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"Episode 12" is the fourth episode of the second season of The Last Kingdom. It aired on April 6, 2017.

Synopsis[]

Dispatched to Northumbria, Uhtred walks a fine line between fealty to Alfred and assisting Ragnar's savage blood feud with Kjartan.

Plot[]

Winchester, Wessex; Ragnar kisses Brida goodbye as she leaves on a horseback. Meanwhile, Uhtred and Gisela lay in bed together. She asks if Uhtred will kill her brother when they cross paths. Uhtred has sworn to Alfred that King Guthred won’t be harmed. Gisela wants to return to Eoferwic with him, but he won’t allow it.

Uhtred finds Ragnar gearing up to leave. He'd ask Uhtred to come with him but he’s already heard that Uhtred has sworn his sword to Alfred. Uhtred promises that he’ll be with Ragnar when the time comes. Alfred is sending him to kill Erik and Sigefrid. If he succeeds, then Guthred will be in Uhtred’s debt and he will demand the use of his men. Ragnar tells Uhtred that in swearing Alfred his sword, he’ll remain a slave. However, Uhtred will do whatever he has to in order to kill Kjartan.

Uhtred visits Beocca in the temple. He wants Beocca to marry him to Gisela before they ride off to Eoferwic. Uhtred loves Gisela, and so Beocca tells him to bring her to him and to be quick and discreet.

Æthelwold informs Uhtred that he’s been instructed to join him on his quest to Eoferwic by Alfred. He’s to be Alfred’s errand-boy to Guthred, to reassure him that Alfred is still committed to Northumbria's safety despite Guthred's failures. Æthelwold suspects that Alfred wants him dead, which is his reason for sending him along.

Father Beocca marries Uhtred and Gisela in the temple. He bounds their hands and they kiss. Once the marriage is done, Uhtred, Ragnar and company depart, watched by Gisela and Aethelflaed in the background. Once they have departed, Odda expresses his fears that should Uhtred survive his trip to Eoferwic that he won’t return. He believes Bebbanburg will hold a greater pull than Wessex. He will look towards Kjartan and continue his blood feud. Should Uhtred defeat Kjartan, Ælswith worries that Uhtred and Ragnar will hold power in Northumbria. Should that happen, Steapa has been put under instructions to kill Uhtred, Alfred explains.

Loidis; Northumbria; Uhtred, Ragnar, Hild, Finan, Æthelwold, Steapa, and Beocca head to Eoferwic. But first, they stop in Loidis, where they reunite with Brida. Ragnar is greeted by what's left of his Danish army. Rollo greets him with a hug. Brida explains that their men aren’t willing to fight the brothers for someone like Guthred. However, they’ll need his army to take Dunholm. Brida suggests killing the Northmen, then Guthred, thus allowing them to take Eoferwic. However, all Ragnar wants is his sister and Kjartan’s death. Given that the Northmen have an open camp, Finan suggests they only kill Sigefrid and Erik, rather than the brothers and their men. He suggests killing them while they’re sleeping.

Dunholm, Northumbria; Sven warns Kjartan that Uhtred and Ragnar are in Northumbria. He surmises they’ll go to Guthred for men. He’s certain that Uhtred will attack. Sven wants to hunt them down, but they’re safe inside the fortress. He then orders Sven to go to his wild whore and tells her she need not feed her hounds.

Sven goes into the cellar and enters Thyra’s cage to inform her that Ragnar is in Northumbria and is planning an attack. Kjartan demands that she let the hounds go hungry. Thyra replies that she has no brother and tells Sven to leave.

Northumbria; Uhtred, Ragnar, Brida, Hild, Finan, Æthelwold, Steapa, and Beocca find Sigefrid and Erik’s camp. Brida and Ragnar don’t believe the plan is safe as there are too many uncertainties. They don’t even know which tent the brothers are in. Æthelwold informs them of the game Tafl. The king is positioned at the centre of the pieces. Æthelwold presumes the brothers are in the center.

Uhtred, Finan, and Steapa go in alone, eliminating the guards in their way. Uhtred enters Sigefrid’s tent. He is disarmed by Sigefrid’s woman, who then flees to raise the alarm, and then Uhtred and Sigefrid exchange blows. Uhtred cuts off Sigefrid’s hand and then drags him out the tent for all to see. Finan and Steapa stand by his side. Erik and Hæsten arrive. Sigefrid orders his brother to kill Uhtred, but Erik instead tries to bargain with him. Erik gives Uhtred his word that he is willing to pay whatever price necessary. Uhtred tells Erik to take one ship and leave Northumbria, never to return. Erik agrees to his terms and takes his brother and cauterizes his amputation wound, even as Sigefrid screams he will kill Uhtred one day for the loss of his hand.

Eoferwic, Northumbria; Uhtred and company ride into Eoforwic and storm in the royal hall. King Guthred claims that he is glad that Uhtred was recovered. Despite being clearly aware Uhtred wants to kill him, Guthred insists that would be a mistake. Uhtred throws Sigefrid’s hand on the table, informing Guthred the brothers are gone and will trouble him no further. In return, King Guthred will ready his army. When Guthred dithers, a furious Uhtred storms over and threatens he will elsewise kill Guthred for his betrayal. For what Guthred did to him and Halig, Uhtred can never forgive him. As Uhtred storms out, Guthred tries to demur, arguing he has no proof the brothers are gone, until Ragnar silences Guthred by giving him a choice; either do as Uhtred requests or Ragnar will kill him and take Eoferwic for himself.

After brooding on his choices for much of the night, King Guthred asks Uhtred to join him. Admittedly, he is afraid of Uhtred. He also feared that Uhtred would take his newly found power. And for that, he made Uhtred a slave. Uhtred slaps him when he tries to explain how he spared him rather than killing him as his uncle ordered. He then asks about his sister. Uhtred replies that Gisela is his wife. Guthred will write to Alfred to inform him that Uhtred’s journey to Dunholm is his instruction. He hopes that one day, Uhtred will forgive him, as he considers Uhtred his greatest friend. Uhtred tells Ragnar that Dunholm is his to take and then calls Sihtric over and asks why he lied to him about Dunholm not having weaknesses. Uhtred saw a door along the east wall. Sihtric replies that Uhtred could never bring an army through it. Uhtred replies that he doesn’t intend to.

Dunholm, Northumbria; Uhtred, Ragnar, Brida, Hild, Finan, Sihtric, Æthelwold, Steapa, and Beocca lead an army of men to Dunholm for the Battle of Dunholm. Ragnar and Brida take a group of men down the path. Rollo fears that the ram won’t work. Clapa replies that while it won’t force open the gates, it will work.

Uhtred, Hild, Finan, Sihtric, Æthelwold, Steapa, and Beocca arrive just outside the fortress. They send the signal for Ragnar and Brida to lead their army to the front gate. Clapa, Rollo, and the others form a shield wall and ram the front gates. Meanwhile, the others breach the East wall. Kjartan and Sven watch from above as they continuously try to force their way in.

They invade the fortress, killing many men. Steapa kills the guards by the gates and opens them for Brida, Ragnar, Clapa, and the others to enter. Kjartan tries to stop him, but he is unsuccessful. Rollo is struck by a spear and killed soon after entering the fortress. And Ragnar kills the man responsible. They eventually force Kjartan to retreat.

Hearing the battle above her, Thyra takes this opportunity to escape her cell. She leads her hounds upstairs, where they kill Sven.

Kjartan witnessed from outside the window as Sven is torn apart about Thyra’s hounds. Ragnar then challenges him to a battle to the death. Brida warns him against it, but Ragnar is fueled by revenge. He taunts Ragnar by telling him how often they would hump his sister and how they killed the rest of his family. Ragnar disarms Kjartan and pins his arm to the ground with his sword. He then kicks Kjartan’s sword out of his hand so that he doesn’t go to Valhalla. Ragnar finally kills Kjartan. However, after doing so, he continues to stab his lifeless body repeatedly. Even his own comrades watch in disbelief. Uhtred has to pull Ragnar off of Kjartan’s body.

Thyra exits with her hounds. She blames Ragnar and Uhtred for not coming to her rescue. She says that the price for her life is theirs. Father Beocca intervenes. He forbids her from killing Uhtred and Ragnar. He extends his hand and offers to help her. Thyra screams and runs back inside.

Beocca finds Thyra in her cell with her hounds. He introduces himself and explains that he’s known Uhtred since he was a boy. Beocca explains that Uhtred and Ragnar have wanted for so long to find her. She has God given strength, and he only wishes to help her. Thyra tells him to stay. She recalls when Uhtred saved her from Sven when they were younger.

Uhtred says goodbye to Ragnar and Brida, who are settling in at Dunholm. Himself, along with Finan, Sihtric, Hild, Thyra, Æthelwold, Clapa, Beocca, and Steapa leave for Wessex.

Appearances[]

First[]

Deaths[]

  • Rollo - Killed with a spear thrown by one of Kjartan's men.
  • Sven - Devoured by his own hounds, set off by Thyra.
  • Kjartan - Killed in a duel by Ragnar.
  • Many unnamed Danes and Saxons - Killed in battle.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Supporting[]

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