Winter is coming on HBO’s massively popular Game of Thrones, but if you need some bloody battles and medieval Machiavellians to pass the time until the show returns, you should give The Last Kingdom a try. There aren’t any dragons or evil ice elves, but let’s be real: you love *Game of Thrones for the political intrigue and the violence. And in this Middle Ages BBC drama, there is plenty of both.

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The Last Kingdom—adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Chronicles novels—is set in the 9th century when Britain was divided into a bunch of rival kingdoms that are being invaded by Danish vikings. And the Danes, with their shield wall and Valhalla screams, are kicking some Saxon ass. Pretty soon, there’s only one kingdom left—a “last kingdom” if you will—that has any chance of pushing back the Thor-worshippers. This is Wessex under the rule of the famous Alfred the Great (played with excellent subtlety by David Dawson). Over the two bingeable seasons, we see various battles and political maneuvers as Alfred tries to unite England.

Although the show features plenty of historical figures, the central character, a nobleman named Uhtred son of Uhtred, is invented. The show opens with a young Uhtred being captured by the Danes as his treacherous uncle takes control of Bebbanburg (the old name for Bamburgh), and then flashes forward to Uhtred as a strapping young man caught between two cultures. While a slave, he was raised as a son by Earl Ragnar and more or less considers himself a viking. And why not? The vikings drink mead and party all the time while the pious Christian Saxons in their dull tunics look like they’ve never enjoyed a day in their life. (And maybe they haven’t! The show does not shy away from how crappy life was in the good old days.) Then his adopted father/slave master is murdered by another viking, and Uhtred is blamed for the death. So now Uhtred has to get revenge on both the Danes and the English, while also feeling an allegiance to both sides.

Yes, some of this gets a little soap opera-y (but so does Game of Thrones, tbh). Uhtred son of Uhtred—as he announces himself before every episode—is probably the weakest part of the show. However, his best friend-with-benefits Brida is fantastic and the cast in general is top notch. Plus, once Uhtred gets pulled into Alfred’s orbit the larger political game becomes the most fascinating part of the show.

The Brits love their historical dramas, and there’s certainly a bit of “rah rah England!” feel to The Last Kingdom (which was produced by the Downton Abbey team). The Danes are portrayed as having few values beyond murder, mead, and sex. Still, the show stays grounded in the mud and blood and doesn’t feel like tea and scones propaganda. The Last Kingdom doesn’t have quite the production value of Game of Thrones, but there are plenty of beautiful sweeping shots of landscapes, castles, and body-filled battlefields.

The Last Kingdom is on Netflix with two eight-episode seasons, which should provide you with a solid weekend of Netflix bingeing.