Man, was that ever DRAMATIC!
Maybe this is going too far, but I think this was my favorite episode of season four so far. It gave me anxiety and it made me angry, but I feel like the plot is really moving along now, and all of those things are good when it comes to television, right?
First of all, I have to give some props to my girl Stiorra (I believe that means Star, by the way. It's a great name), she's kicking butts and taking names and doing it all with a fabulous hair style. It's too bad that the laws and norms of the time wouldn't allow Uhtred to make Stiorra his heir because she's super smart and clever, and I bet she would be a great leader. So, basically, a chip off the old block, right? Out of all Uhtred's children, I think she's the most like him.
While we're on the subject of Stiorra, I want to take a minute to chat about the theme of the episode, which I think is women trying to take control of their own lives. As we've learned, ninth century Britain is not exactly a friendly place to women's rights. Although we saw multiple women being humiliated and betrayed by the men in their lives, we also saw those same women fighting this system of oppression to reclaim their freedom. It's inspiring stuff, no?
We see Stiorra taking control and protecting younger children, while Eadith helps Aethelflaed escape. At the same time, Ælswith counters here son's cruel treatment with her own behind-the-scenes plans. Eadith herself walks a dangerous path as she works against her horrible brother, but she seems to have right—and Aethelflaed—on her side. Eadith also had one of the best lines of the episode: “Women are used to being mistreated. We are taught to endure it." It was definitely true back in those days, but I'm afraid it's still pre-tty relevant in modern times.
Speaking of Eadith and her brother, can I say that trusting Eardwulf to be the king of be the king of Mercia is the height of foolishness on Edward's part. I mean, seriously, what is he thinking?? Edward's decision making is almost comically bad. Eardwulf (by the way, I'm annoyed that I've been forced to learn his name because I hate him so much) says two nice things to Edward, and Edward is like "that's it! Let's make this rando king." I mean, no wonder Britain is in the mess its in when you have people like that in control! SMH.
Clearly, this foolish little boy Edward should leave the real decision making to his mother and sister. They're the only ones—besides Uhtred of course—who seem to have any sense whatsoever. Speaking of Edward, I have to say that I'm really disappointed in him. I used to have some affection for this character, but he has turned out to be a thoroughly unlikeable individual. He's so HIGH-HANDED! If there's anything I can't stand it's highhandedness. Not a good look.
That being said, Eardwulf is clearly dueling with Edward for the number one spot in the person-I-dislike-most charts. That guy is a total PSYCHO. I'm waiting for Edward to realize that and regret the horrible choice he made.
I used to think that Aethelred was my least favorite character on this show, but Eardwulf and Edward made him look like Gandhi in this episode! Which is quite the feat considering all stupid and egotistcal crap he's done on this show. At least he realized that he had behaved badly and tried to make amends for it before the end of his life. Speaking of the end of his life, Eardwulf had no right to KILL him! I'm fuming about that. If Eardwulf doesn't face consequences for that, I will be incandescent with fury. Surely, someone will notice that Aethelred died of a broken neck, not the giant hole in the back of his head.
And, while we're on the subject of Aethelred's injuries, I want to point out that his medical progression made absolutely no sense in this episode! I don't usually quibble with the writers of The Last Kingdom, but, come on, they hd to know that that was inaccurate! I'm not a doctor or anything, but the fact that Aethelred's brain was leaking out of the back of his skull suggests that he shouldn't have been able to sit up or talk, let alone have coherent conversations. He probably should have been unconscious. The fact that he was able to sit up and talk indicates to me that he was getting better, not worse. Although, in reality, I don't think he would have been improving if he was still missing a big chunk of skull. (Even if he had started to recover, he probably still would have died in the long run because of infection.) It just doesn't seem realistic, okay?
Anyway, I'm going to rap up this review before I go on another rant about medical stuff that I have no experience in. If there's anything that season four has taught me so far, it's that your favorite characters can become your least favorite characters, and vice-versa, all in the blink of an eye. And that is the beauty of this show.
Rating: 9/10
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