Well, Gangs of London fans – the wait is over, and the Sky original drama is finally back on our screens today, replete with a brand-new set of heroes and villains to get to know. You can see the trailer for season two below.
The first thing to point out is that season two looks as if it has lost nothing of the grittiness, occasional gore, and hard-hitting themes that made the first outing such a success.
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Why mess with the formula if it is working, eh?
The series – launched back in April 2020 – tracks the battle for supremacy amongst a variety of criminal gangs on the streets of – you’ve guessed it – London.
The show, which was a critical success as well as receiving huge public support, became the second-biggest Sky original drama launch, beaten only by Chernobyl, which was absolutely massive – and brilliant, too.
Whilst Gangs of London certainly isn’t for the squeamish when it comes to gore and violence, there’s also a lot more to it than that, with the various warring factions and complex characters creating an intriguing power struggle, and the twisting and turning narrative receiving praise from critics.
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So, who can we look forward to meeting in the second series, then?
First off, there’s Koba – a new enforcer who has been drafted in by The Investors in an attempt to drag London back under their control.
Koba is played by Waleed Zuaiter, who you might recognise from things like London Has Fallen or The Men Who Stare at Goats, amongst other things.
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Then, there’s Salem Kali who will be hitting screens as Basem, the leader of a totally new gang called The Algerians.
Kali has largely worked in the French-speaking drama world before now, with appearances in projects like A Prophet, Dealer, and Colt 45.
That means that crime drama is sort of a speciality of his.
His nephew Faz, himself a member of the Algerian contingent, is to be played by Fady Elsayed.
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A young actor, Elsayed has been critically acclaimed for his performance in My Brother the Devil, as well as appearing in drama Silent Witness and comedy series Citizen Khan.
Another member of the new gang is Hakim, played by Aymen Hamdouchi.
You’ll probably recognise him from The Night Manager or Zero Dark Thirty, but you may also have seen him in Black Mirror episode The National Anthem.
Yes, that’s the one with the pig.
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Rounding out the new characters is Saba, played by Jasmine Armando.
The youngster seems to be working towards the straight life as a lawyer but could well end up getting sucked into the criminal underworld inhabited by the rest of the Algerian gang.
These new folks will be joining up with the returning cast featuring characters such as Luan Dushaj – played by Orli Shuka - and Narges Rashidi as Lale of the Kurdish Freedom Fighters.
Tim McInnerny – Percy from Blackadder to many – also reprises his role as the top brass of The Investors alongside Amanda Drew.
We’ll have to wait and see on Joe Cole’s character Sean Wallace, after he was shot and presumed dead at the end of the last season.
Tonight, we’ll find out.
Gangs of London is out on Sky Atlantic today and released on November 17 in the USA.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity
Tom Wood