Season Analysis

The Last Kingdom

Season 4 Analysis

Season Woke Score

out of 10

Season Overview

As Edward and Aethelflaed spar over the future of Mercia and their father's dream of a united England, Uhtred tries to recover his lost birthright.

Season Review

Season 4 continues the saga of Uhtred of Bebbanburg against the backdrop of a fragmenting England following the death of King Alfred. The season centers on the power struggle between King Edward and his sister Aethelflaed over the future of Mercia. While the series maintains its gritty, historically-grounded atmosphere and avoids modern racial diversity quotas, it increasingly shifts its focus toward female political dominance and a skeptical view of organized religion. The action remains centered on martial merit, but the narrative often sacrifices the competence of male leaders to elevate the stature of its female protagonists.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The show adheres to historical realism regarding the ethnic makeup of 9th-century Britain. Characters are judged by their loyalty, sword-craft, and oaths rather than modern racial categories. There is no forced insertion of diverse casting that contradicts the setting.

Oikophobia3/10

The narrative supports the unification of England as a noble goal. While individual Saxon leaders are depicted as flawed, the foundations of the culture are not portrayed as fundamentally evil or inferior to the Viking invaders.

Feminism6/10

Aethelflaed is depicted as a nearly flawless leader, possessing more wisdom and restraint than her brother, King Edward. She chooses political power over personal happiness, and the show frames her ascension as a necessary correction to male incompetence. Brida embodies a violent rejection of domesticity.

LGBTQ+2/10

The season focuses on traditional lineage and heteronormative relationships. Sexual identity is not a primary driver of the plot, and the narrative does not attempt to deconstruct the traditional family unit through a queer lens.

Anti-Theism8/10

Christianity is consistently framed as a source of superstition, corruption, and weakness. Priests are frequently depicted as cowardly or manipulative hypocrites. Uhtred’s rejection of the 'nail-god' is portrayed as the enlightened, rational path compared to the rigidity of the Church.