The Last Kingdom

[shapinglight]

Speaking of TV, anyone else been watching The Last Kingdom? Wanna talk about it?

Comments

[paratti.livejournal.com]

I've been loving it.

Team Mercia.

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;)

I need an icon.

Team Mercia.

If we're doing that, I guess that makes me a Dane.

ETA: Ah, maybe not. Seems the Danes didn't occupy us for long. So I'm Team Mercia too (unless I cross the river, in which case I get to be Welsh).

[paratti.livejournal.com]

We're all standard British mongrels:) I've got a fair bit of Welsh, lots of Mercians, some Saxon and a Dane who came over with Ivar the Boneless.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

Uhtred in the river would be a very scenic icon:)

[shapinglight]

I have no idea what I have (and don't much care, to be honest). My grandad's surname was Smith. You can't trace that back very far.

I was just talking about where I live now.

[shapinglight]

It would, though I'm more of an Alfred girl myself. ;)

I liked Leofric a lot too. Very sad he didn't survive the series.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I meant to, but I only saw the bonking from the other night. By accident, I swear.

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;)

Might be worth catching up with. I enjoyed it anyway.

[ex_peasant441]

It's brilliant. I've probably got Viking blood on my mother's side, but definitely Team Wessex here.

Nice to see the rather cold Alfred from the books turned into someone one can see as the guy on the pillar in Winchester. And the battle scene was very well done - actually managed to convey something of a shield wall, which is such a nice change from the usual Hollywood style random sword twirling. And I like most of the small characters - I have developed a huge soft spot for Aethelwold.

Very pleased we're getting a second series.

[shapinglight]

I haven't read the books and don't plan to, which sounds just as well. I like this Alfred so much.

[ex_peasant441]

No, I don't think you'd like the books. He writes great battle descriptions but his characters are all the same cardboard stereotypes in every series. And he's a terrible inverse snob. The show is far more nuanced.

[shapinglight]

Not to mention his serial killing-off of female characters. I don't know how the Uhtred/Mildrith relationship was ended in the book, but I thought the show did it very well. As for poor Iseult, I knew she was toast the minute she begged to be un-gifted.

I suppose Cornwell thinks his readers think women are all the same and pretty much interchangeable and will get bored if he doesn't ring the changes with predictable monotony. ;)

[ex_peasant441]

I vaguely recall Mildreth ended up in a nunnery - but mainly as a way to prevent Uhtred marrying the next few females he falls for.

I suppose Cornwell thinks his readers think women are all the same and pretty much interchangeable
Cornwall comes from Essex - not much more needs to be said, really.

[shapinglight]

I vaguely recall Mildreth ended up in a nunnery - but mainly as a way to prevent Uhtred marrying the next few females he falls for.

Heh! Sounds about right. Is Hild the bolshie nun (or possibly ex-nun), a character in the books? And does Brida actually fight in battle? I suspect not with the latter.

[ex_peasant441]

Hild is still around and one of the better female chars. I really can't remember Brida so I reckon she must have died early on, and I am pretty sure she never did any fighting. I'd completely forgotten Iseult as well. And the half dozen other female chars that appear and get killed soon after Uhtred has declared his undying emotionless lust for them.

I'm probably painting him worse than he is - just occasionally he can produce something that is very touching and hits a depth you don't expect. And he does always have a good exciting plot and is very good at explaining highly complex things in a way that makes them very clear without hindering the flow. His research is excellent as well. He does what he does far better than most of his imitators. He is very talented, just in a niche male readership way.

[shapinglight]

Yes, having read many of the Sharpe books, I'd agree with that assessment. Great battles scenes, not so much emotional follow-through.