Netflix Renews Guy Ritchie Crime Series The Gentlemen for Season 2

Over the course of The Gentlemen season 2, billionaire Stanley Johnston (Giancarlo Esposito) and cannabis kingpin Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) explain that Duke Eddie Horniman (Theo James) must suffer to achieve his full potential. Viewers have to suffer with him as Guy Ritchie tosses aside most of the humor and quirky characters that made his Netflix series fun. Instead, he delivers a beat-for-beat retelling of The Godfather and The Godfather Part 2.

Ritchie is known for convoluted plots that sometimes come together in tight twists, but most diversions this season feel pointless since the story loops back to the core conflict of season 1. Ritchie is at his best when exploring the criminal underworld of the U.K. Expanding the series scope to Italy does little beyond allowing him to lampshade his Godfather references and provide gorgeous lakeside backdrops where beautiful people drink Campari and make icy threats.

After spending season 1 trying to free his family from Bobby Glass, who set up a cannabis growhouse on their ancestral estate, Eddie embraces criminal pursuits with reckless gusto. He feels frustrated with Bobby’s leadership because the aging gang leader seems to take advice from a mythical sauna sprite, which remains one of the best recurring gags. Eddie takes it upon himself to seize power as a criminal and a hereditary peer in the House of Lords. All that pressure leaves Theo James with a face constantly locked in a brooding scowl.

Bobby’s daughter Susie (Kaya Scodelario) served as a perfect foil for Eddie in season 1, but she has precious little agency in season 2 while torn between which man to follow. She shines in her dealings with Joe (Tyler Conti), an old flame turned cocaine dealer who offers Susie a third option for steering the business. Scodelario and James continue to have smoldering chemistry, which explains why Ritchie teases fans by pulling them apart in both business and personal lives.

For a season meant to show Eddie suffering, most consequences are ephemeral. He recovers from a brutal beating without any lasting mark. An attempt to replicate one of the most devastating moments in The Godfather feels hollow because Eddie never feels genuinely attached to what he loses. Instead, Eddie faces an endless sequence of straw men he easily dismantles while sworn foes arbitrarily decide to back him. Stanley Johnston was a dangerous rival in season 1, but this season he is relegated to giving Eddie eloquent pep talks about his noble lineage.

Season 2 also sidelines the show’s funniest characters. Susie’s chief weed grower Jimmy Chang (Michael Vu) provided plenty of goofy stoner humor last season, but gets only one episode to shine while dealing with a labor movement and questionable experimental product. The consequences of both wrap up far too neatly, even as Susie and Eddie take actions that should worsen their labor problems. Eddie’s unreliable older brother Freddy (Daniel Ings) stays holed up in a rehab facility for the entire season, and his chaotic presence is sorely missed.

In Freddy’s absence, the Horniman family expands with the addition of Eddie’s brother-in-law Nanny (Benjamin Clementine). Nanny is status-obsessed and oblivious to Eddie’s criminal enterprises and the real complexity of the Horniman family situation. His wife Charlotte (Jasmine Blackborow) is actually the daughter of the groundskeeper Geoff Seacombe (Vinnie Jones). Nanny acts as a wet blanket, interrupting tender scenes between Charlotte and Geoff with snide dismissals of the man he views as household staff.

By trying to make this season more serious, Ritchie pulls focus away from the show’s simple delights. Hilarious scenes still appear, such as money launderer Chucky Kubra (Guz Khan) explaining his scheme to open a chain of Japanese-Pakistani restaurants, and an entire episode where Eddie tracks down a missing prized falcon to curry favor in the House of Lords. Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville plays a greasy nobleman as Lord Hawthorne, who is all too eager to be seduced. Eddie and Ritchie should have spent more time focusing on business in the U.K. rather than an international expansion that never pays off.

The Gentlemen remains visually stunning, filled with luxurious sets, gorgeous costumes, high-energy chase scenes, and chaotic shootouts. However, the director also relies on too many close-up shots of cast members speaking directly at the camera without taking advantage of the sumptuous scenery.

The Gentlemen season 2 sets up season 3

Season 2 ends well, setting up a new chapter for the Duke, his family, and Bobby Glass’ criminal operations. After all the talk throughout the season about how Eddie is evolving, hopefully the series will not become too unrecognizable in season 3. Eddie learns the hard way about the perils of ambition, and Ritchie should take that lesson to heart. He does not need to make The Godfather, and he should stick to making another great season of The Gentlemen.

The Gentlemen is now streaming on Netflix.

Source: Polygon