The Netflix series The Last Kingdom will conclude with season 5. The show is based on Bernard Cornwell’s historical book series The Saxon Stories, which focuses on the birth of England. The Last Kingdom begins in the year 866 and has so far covered up to 912. It centers on the fictional character of Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), though the name and some events were inspired by the real-life Uhtred the Bold. The Last Kingdom focuses primarily on the Kingdom of Wessex’s battle against Viking incursions.
The series premiered in 2015 and aired on both BBC America and BBC Two. Starting with season 3, Netflix distributed The Last Kingdom on its own, with the most recent season, the show’s fourth, releasing in April 2020. The Netflix series was then renewed for season 5 in July. At the time, there was no indication it would be The Last Kingdom‘s final run of episodes. However, that’s now changed.
Per Deadline, The Last Kingdom will end with season 5, which is currently filming in Hungary. Like seasons 3 and 4, season 5 will be ten episodes long. It will focus on adapting the 9th and 10th books in Cornwell’s series. The Last Kingdom season 5 will find Uhtred “charged with training King Edward’s first-born son Aethelstan (Harry Gilby) as a warrior.” In order to do this, “Uhtred will have to face down his greatest enemy and suffer his greatest loss.“
The Last Kingdom‘s final season will also feature new cast members, including Patrick Robinson as Father Benedict, “a holy man with a troubled past” and Sonya Cassidy as Eadgifu, “a smart and openhearted Saxon who arrives in Winchester.” The Last Kingdom season 5 will have exciting changes behind the camera as well, with Dreymon set to direct one of the upcoming episodes. In a statement, the lead actor called playing Uhtred “a wonderful journey.”
Though some viewers may be disappointed to hear The Last Kingdom is coming to an end, it’s had a fairly lengthy run already. After season 5, the series will consist of 46 episodes, which is especially impressive considering Netflix often cancels shows after season 3. Additionally, it’s nice that audiences are finding out that season 5 will be the end for The Last Kingdom so far in advance. The new season doesn’t have a release date yet, so viewers have plenty of time to come to terms with the show’s conclusion. That should help make season 5 a little more enjoyable and less bittersweet.
It will be interesting to see what those behind The Last Kingdom have in store for Uhtred. Based on the season 5 description, it sounds like he’ll have his hands full with Aethelstan. It seems likely the other new characters will have important roles as well, though it’s unclear how much they’ll factor into the story. Hopefully, The Last Kingdom season 5 brings the show to a satisfying conclusion.
Source: Deadline
Originally from https://screenrant.com/last-kingdom-season-5-show-cancelled-netflix/