovered - Millie Brady who plays Aethelflaed is cast as Princess Renfri in The Witcher TV series.

[Tiste Simeon]

Oh she's ace. Glad about that.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

It's back today! I am going swimming straight from work so that when I'm inevitably awake at some unholy hour playing the "... just one more episode!" game, I can at least console myself for having done something productive first

[Tiste Simeon]

Haha I'm a little bit preoccupied at the moment so I dunno when I'm gonna get a chance to watch it...

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Finished.

I need to watch it again to really solidify my thoughts. There's a lot to like, but some things I'm not sure about.

The jump to Netflix has definitely seen an increase in budget - the battles are bigger but the detail is still brilliant. TLK has never shied from gore but I think they've upped the ante on it by some way, and I'm not sure that was needed. It doesn't turn me off or throw me out of the show, but it feels a tad unnecessary in places.

The major changes to plot (as opposed to the two books, Burning Land and Death of Kings) is to deal with the number of characters who die off page between books - you can do that in a book series which spans decades, but it's a lot harder to pull off on TV, so I see the sense in that. One of these deaths makes a fair amount of sense and furthers a good bit of the rest of the plot. The other..... it's moving but I wouldn't say it furthers the remaining characters or the plot. The impetus for vengeance already existed without the addition of the second character death, so whilst being very sad and played beautifully if feels superfluous. The cynic in me feels like the Netflix team had one eye on Game of Thrones....

However, the major death (which book readers will know was going to fall this series) and is telegraphed from the get go.... when it finally lands, it's done beautifully. Brilliantly played by all involved.

My biggest problem is Skade. She starts off pretty well... but arguably goes nowhere, doesn't make much plot sense and is dealt with too easily in the end. It feels like an idea that ran out of steam, which might be because they alter the Skade plot from the book and wrote themselves into a bit of a hole.

Some of it is a pacing issue. For me series one and two are fantastically paced. Series three has two more episodes and I would argue it didn't need them, but then once it has them doesn't really use them properly. It feels slow and then all of a sudden presses fast forward in the last episode - it feels like someone realised they had too much to do at the last moment. There also seems to be a few plot points which go nowhere, but they may be picked up in a potential fourth series so I'll give the benefit of the doubt.

However, the acting is as ever superb, and the script is still dryly humorous just enough to lift the overall bleakness. David Dawson (Alfred) is masterful, Alexander Dreymon's (Uhtred) comic timing remains wonderful, Ian Hart (Beocca) still needs all the awards, and Mark Rowley (Finan) still steals every scene he's in for humour. The women do brilliantly with what they are given but they all feel quite undersold, and the choices made are very predictable for them. The first couple of series did really well at telling women's stories, particularly Hild's, so it's a shame that even though Brida, Hild, Thyra and Aethelflaed are all back with us, arguably they all don't get enough to do.... with the notable exception of Eliza Butterworth's Aelswith. She's still delightfully horrible.

My favourite surprise addition:

Spoiler

The spirit of Leofric appearing as a vision to Uhtred, basically functioning as his conscience whenever he's caught between loyalties. The Ghost of Arselings Past!

Overall..... 7 or 8 out of 10. So still very good.... but for me series 2 was 10/10, simply because the scale stops at 10.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 22 November 2018 - 08:35 AM

[Serenity]

Wait, it's on Netflix in the UK now? Crikey, better get that on tonight, then

[acesn8s]

Binged it. It was a lot of fun.

[champ]

I must have watched the "talk" between Uhtred and Alfred about 30 times, I was just captivated by that scene.

Safe to say that I absolutely loved the season.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

champ, on 28 November 2018 - 03:50 PM, said:

I must have watched the "talk" between Uhtred and Alfred about 30 times, I was just captivated by that scene.

That was superb!

[Tiste Simeon]

Not got onto this yet but it's next on our list.

[Cause]

I am annoyed. Still not on South African Netflix

[champ]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 28 November 2018 - 03:54 PM, said:

champ, on 28 November 2018 - 03:50 PM, said:

I must have watched the "talk" between Uhtred and Alfred about 30 times, I was just captivated by that scene.

That was superb!

Aye, that and the final episode scene in the market square where Uhtred is talking... two of my favourite scenes in the series so far without a doubt... and they didn't even contain any action ha!

Cause, on 04 December 2018 - 07:37 AM, said:

I am annoyed. Still not on South African Netflix

Cause, I feel your pain...

[Tiste Simeon]

Started it today. Flipping love it already and Mrs Tiste cried at the end. What a great first episode!

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Tiste Simeon, on 05 December 2018 - 02:26 PM, said:

Started it today. Flipping love it already and Mrs Tiste cried at the end. What a great first episode!

Can confirm I did the same!