correction #bottleblond

One thing I like about the way we split the seasons is that we seem to following the split in narrative action. Apparently each season is culled from two books and so we pretty much got a complete narrative in this half and will have a mostly new one with only some set up for the second half. Anyway to the episodes.

I have spent most of the weekend packing so I only really had time to watch 4 episodes of The Last Kingdom to discuss with Scrawler.

I think they were looking for "pincer" too, because they talk about how he organized his army into "horns"

I think you have only proven my point

those weren't even hard DDs! god that was a terrible game. What other Welsh poet is there aside from Dylan Thomas?!?

we could populate an entire gender studies in media class with the many women in Uhtred's life and their tragic ends.

Leofric was probably my favorite character too, with Alfred the close second. Though beocca really grew on me as the season went on.

I don't know what drives his inability to listen, but it struck me as so clearly his fatal flaw in episode 5 and recasts a lot of his poor decisions. Meanwhile I totally agree that Alfred's strength is his ability to take advice. I think the reason the show works for me is because the two of them are such different…

Episode 5:
It struck me during this episode that we had misread Uhtred's fatal flaw in the first four episodes. His fatal flaw is his inability to take any advice from anyone. He has to be right all the time. And like you I'm not sure it is because he thinks the rules don't apply, or because he assumes his knowledge…

Well in the one I read which was post-Alfred death, they maintain a lot of tension by having him be unsure of Alfred's successors. Also I imagine he has to occasionally abandon duty to seek out revenge and then come back.

nope I was in college in 2004 when it came to my school (my school was among the first wave it came to)

I think Uhtred as a character works if it always feels like he is one or two steps away from throwing off the bonds he has with Wessex and joining with the Danes. Making him too comfortable feels like a betrayal of the most interesting part of the character, someone who is constantly chafing under the side he has…

I think Uhtred has built up some loyalty to Alfred without even realizing it though. He would probably cast it off to get back Bebbanburg or avenge himself, but I also think that he feels connected to him now. I think Alfred's plan worked.

the sorcerer is funny, i would definitely like to see more of him.

Yeah by this English author Bernard Cornwell, apparently the first season covers the first two books. the book i read was only ok and like the 7th or 8th in the series. He also wrote the Sharpe books that are the only thing that Sean Bean didnt die in.

Good guess on the Crohn's, I think there is fairly recent historicity that suggests that Alfred had Crohn's as his history of illness growing up fits it pretty well. i didn't put two and two together there, as I thought the forced vegetarianism was another expression of faith, but he seems to embrace his expressions…

Episode 1:

I started watching The Last Kingdom to discuss with Scrawler, also am down at the shore and enjoying the beginning of a week of vacation.

oh for sure, you can't fake the areas of Philly they used.