As MobLand season 1 reaches its thrilling conclusion, viewers eager for more of Guy Ritchie’s captivating portrayal of the UK organized crime landscape should turn their attention to Netflix’s The Gentlemen. Crafted by Ronan Bennett, the 2025 Paramount+ series centers around the Harrigan crime family. As the family’s leaders, Conrad (played by Pierce Brosnan) and Maeve (portrayed by Helen Mirren), prepare for an imminent showdown with the rival Stevenson family, tensions escalate, leading to a gripping power struggle. To maintain order and avert a catastrophic war, the family’s fixer, Harry Da Souza (played by Tom Hardy), is tasked with navigating the murky waters of this high-stakes conflict.
While Ritchie took on the roles of director and executive producer for the Paramount+ series, in 2024, he teamed up with Netflix to transition the world of The Gentlemen from film to television. This series acts as a spin-off from his acclaimed 2019 movie, featuring Theo James as Eddie Horniman, who unexpectedly inherits the title of Duke of Halstead following his father’s passing. As Eddie delves deeper into his inheritance, he uncovers his father’s longstanding ties to the UK crime scene and finds himself entangled in a precarious alliance with Susie Glass (played by Kaya Scodelario) to navigate this dangerous new reality.
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The Gentlemen Marks Guy Ritchie’s Significant Debut in Television
Guy Ritchie is no stranger to the intricacies of the organized crime genre, having explored this realm long before the releases of MobLand or The Gentlemen. His feature-film debut, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, which premiered in 1998, thrust him into the gritty world of crime with a celebrated narrative about a young con-man navigating the complexities of London’s underbelly. Following this initial success, Ritchie continued to delve into similar themes with subsequent films like Snatch and RocknRolla, even infusing these stylistic elements into his Sherlock Holmes duology, reimagining Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective in a far more raw and gritty context.
In this light, The Gentlemen serves as a commendable extension of Ritchie’s previous crime-focused narratives. Historically, his exploration of the UK crime scene has tended to center around singular incidents or events within that universe. However, The Gentlemen offers Ritchie the opportunity to delve deeper into the ongoing challenges and intricacies of running a criminal empire, as Eddie and Susie strive to prove their worthiness to inherit their families’ intertwined operations. This rich narrative complexity makes The Gentlemen a compelling watch for audiences seeking to witness how the weight of such responsibilities affects its characters.
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The Gentlemen Successfully Balances Dark Comedy with Serious Criminal Threats
Although managing a criminal empire comes with its share of intense pressures, The Gentlemen is not solely consumed by drama; it also showcases many of Ritchie’s signature lighter elements. The series is populated by a diverse array of larger-than-life characters, including Eddie’s erratic and cocaine-dependent brother Freddie (played by Daniel Ings), who inadvertently triggers the series’ initial major conflict during a drug-induced frenzy. This blend of humor and high stakes ensures that The Gentlemen remains true to the essence of Ritchie’s most popular genre while providing a narrative that is both entertaining and engaging.
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Despite showcasing a lighter aspect of Ritchie’s storytelling, The Gentlemen is poised to resonate with fans of the more intense MobLand. Although some of the adversaries Eddie and Susie encounter may seem absurd, they frequently confront ruthless and deadly factions in conflicts where their lives hang in the balance. Consequently, the series maintains a level of dramatic tension that appeals to viewers who appreciate a gripping crime caper.
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Just four months following its premiere in March 2024, The Gentlemen was officially renewed for a second season by Netflix, which will continue from the season 1 finale and showcase Eddie and Susie stepping into their roles as leaders of the crime family. This renewal underscores Ritchie’s commitment to the television format moving forward. In addition to The Gentlemen, he is also working on Young Sherlock, a Prime Video series that delves into the early life of Sherlock Holmes.
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What remains uncertain is whether MobLand will find a place alongside these projects on Ritchie’s growing slate. Despite a mixed critical reception, it achieved a remarkable milestone for Paramount+, boasting the platform’s largest global series launch to date, attracting 2.2 million viewers. This indicates that it holds potential as a valuable asset. While it’s still unclear if season 2 will see Ritchie return to the director’s chair, The Gentlemen demonstrates that there are more compelling narratives to explore within the UK criminal underworld.
