Theo James Steps Into His Michael Corleone Era for a Darker, More Sinister ‘The Gentlemen’ Season 2: TV Review

It’s been two and a half years since Guy Ritchie ushered viewers into the dazzling, violent criminal underworld of his Netflix series “The Gentlemen.” Now, in an even darker and more volatile second season, audiences are reentering this world, with a very different Eddie (an exceptional Theo James) at the center. Engaging, devastating and thoroughly entertaining, it’s clear that with its second season, “The Gentlemen” has upped the ante and fully hit its stride.

When viewers last saw Eddie, he was finding his bearings as the recently instated Duke of Halstead, and was navigating the unhinged antics of his constantly coke-out older brother Freddy (Daniel Ings), who was suffocating with bitterness after being usurped by his younger brother for their father’s title. The Duke was also learning the inner workings of an extensive cannabis empire, housed on his family’s massive estate and run by the incarcerated Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) and his whip-smart daughter, Susie (Kaya Scodelario). A former Army Captain, Eddie initially felt out of his element. Yet, as he and Susie bonded and he leaned into his military training, Eddie slowly realized being a gangster suited him as well as his tailored coats.

As Season 2 opens, Eddie is worse for the wear. Half-dead and dragging himself on his belly through a muddy field, Eddie is far from the calm, affable aristocrat audiences first met in Season 1. But this is not where this new chapter truly begins. Dialing back three months earlier, things were looking much different for the Duke.

Firmly settled into his enterprise with the Glasses and getting Freddy sequestered away in rehab, Eddie has his sights set on expanding. Not only does he want to reclaim the land surrounding his family’s 15,000-acre estate, but he’s focused on growing the enterprise beyond the U.K., and into Italy, while gaining a stronghold in the world of legal cannabis. Yet, this will take a great deal of finesse, including pushing through a bill in parliament by buttering up Lord Hawthorne (Hugh Bonneville), who is willing to trade his vote for a night out with Susie’s brother, Jack (Harry Goodwins). As Eddie’s work wife and business partner, Susie sees the Duke’s vision, but Bobby has the final say. Bobby is open to a partnership with Italian mobster Marco Moretti (Sergio Castellitto) and his unhinged liaison Cico Maldini (Michele Morrone). However, in Bobby’s purview, decriminalizing marijuana is out of the question.

Unfortunately, Eddie and even Susie have grown increasingly weary of being under Bobby’s thumb. It’s also concerning that the older man is acting erratically and seems more focused on his spiritual awakening than on keeping his business relevant in the 21st century. Frustrated, both Susie and Eddie follow their own paths. Still, extricating oneself from Bobby’s grasp was always going to be trickier and bloodier than one would expect. While Susie is willing to comply with her father’s wishes, Eddie grows more emboldened, fueled by the power he’s learned to harness. Additionally, he begins to recognize his kindness and affability are being taken for weakness.

Exquisitely shot, “The Gentlemen” Season 2 is full of absurd characters, gunfights, hijinks (including million-dollar birds and shocking beheadings) and a couple of steamy romances. Amid the bloodbaths and whimsy, however, Eddie is evolving into someone new. Episode 4, “The Bigger Picture,” acts as a turning point in the series. Eddie, no longer able to temper his frustrations, explodes, revealing a side of himself that changes how the Glasses and viewers will see him moving forward.

With a more somber tone and higher stakes, “The Gentlemen” Season 2 is still wildly entertaining. If audiences were paying attention, there was only one way for Eddie to evolve. He was always destined to follow in the footsteps of another tyrannical, ruthless Don – Michael Corleone. But that’s the thing about becoming a crime boss: ego and power often lead to irreparable brokenness. Only time will tell how spectacular and bloody Eddie’s rise and eventual demise will be.

“The Gentlemen” Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix