The Gentlemen Season 2 Review: Guy Ritchie's Dynamic Criminal Duo Returns In An Overly Ambitious Second Outing

Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen returns for a second season that decenters its dynamic duo, for better and for worse. While The Gentlemen season 1 was unequivocally Eddie's (Theo James) and Susie's (Kaya Scodelario) story as they found a balance in their unexpected drug-empire partnership, season 2 is Eddie's story through and through. Now that the Duke of Halstead has had a taste of criminality and unleashed his inner "Tasmanian f**cking devil," as Ray Winstone's lavishly imprisoned Bobby Glass so succinctly puts it, Eddie's out for more: more wealth, more power, more land, and more blood.

The primary theme of The Gentlemen season 2 is ambition and how it can lead people down the wrong path. Of course, few characters in The Gentlemen are particularly moral people, but there's certainly a difference between growing and distributing weed and straight-up torturing and killing people for revenge. In this season, Eddie quite eagerly leans into the darker side of that scale; James turns in a fantastic, much more emotionally rich performance this time around, as Eddie slowly loses his inhibitions in a bid to restore his family's centuries-old estate to its former glory.

Unfortunately for both the show and the audience, this leaves Susie out in the cold. Scodelario still shines as the wonderfully stylish Susie Glass, and she certainly has ambitions of her own, even daring to strike a deal without her father's knowledge. Still, The Gentlemen and the duo's in-universe plans work best when Susie and His Grace are on the same page. Forcing them apart — and giving each of them new, underwhelming, underdeveloped love interests to work with instead — makes this season feel less thrilling.

There's enough to enjoy, especially for those who love Ritchie's signature kinetic filmmaking style and increasingly complex criminal storytelling. Overall, however, without the moments of chaotic levity that undoubtedly helped make season 1 such a hit (Daniel Ings' addict older brother, Freddy, doesn't get near enough screen time this season), season 2 feels like an entertaining but somewhat shallow eight-episode interlude before The Gentlemen's already-commissioned third season, rather than a well-rounded installment on its own.

The Gentlemen Season 2 Has A Pacing Problem

Eight episodes may not seem like a lot, and yet, it's arguably too many for The Gentlemen season 2. Much like in season 1, Eddie's plans consistently spiral out of his control, either because of his own inability to predict the future or because his enemies (and frenemies) place obstacles in his path. This season's side quests aren't nearly as gruesomely fun as they were in the first season, however. One episode sees Eddie trying to help a greedy, out-of-his-depth Bishop's son try to locate a priceless falcon. It's a slow, meandering episode, one that does little to enhance Eddie's plans or the overall plot.

On the other hand, other storylines move way too fast and with little depth. Eddie's blossoming romance with the Italian Countess Bella (Benedetta Porcaroli) becomes a major part of Eddie's journey, particularly in the latter half of the season. It was hard to bring myself to care about them, though. I'm not necessarily of the opinion that Eddie and Susie need to be involved romantically — people can certainly be platonic soulmates — but Eddie's relationship and chemistry with Bella have nothing on his dynamic with Susie. Bella's beautiful, she's posh, and she's conveniently undisturbed by Eddie's increasing proclivity for violence, but other than that, there's not much there.

The split between the rolling hills of the English countryside and the stunning scenery of the Italian lakes doesn't help matters much, either. While the palazzos certainly provide lovely backdrops and allow Ritchie and his fellow directors to include slick shots of Theo James in million-dollar speedboats, most of the scenes set in Italy feel rather empty. Even a CGI tiger couldn't manage to make those sequences more exciting.

Halstead Manor is the Duke's natural habitat; stretching the story beyond the confines of the estate and the richest parts of London wasn't really necessary. The story's new Italian kingpin isn't anywhere near as intriguing an addition to the series as Giancarlo Esposito's billionaire American was in season 1, the latter of whom returns with little more to do than to inflate the Duke's growing ego with grand comparisons to the king, the ancient Greeks, and even Jesus Christ himself (though Esposito, as always, delivers his multiple monologues with incredible charisma, precision, and gusto).

Eddie & Susie's Issues Allow Other Returning Characters To Grow

What does it say about a show when the best storyline of the entire season barely involves its two leading characters? In one of my favorite episodes, Eddie and Susie are nowhere to be seen; instead, the story shifts its focus to gamekeeper Geoff (Vinnie Jones), Eddie's mother, Lady Sabrina (Joely Richardson), his sister, Charly (Jasmine Blackborow), and his brother-in-law and fellow ex-soldier, Nanny (Benjamin Clementine). It's a masterclass in building tension and pared-back storytelling.

Vinnie Jones is one of this season's MVPs, a quiet, dependable presence for Eddie, and, even more importantly, the audience. While Geoff's loyalty to the Duke is admirable, it's his softness towards Charly, her baby boy, Tarquin, and Lady Sabrina that really stands out. Honestly, Jones and Richardson's sexual chemistry is palpable on screen — those longing stares are impressive — fully overshadowing Eddie's romance with Bella and Susie's entanglement with an old friend.

At least Eddie and Susie's forced distance allows some of the show's other returning, underdeveloped characters a chance to grow and prove their importance to the story. Charly was unfortunately superfluous to the story in season 1 but thankfully has more of her own mind and role in season 2. Lady Sabrina remains one of The Gentlemen's most underused characters, the glue that's desperately trying to keep the family together despite Freddy's departure, Eddie's ravenous appetite, and her own secret desire for Geoff.

Sabrina also directly influences one of Eddie's most defining moments in the season finale, setting up a refreshed new dynamic for season 3 — a welcome tonic after the season's reliance on a frankly overused narrative revenge trope. That's the thing, though, isn't it? Despite The Gentlemen season 2's numerous issues, Ritchie and co-writer Matthew Read have managed to set up a potentially fascinating third season, and strangely, I can't wait. Maybe that's Ritchie's true talent. No matter what you're shown on screen, you'll always be left wanting to find out what happens next.

The Gentlemen season 2 is streaming now, only on Netflix.