If you enjoyed the first season of Guy Ritchie’s series on Netflix, you’re probably ready for this the gentlemen season 2 review. The new episodes are finally here. They bring back the wild world of crime we’ve seen before. But this time, things are a little different. Eddie and Susie aren’t working together the way they used to. Eddie is now deeply entrenched in the criminal underworld, and that’s changing him. He wants more power and more money, and he’s acting pretty menacing. Honestly, it’s a wild ride.
REVIEW OF “THE GENTLEMEN” SEASON 2: GUY RITCHIE DYNAMIC CRIME DUO RETURNS IN AN OVERLY AMBITIOUS SECOND SEASON
The first season was mainly about Eddie and Susie finding their rhythm together. They were an unusual team, but it worked. Now the story revolves almost exclusively around Eddie. He’s the Duke of Halstead and has discovered his inner “damn Tasmanian devil,” as the incarcerated crime boss Bobby Glass puts it. Eddie no longer wants to just survive. He wants to save his family’s land and get rich. To achieve that, he makes some truly sinister decisions. Theo James does an excellent job of showing how Eddie becomes increasingly cold-hearted as the season progresses.
The biggest problem is that Susie gets left behind. Kaya Scodelario is still great as Susie Glass, and she has her own subplots, but the series is simply better when she and Eddie are together. They barely interact anymore, and both get caught up with new love interests who come across as a bit boring. That’s a shame, because their chemistry is usually the best part of the show. Without that chemistry, the magic seems to be missing a bit. The show is still fun, but it doesn’t have the same spark as the first season.
The show also lacks the funny moments from before. Freddy, the brother played by Daniel Ings, was hilarious in the first season. He barely appears in this season. As a result, the whole thing feels a bit more serious and heavy. It feels as though this season is just a stopgap to get us to the third season. It has eight episodes, and honestly, that’s too many. Sometimes the plot just wanders aimlessly without really going anywhere.
“THE GENTLEMEN” SEASON 2 HAS A PACE PROBLEM
Eight episodes is a lot if the story doesn’t move along quickly. Eddie keeps getting into trouble, but some of it feels like a waste of time. One episode is all about finding a missing bird. It’s very slow-paced and doesn’t really contribute to the main plot. Then again, other things happen much too quickly. The series tries to jump back and forth between the English countryside and Italy, but that doesn’t always work. The stylish shots of speedboats and beautiful buildings may look cool, but they don’t make the story any better.
Eddie also starts a romance with an Italian countess named Bella. It’s hard to care about the two of them. She’s pretty, but there’s just no spark. It’s not about whether Eddie and Susie should be together or not—friends can just be friends. It’s just that Eddie and Bella have absolutely no chemistry. Plus, the new villain in Italy isn’t nearly as interesting as the American billionaire from season one. Giancarlo Esposito returns, though, and he’s still fantastic. He manages to make even a monologue about nothing sound like the most important thing in the world.
EDDIE AND SUSIE’S PROBLEMS ALLOW OTHER RETURNING CHARACTERS TO DEVELOP FURTHER
Here’s something strange about this season: Eddie and Susie barely appear in the best episode. The focus is on Geoff, the gamekeeper played by Vinnie Jones, and the rest of the family at the estate. Vinnie Jones is actually this season’s MVP. He’s dependable, loyal, and, honestly, very endearing when he’s with the other family members. The chemistry between him and Lady Sabrina is actually much better than what we see between Eddie and his new girlfriend.
It’s nice to see characters like Charly and Lady Sabrina getting more screen time. In the first season, they were mostly just supporting characters. Now they’re helping to keep the family together. Even though the season has some chaotic moments, the ending actually sets the stage for a really cool third season. Guy Ritchie knows how to captivate his audience, even if things drag a bit in the middle. I’ll definitely be watching the next season as soon as it comes out. You can already watch the entire second season on Netflix.
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