I had high hopes for The Gentlemen. I loved the film, the cast sheet is brilliant – Kaya Scodelario finally getting something worthy of her talents – and, in general, Guy Ritchie just gets this kind of underworld, gangster, British comedy. Plus, it features a track by Lazy Habits. And yet, the show manages to consistently take those expectations and bat them right out the park!
Theo James as our main protagonist, Eddie, is a big part for why this all slots together. Ritchie always casts the leads well, but he's a particularly great find for this character, blurring the line between public school, military brass, and gangster very nicely, and works extremely well against the incredibly proficient, working class, as smart as she is tough, Susie. But it's hard to even single out these two – the whole cast are fantastic. Whether it's Freddy primally screaming in a blood-splattered chicken suit, Geoff (Vinnie Jones) and his menagerie, or Jimmy just, well, being his adorable, idiotic self, the show is packed with superb character moments that the supporting cast pick up and play out perfectly.
Throw in tight direction and pacing, lots of excellent twists and turns, and a story that never loses sight of the humanity behind the absurdity, and the whole thing is a delight. The final act was a little too reliant on rapid-fire miscommunications, but by this point the pan had very much starting to boil over, so it works. I'm not entirely sure that the hyper-cut bidding war really made a huge amount of sense, but it certainly tied up most of the loose ends. Those scousers though... perhaps being left open for a season two?
Which, to be clear, I'd happily watch. The best characters are all still in play, and I wouldn't mind seeing just how far Eddie and Susie could go now that they're both agreed on playing for the same team. But I also don't mind if they leave it here. The origin story is often the most interesting chapter, and they can't go much further with that. The family are all a little too one-dimensional, which works with a plot over a few months, but if they start spacing it out for years it could get a bit loose at the edges. And I'm just not sure where the tension would come from. Still, time will tell, and for now, I'm more than happy with what we've had.