The Last Kingdom has marched onto our screens courtesy of the BBC, brandishing double-headed axes with wild abandon. As an ASNAC student (yes, we really do exist) I will do my best to refrain from making snarky comments about the historical inaccuracies rife in this series that come so naturally to me whenever watching yet another historical drama, but luckily the ample fur-clad eye-candy provided by an exceptionally stunning cast of both genders preoccupied me.

The story is set among the Anglo-Saxon halls of the ninth century kingdom of Northumbria, on which Vikings sporting a wide array of tattoos and haircuts descend to invade and pillage. Our protagonist is Uhtred of Bebbanburg, whom we witness growing, across the first two episodes, from a precocious young Anglo-Saxon boy from an aristocratic family to the adopted son and darling of the occupying Danes, who take him as their slave for his noble heritage. The series documents Uhtred’s inner turmoil and divided loyalty as he wavers in an ethnic no-man’s land between his native and foreign peoples.

Alas, some of the acting leaves a lot to be desired. Matthew Macfadyen plays Daddy Uhtred, who opens the drama on a dismal note with abdominal over-acting, perhaps giving us a clue as to why he has recently had so few prominent roles. The Danes, portrayed by various and indistinguishable blond, burly Scandinavians, cannot be faulted on their acting, nor particularly congratulated on their rather bland and indistinct characterisation. Unfortunately The Last Kingdom falls into the classic trap which trips up so many historical dramas: the surfeit of action and bloodshed means little room for character development, and therefore leaves in its wake a bunch of rather pale and immemorable figures. And, as a staunch feminist, although it pains me to say this, the same problem arises with the female characters, the main one being Brida (Emily Cox), another Anglo-Saxon slave among the Scandinavians. Big Uhtred (Alexander Dreymond), her foil, also suffers the same fate; but in the case of Dreymond and Cox the weakness of the characters is due to poor scripting rather than their acting, which is impressive in its own right.

However, this is not to downplay the rest of the cast. Little Uhtred (Tom Taylor) displays the most convincing and sympathetic performance of them all. Evil Uncle Aelfric’s (Joseph Millson) dramatic skills are far superior; however, the trope of the power-hungry older relative of the protagonist is a tired and over-played one and doesn’t do him justice. The lovely David Dawson also appeals as Anglo-Saxon Alfred the Great, and not just because of his whimsical cheekbones, but also due to his sympathetic characterisation as the soft-spoken and self-doubting king. Rune Temte is sufficiently foreboding as the hulking warlord Ubba, Alred’s Scandinavian counterpart.

The script is perhaps the lowest point of the series. It passes muster – but this is all it manages. Fitting in with the overriding theme of the program, it is simply mediocre. “Those Viking ships look like Devil’s turds,” is the most exciting line uttered in the show, which should probably give you an indication of the kind of literary level we’re talking about here.

While it may seem that I am unfairly plundering the good name of The Last Kingdom, I hasten to add that there is still plenty to credit it. Although the Anglo-Saxon politics and the obscure references to multiple puppet kings may have the head spinning of anyone who does not have the fortune to study medieval history as their degree (and even I was rather confused); the narrative is nevertheless very gripping. The copiousness and intensity of the action, the bloody fight scenes, and the fast-paced and refreshingly original storyline and perspective combine to make it highly watchable. Mock all you like, but you’ll still come back for more – this Anglo-Saxon fest is addictive, and will temporarily scratch the itch caused by historical masterpieces such as The Vikings until their return.