Changes

Season 2, which focused more heavily on Uhtred's trials as he became a slave, got married to Guthrum's sister, and his assistance in taking London and rescuing the Lady Æthelflæd. As this was a period of relatively less conflict, in comparison to Season 1, the series did take more liberties in interpreting historical events. For instance, while Guthrum may have come from a famous Viking father and may have been a slave, relatively little is known about how he ruled. In the series, he is shown as a weak and easily pliable king, acting to his own detriment and that of Uhtred's. Alfred marrying his daughter Æthelflæd is shown as an important move to unite Mercia and Wessex. This is historically accurate and it likely did cause tension between the two kingdoms as the former powerful kingdom of Mercia became more closely associated with Wessex.