Gangs of London is back with more blood-stained grit and the snapping of bones. As we've come to expect, the most realistic thing about this hyper-stylised and violent version of London is the well-fed fox skulking around the streets.
Still, no one comes to Gangs of London for realism. And the show's new lead director, action film-maker Kim Hong Sun, seems to know this.
Taking over from previous lead director Corn Hardy, Hong Sun picked up the brief and ran with it, pushing the boundaries of sensationalised gore in a way that doesn't disrupt or detract from the narrative flow.
A narrative that was well and truly packed this season, we might add.
Season three kicks off several months after season two's shift in power, when former copper-turned-gangster Elliott Carter (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) snatched the reins from Sean Wallace (Joe Cole) to become London's biggest drug lord thanks to his new found partnership with the Dumanis.
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Life at the top becomes much more precarious this season, though. As the new Mayor of London, Simone Thearle's (T'Nia Miller) plan to bring the gangs of London to their knees is up there on Elliott's list of concerns. But this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface, when a batch of his cocaine is spiked.
The botched drugs debacle sparks a war among the gangs, and many come under heat in the pursuit of the truth to uncover who is responsible.
As if that isn't plenty to deal with, new information about a past event in Elliott's life is revealed to him. This leaves him with more questions about the particularly acute trauma relating to his family – and in his search for answers, he must turn to Sean.
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We last saw Sean as he was strung up by Elliott's hands, awaiting capture from the police.
It's not really in Sean's nature to sit pretty in jail for too long, and so Cole gets to show off his impressive ability to get uncomfortably brutal whilst still drawing threads of compassion from the viewer.
Sean and his mother Marian (Michelle Fairley) eventually do get their reunion, and it's far more tender and touching than one would expect after their season two fallout.
However they're not the only Wallaces with stake in the game this season. Billy takes on a larger role in Sean's incarcerated absence, and his journey takes him to a place of new depth and understanding – though not without an expected helping of bloodshed.
Other major player, Luan (Orli Shuka), once again finds himself fighting out of the love for his family. Shuka's performance requires something a little darker and textured in season three, as Luan operates from a place of love but this time in a soulless kind of way.
Season three took some bigger swings, taking its characters to deeper and more vulnerable places, and allowing us to see them as humans first.
Gangster Lale (Narges Rashidi) in particular, brought a lot of pain, heart and strength to this season. One of the show's most primitive and savage deaths comes from her, and that was only made possible because she fought for something other than status and power. It was a desperate and frenzied expression of love from Sean's ex, and because of that the pay off was gratifying.
However despite the show's strength in offering a more layered insight into its characters, and managing to land one or two of its many twists, season three simply threw too many ideas in at once.
The story felt convoluted at times, as it tried to hold space for all its plot points. But overall, it failed to do so in a satisfying way.
This critique extends to the new characters. With the exception of Miller, who felt as fully fleshed out as was needed for her arc, newcomers Richard Dormer and Andrew Koji were a little two-dimensional as Cornelius Quinn and Zeek respectively
While they padded out the ensemble and added some dark humour, Cornelius's place in this world felt forced, while Zeek's strong and silent vibe needed more substance (beyond what was given) considering where his journey went. Still Koji's action sequences were among some of the best to watch, leaving an unsatisfied desire to see more.
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By the time the season draws to a close there is an odd finality to it, as though this isn't merely the wrap of the latest season.
It feels as though Gangs has gifted this fictional London with an ending that's both romanticised and entirely bleak. There is nowhere left to go, yet so much more to explore.
All 8 episodes of Gangs of London season 3 will launch as a box set on Sky Atlantic and the streaming service NOW from March 20.
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.
