Gangs of London director Corin Hardy has admitted he "went too far" with a gory fight scene in series two.
The Sky drama returned last night (October 20), and wasted no time in delivering all the violence and more. One scene in particular, which takes places in a laundrette, is particularly brutal – and if you've watched episode one already, you'll know exactly what we're talking about.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about the exact moment he realised he'd gone too far, Hardy said: "It's about eight minutes in, that sequence with the laundrette. It was around that moment when the guy's eyes are under strain.
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"Because when you're putting things together, there's months and months and months of planning and prep and choreography and rehearsal and special effects and make-up and props that goes into it.
"You put it all together. You imagine it, and you have to execute it on the day. And then there's editing, visual effects, and sound design. So it's only really after months and months that you finally watch the sequence.
"You see it, and then you're like, 'Ooh, we've gone too far with this,'" he continued. "Gangs of London has to go too far sometimes."
However Hardy added that star Sope Dirisu, who plays Elliot Finch, was keen that the scene should go ahead.
"Sope forced me into it," Hardy joked. "He was like, 'Listen, I think it'd be really cool…' It's a visual aesthetic. It's trying to find iconic images that are memorable. I see that as part of cinematic filmmaking.
Dirisu added: "I tell people, 'Watch it. If you think he's gone too far, just take a note of the timecode, and see if you change your mind later in the series.'"
Hardy went on to explain that episode one's big fight scene was crucial for understanding where Elliot is at this point in his life.
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"It's part of our way of introducing where we find Elliot in season 2, which is in a pretty ragged place," Hardy said.
"He's spent a year being this kind of attack dog for the investors, and he's wanting to find his own answer and his way out of this. He's not a sort of slick operative wearing a balaclava, shooting people with a gun. He's ending up on the floor, grappling with this guy, with things that come from the environment.
"You know, it's part of the fun of Gangs of London – it's where these fight sequences take place. He's involved in the environment," he added. "In this case, it's a laundrette. There's a lot of sequin dresses hanging. If you're in his position, you might use one as a weapon."
Gangs of London season 2 airs on Sky and NOW.
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Stephanie is a writer who specialises in pro wrestling, covering everything from AEW and WWE to NJPW.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she went on to study journalism at Birbeck University.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
