The Last Kingdom Recap: What You Need to Know Before Seven Kings Must Die

Assuming that season five took place in the late AD nine-tens (Lady Aethelflaed’s death happened in AD918), then there’s around a six year time jump between it and the film, which starts with the death of King Edward in AD924 and ends with the battle of Brunanburh in AD937. Technically, that means the film spans a time period of 13 years, but it feels like nothing of the sort so really we’re best off ignoring the timeline altogether and just enjoying the action.

Where Are Eadith, Stiorra, Aelswith and Aelfwynn?

During that time jump between the TV show and the film, several long-standing characters either died off-screen or moved away without explanation. In the season five finale, Eadith, Aelswith and Stiorra were all planning to stay in Bebbanburg, but by the time of the film, they’re nowhere to be seen, and neither is Lady Aethelflaed’s daughter Aelfwynn.

Presumably Abbess Hild returned to the holy island of Lindisfarne after delivering Uhtred’s son Osbert back to him, and Queen Aelswith finally died after surviving on the TV show much longer than her real-world counterpart. Eadith was a travelling healer, so let’s say she went back to Francia (though in book 11, War of the Wolf, Uhtred and Eadith marry but she dies of plague in the next instalment).

Also, obviously don’t expect to see Brida, Lady Aethelflaed, ‘Baby Monk’ Osferth, Stiorra’s husband Sigtryggr, Danish warrior Haesten or the scheming Lord Aethelhelm, because they all died in season five.

Bebbanburg, and Uhtred’s Deal With Scottish King Constantin

At the end of season five, Uhtred finally reclaimed his ancestral fortress of Bebbanburg after it had been usurped first by his uncle Aelfric and then by his cousin Whitgar. His lands however, remained contested territory between Wessex King Edward and King Constantin of Scotland, both of whom wanted to claim Northumbria as their own. Uhtred’s cousin Whitgar had sworn Bebbanburg to King Constantin, who fought to keep his Scottish claim on the fortress.

Uhtred made a deal with King Constantin that he would not swear Bebbanburg to King Edward and in exchange, Constantin would give up his claim on the lands. Aiming to end division and establish a safe Saxon land where Danes could thrive, Uhtred declared “We will remain between the two, sworn to neither, to ensure peace.” Edward was obviously frustrated by this deal, because it stopped him from fulfilling his father Alfred’s dream of uniting the kingdoms to create England.

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