Less than two minutes of viewing time is all you need to know that you've made the right decision in choosing Steven Knight's House of Guinness as your latest watch. In that short space of time, Guinness foreman Sean Rafferty (played by King and Conqueror's James Norton) has already confirmed that trouble is brewing, setting the tone for what's to come.
Rafferty's announcement is quickly followed by the angry shattering of a bottle thrust against a Guinness sign, and an emblazoned effigy of the late Sir Benjamin Guinness, in the midst of a heated protest.
It is a visual feast that is teaming with more atmosphere than a freshly shaken bottle of stout, but if you're already familiar with Knight's work – which includes Peaky Blinders, SAS Rogue Heroes and A Thousand Blows – this will come as no surprise.
The historically-inspired period drama has Knight's signature all over it. A certain stylised underpinning that takes what would otherwise be a simply well-written story, and elevates it into an experience. Visually and emotionally, you feel the beats of the story. One that begins with the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery.
Following his demise, his four adult children Anne (Emily Fairn), Arthur (Anthony Boyle), Benjamin (Fionn O'Shea) and Edward (Louis Partridge) are rocked by the reading of the will, and how the decisions made by their late father will affect them.
The trailer for the Netflix drama makes no secret that Anne and Benjamin effectively receive nothing, whilst the responsibility of the Guinness brewery and legacy is bestowed upon the eldest and youngest brothers Arthur and Edward.
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Theirs is a journey that is intricately linked with the Irish's fevered fight for independence from the British, against the backdrop of great division. And so the familial tension, though it is the beating pulse of the show, is not the only friction that bubbles and spills past boiling point.
But despite the effervescent tension between characters, which certainly compel you to click "next episode" without delay, there's something else pulling you in. The more personal wars that the characters face internally are surprisingly equal – if not more of – a draw than the outward pressures and the battles they face in the world.
The characters throughout House of Guinness are changed by what transpires across the eight episodes. Events cause them to reflect on who they are, and in turn make them squirm with discomfort as they attempt to merge their new selves into the world they thought they knew.
Arthur is probably the most obvious example of that, as he struggles to fit neatly into this aristocratic world given his homosexuality. It's a storyline that is handled beautifully by Boyle.
That being said, there are no standout characters in House of Guinness. And while this may give an impression of mediocrity, this couldn't be further from the truth. Rather, everyone is on an equal playing field of brilliance and there truly are no small parts.
Game of Thrones star Jack Gleeson has relatively little screen time compared to Boyle, Partridge and the others, yet the impression he leaves is still memorable in all the right ways. Boyle and Partridge's characters are, however, at the heart of the narrative, which makes it effortless to fall in love with their arc.
There were moments when the tension between Edward and Arthur was roiling, seizing the audience's tension as the conversations between the two warring brothers ping-ponged viciously back and forth. Equally their shared understanding of one another was expertly weaved into their fraught relationship, adding tenderness to their complex bond.
While the writing is tight, leaving no room for error, Boyle and Partridge's outstanding deliverance of their characters is grounded in the pain of societal expectation, family obligation and legacy pressures.
Fans of James Norton will know that he's no stranger to a gritty role, having been familiar with his Happy Valley days, however Norton's Sean Rafferty is morally complex in a much different way. The Guinness foreman is one of the most interesting characters; he fizzes with a passion and excitement for violence, but as the trajectory of his journey shifts his capacity for tenderness is surprising.
Danielle Galligan and Niamh McCormack are also just brilliant as Lady Olivia and freedom activist Ellen Cochrane. Both bring a different mix of strength, softness and vulnerability to the 1800s women attempting to live fully and authentically in a male-led society.
And, in a world full of domineering personalities, Fairn's portrayal of the eldest Guinness sibling is comparatively quiet but still powerfully moving. She glides through the series, becoming bolder in both her actions and her insistence on carving out meaningful space for those that are overlooked, including herself.
Away from the acting, there are some gorgeous scenes – typical of Knight's style – that add a certain poetry to the pain of the characters. The use of silence is just as affecting as the carefully selected soundtrack, and there are moments where disgust is captured in something as simple as the slicing of chicken breast on a plate.
Knight will have you craving more of his rendition of the unfolding events, and it won't be long until we're all begging for a season two.
House of Guinness is now available to watch on Netflix.
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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.
