We’re rapidly closing in on the end of 2024. It was a year full of big swings on the big and small screen. As the year comes to a close, I’m looking back on series that worked for me that you can now check out. Today, it’s a new series from Guy Ritchie.
Series: The Gentlemen
Where to Find It: All eight first season episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
What’s It About: This series comes from writer/director Guy Ritchie, who penned two of the episodes and directed two as well. It shares the same name with one of his films and, while stylistically similar, this is an original story. But it goes back to his roots and is a crime caper.
This one focuses on Eddie (Theo James), a soldier and the second son of an English Lord. When his father passes, Eddie is unexpectedly elevated to the position and inherits the family estate. Turns out his older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings), was considered too much of a liability and a screw up by their father. Now, Eddie has to keep the estate going and manage his family.
That becomes more difficult when he learns his father was in business with the Glass family and their drug operation, allowing it to be run on a piece of the family estate. While Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) is running things from prison, his daughter Susie (Kaya Scodelario), becomes the primary point-of-contact and Eddie’s partner. Can Eddie set the family right, protect the estate, and keep his family out of trouble?
Why it Makes the List
Ritchie made his name with crime capers featuring some unique characters and stories in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch. This series feels very much at home with that kind of storytelling. What makes it work is fun characters, a fun script, and some engaging plots. In that sense, this show moves at a good pace.
The Gentlemen took place in the first part of the year, so you might have missed it. But the episodes move at a good pace, making for a fine holiday binge. It starts with a flourish, including a wild second episode that was one of the most memorable of the year for me. But what makes it work is the performances.
I love the back-and-forth between James and Scodelario. They have a fun energy together and play off each other beautifully throughout the season. I like the way the arc of the story goes and the way it sets up some future seasons as well. This one is fun with some good action, what more could you want?