When season one of “The Gentlemen” debuted in 2024, it felt as if Guy Ritchie’s return to form didn’t quite know what it wanted to be. Part sequel to his 2019 film of the same name, part original crime drama, the series often felt like it was spinning in circles, with characters falling into tired tropes while delivering garish dialogue that often fell flat. But with this new season, the series is finally, albeit slowly, coming into its own.
Season two finds Eddie Horniman (Theo James) a year into his partnership with Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario). No longer the reluctant duke we were previously introduced to, Eddie is now a rising crime boss, whose notoriety is as intimidating as it is envied. As their marijuana empire expands from the manors of rural England to Italy’s seaside villas, Eddie’s appetite for power grows, but not before it also begins to fester within him. Unlike season one, the series makes a case for denouncing power, while making it clear that once you have even a tiny bit of it, there is always someone willing to offer you more.
On the outside, though he may appear to be comfortable with the idea of becoming the head of this crime syndicate, Eddie’s psyche slowly begins to splinter. While he’s become more comfortable with quick bursts of violence, these acts result in haunting visions of his dead foes, and even a repeated vision of himself. In it, we see him cloaked in white with a crown upon his head, before a burning orange glow bursts forth from his eyes. The glow begins to simmer before overtaking everything in its wake, including Eddie’s body and soul. To become as powerful as he desires, Eddie must abandon his humanity, and as he slowly slips deeper into a dark hole of corruption, James in turn delivers a magnetic performance that makes this second endeavor so entertaining.
“The Gentlemen” makes it clear that Eddie’s not just good at being part of a criminal empire; he revels in the money, power, and chaos it brings. The choices he makes aren’t unlike the crime bosses we’ve seen in popular films and television series, but the problem with Eddie is that his crimes are tethered to those of so many different people. To be a true crime boss, one mustn’t trust the people he works with, and perhaps Eddie has become too comfortable. It makes for a thrilling deviation from season one, as the stakes intensify as he begins to pick fights with the wrong people, ushering in his own demise.
Although this season is a big step up, it doesn’t truly reach its true potential until about halfway through. But once lines are inevitably crossed and partnerships begin to fracture, the series finally starts cooking with gas. Even art auctions are engaging in this new version of what once was a dull story, the droning score whirling in the background of tense scenes and underscoring the feverish editing the series employs to show how rapidly events can change when volatile people are involved. While Eddie’s humanity continues to wane as this season progresses, the series itself finally feels alive.
With a back end that’s so strong, it’s hard not to wish that the episodes that preceded it were as engaging. As the series begins to gain its footing, it nearly takes flight, with the narrative finally soaring beyond being a run-of-the-mill crime drama. As Eddie and Susie’s desires become too big for their britches, they are both forced to slowly chip away at the wall that has always felt present between them and the show’s audience, allowing us to get closer and, in turn, become more invested in each of their stories. By eliminating both of their safety nets and some of their allies, the series forces its characters to grow, shedding the husks of the stagnant figures they were in season one.
Instead of zipping around and following an expansive cast, the series tightens its scope, letting audiences follow two central figures who feel like real people rather than caricatures from spy dramas of decades past. By deviating from season one’s pace and form, the series has become the sleek, gripping story promised in the show’s initial announcement. We live in an age where shows like this are turned out by the dozen; while it takes the series a handful of episodes to get there, “The Gentlemen” reinvents itself and ultimately becomes an unstoppable force.
All episodes have been screened for review. Currently streaming on Netflix.
