Religious dominance, lust, power and an undying thirst for blood form the central plot points in BBC America's "The Last Kingdom." The TV series, set in 9th Century AD, chronicles the violent era in British history when the Saxons and the Danes were constantly at war. Of course, this is a precursor to the formation of England, and in it's own gory way, the TV series captures the tumultous uprising of the Danes which leaves the Saxons confused, wary and weak.

Ever since "The Last Kingdom" premiered on 9 October, the series has presented us with only one Saxon land that is undefeated:Wessex. And in that southern part of England, rules a pious King Alfred (David Dawson), who wants to establish England's authority and more importantly, religion, i.e, Christianity.

However, the sub-plot focuses on Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), a young saxon who is kidnapped by the Danes and later adopted by them, only to be tossed out from their camps on suspicion that he killed his Danish father, Earl Ragnar (Peter Gantzler). 

With no lands, no power and no support from the Danes, Uhtred and his lover, Brida (Emily Cox) turn to King Alfred. In episode 2, Uhtred warns the King of an impending attack by the Danes. Although King Alfred belives in his capability as a spy, he orders his men to arrest Brida and Uhtred. Later, he prepares for war. For once, the Danes are surprised when they see an English army ready for battle. 

The synopsis for episode 3, released by TV Guide reads, "Uhtred wins the protection of Alfred, but his relationship with Brida is jeopardized." 

At the end of season 2, Uhtred and Brida were uncertain about King Alfred's chances of winning the battle. However, the synopsis suggests that Alfred must have defeated Earl Ubba (Rune Temte), Gurthrum and the rest of the Danes. While this indicates that Uhtred has a place in Alfred's council, it remains to be seen if Brida is of any use to King Alfred. 

Will she be beheaded for being a pagan? After all, Uhtred and Brida were caged in the same location where King Alfred's men carry out beheadings. 

The Guardian, in it's review of "The Last Kingdom" compared it to HBO hit series,. "Game of Thrones." "Certainly TLK will appeal to a GoT fan, so just about everyone. But it's not just an attempt at a Game of British Thrones, on a smaller scale, with a little less sex. Crucially, it isn't pure fantasy, this is historical drama (based on the books by Bernard Cornwell). Dungeons there may be, but no dragons," the daily said. 

"The Last Kingdom" season 1 episode 3 airs on Saturday, 24 October at 10pm on BBC America. You can live stream the episode here.

Watch the trailer here: 

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