The Last Kingdom Season 2 Episode 2 Recap – Episode 2

Uhtred shows off his fighting skills by getting in a duel with another warrior. Everyone watching him is amazed by how skillful he is, including King Guthred’s sister, Lady Gisela.

Later, the king mentions that he sees how Uhtred looks at his sister and reminds him that Gisela is of value. Uhtred says he is of value as well. Then, he tells King Guthred that they should march to Eoferwic while the brothers, Sigefrid and Erik, are away. But, King Guthred says he needs to talk to Abbot Eadred first before making a decision. Uhtred reminds him that he is king, and should therefore make the decision himself. However, the king says he is only king because the Abbot’s dream made him king.

Some warriors arrive and say they serve Earl Brynjar. They say their lord is afraid that the likes of Kjartan will take their lands, so, if Guthred is Kjartan’s enemy, they are with Guthred.

That night, Lady Gisela and Uhtred have the chance to talk inside the church. Gisela asks Uhtred if he hears she is to be married, then he should advise her whether to leave or stay. She says the king might think of her as a gift, but she has her own mind. They see Brother Trew walk by, and they know that the Abbot will hear about the two of them talking. A boy gets Uhtred’s attention and says that his horse is sick. So, Uhtred rushes to the stable to check his horse. This turns out to be a trap.

The warriors they received turned out to be Kjartan’s men. They attack Uhtred who is unable to leave the stable. Luckily, Hileg, Clapa, and Hild come to Uhtred’s rescue and kill the enemies. By Uhtred’s instructions, they spare one of the men and take him as a hostage. Uhtred tells his men to take the heads of the enemies and put them all in a sack so he can give them to Kjartan. Halig doesn’t know how to remove the heads and he can’t even make a move.

The nun, Hild, says she is the first to cut the head off. But in exchange, she will have some mail or leather that the warriors are wearing. She insists that she wants to earn it. Halig says she can just take what she wants and she doesn’t have to behead anyone. But, Hild says she has to get used to things like that. So, she cuts the head of the warrior using a knife.

King Guthred calls for the Earls and Lords of Cumbraland and tells them it’s time for them to march to Eoferwic. But, the lords have doubts. They think their lands and families might be in danger if they leave their properties. Uhtred supports the king by saying Eoferwic is rich with land, sword, and silver.

King Guthred’s words don’t carry enough weight for the men to change their minds. So, Abbot Eadred persuades them in favor of the king. He says the brothers, Sigefrid and Erik are fighting a battle someplace else. Kjartan, on the other hand, doesn’t leave his fortress. And, Aelfric, Uhtred’s uncle and lord of Bebbanburg never attacks their villages.

The Abbot says God is on their side, and they will soon be the masters of their land. His words change the minds of the people and they soon start marching to Eoferwic. Hild uses the mail and leather that she has earned. And when Uhtred sees her, he asks if the nun has left them already. Hild says the nun is still there within her. The monks carry the coffin of Saint Cuthbert on their shoulders and lead the march.

The warrior that they spared, Sihtric, has tricked Uhtred’s men to take him to the woods. Even when his hands are tied, he grabs a sword and takes Halig as a hostage. He begs Uhtred to let him serve him. He says he is Kjartan’ bastard son and he wishes to serve a lord, a true lord. He adds that he can never be loyal to Kjartan. Uhtred takes him in as his warrior and gives his word that he has his protection.

This angers the Abbot even more because he wants Uhtred to kill the man. Uhtred’s actions have made some men look up to him because he inspires loyalty. Uhtred sends his men to check the path ahead of them. This disappoints the Abbot once more because he insists that the corpse of Saint Cuthbert is enough to keep them safe. Uhtred tells them that they are either a marching army or a church procession.

King Guthred says they are both because they are a holy army. Abbot Eadred keeps on whispering to the king’s ear that Uhtred is a threat to his rule. Gisela defends Uhtred by saying he was the one who freed the king from slavery and brought him home.

As they camp that night, Uhtred enters Gisela’s tent and sleeps with her. Abbot Eadred hands a letter to Brother Trew which he should deliver to Uhtred’s uncle, Aelfric. The Abbot says Aelfric is only an enemy to them because he is Uhtred’s enemy yet he is Christian. They need more men to fight with them and the Abbot thinks Aelfric could provide those men. 

When they find out that Sigefrid and Erik have fewer men, Uhtred tells the king they should attack. But, the king insists that they should negotiate. The lords and Uhtred are against this because they could easily win the fight because they outnumber their enemies. The king says that the negotiation could bring them more men which they can use for their army. King Guthred promises the brother that Kjartan’s fortress will be theirs if they join the army. And so, the two brothers agreed to fight Kjartan alongside the king.

Brother Trew delivers the letter to Aelfric, Uhtred’s uncle. Aelfric finds out that his nephew is now a warrior with a fearsome reputation. He knows that Uhtred will come for him someday. So, he tells Brother Trew that he will add some men to the king’s army to fight Kjartan. But in exchange, he asks for the head of Uhtred.

Uhtred visits Kjartan’s fortress to check if it has any weakness. He even scares Kjartan and his men by one again dressing up as the Horseman and putting the heads of Kjartan’s men on wooden spikes. Kjartan knows it is Uhtred even when Uhtred refuses to reveal his identity.

Afterward, Uhtred tells King Guthred that he is also a lord of the north. And the king should also make peace with him by offering Gisela’s hand in marriage. Guthred finds out that Gisela feels the same so he agrees. However, the next day, Uhtred is dragged from his bed and put into a cage with Halig. He begs the king to spare Halig and only take him, but Halig insists that he be with Uhtred.

King Guthred says he knows Uthred saved his life, but he needs the 200 men promised by Aelfric in exchange for Uhtred. So, the king sends Uhtred away to be a slave. Hild takes Uhtred’s sword as she was instructed. When she goes to Gisela, Brother Trew is already taking the lady away. So, Hild rides her horse all the way to Winchester to ask King Alfred for help.

Alfred doesn’t know how to help Uhtred because he doesn’t know where to find him. Following Odda’s advice, he calls for Earl Ragnar and gives him the task of searching for Uhtred. As for Uhtred, he and Halig are both taken to a ship where they are no longer looked upon as warriors. 

Our Thoughts:

King Guthred is very different from King Alfred. But, both of them need Uhtred’s help when it comes to fighting their battles. King Guthred is also very fond of Uhtred and treats him as a good friend. But because Abbot Eadred is always beside the king, the king is easily confused as to what it is he should do. One thing we are sure of is that if ever Uhtred comes back, he will definitely take his revenge. He saved King Guthred and even agreed to lead his army, and this is how the king repaid him. The night before Uhtred was taken he was even laughing with the king. It is obvious though that the king fears Uhtred even when Uhtred is inside the cage.

Guthred made the deal with the brothers, Sigefrid and Erik, when Uhtred was still part of the negotiation. Without Uhtred by his side, we doubt he will still be able to handle negotiations with the two brothers. And without Uhtred, the chance of taking Kjartan’s fortress is close to impossible. Who will lead King Guthred’s army now that he doesn’t have a commander?