uy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen was a phenomenal piece as a film. It was a well-developed universe with a stirring plot sautéed with parables and hilarious characters that had splendid monologues. The only thing was, it left one wanting for more. The wish was granted when Netflix launched the series with the same title.

Although based loosely on the film’s universe, the series has different characters and plot. At its crux, the show is based on the idea of the prodigal son - a theme of great interest to Ritchie that he has talked about at length on The Joe Rogan Experience. He has toyed around with this idea earlier in his adaptation of King Arthur so it was interesting to see the same idea play out in the thoroughly exciting world of The Gentlemen.

The story revolves around Eddie, the protagonist, who has just inherited his father’s massive estate. He soon finds out the source of his father’s more than reasonable income: marijuana. As he tries to get his family and estate out of the drug business, he faces great impediments in doing so. His brother is a handicap and Susie Glass, manager of the marijuana operation on his estate and a mob boss’s daughter, tries to play unsuspecting Eddie for a fool. Only, unsuspecting Eddie soon becomes not so unsuspecting and, as they say, ‘wisens up.‘

There are many adventures to be had through the course of the show. Several homages to characters and scenes in Guy Ritchie cult classics such as Snatch make it a delightful watch for longtime fans and a refreshing change from dull repetitive shows on the platform for those new to Ritchie’s work. Guy Ritchie favourite Vinnie Jones is icing on the cake. Daniel Ings shines as Eddie’s useless brother, Freddy Halstead. Giancarlo Esposito, usually a terrific performer, fails to get with the Guy Ritchie programme and struggles to understand the tone of the show.

It’s interesting to see Ritchie adapt to the television format. He introduces onscreen captions to add humour. He also takes his time to set the mood and dedicates whole episodes to a theme. For instance, a whole episode is dedicated to the world of the idiot stoner employee who takes care of the marijuana plants. Another, dedicated to the gypsies, also features in Snatch.

Surprisingly, the show, even though without the usual Guy Ritchie tightness of script in the limited time format, plays out rather well. All over, a triumph. A great watch, thoroughly entertaining, one you wouldn’t want to miss.

The author writes about culture, art and identity. More of his work can be found on medium.com @uneebnasir