The Gentlemen Season 1 & 2 Review: Eddie Horniman's Rise to Power

Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen is one of those rare crime series that manages to make power look more interesting when it is handled quietly. Season 1 premiered on Netflix on March 7, 2024, introducing Eddie Horniman, a former British Army officer who unexpectedly inherits his family estate and discovers that it is connected to a massive cannabis operation. Season 2 arrived on September 3, 2026, with all eight episodes available to stream on Netflix.

Eddie Horniman: From Reluctant Duke to Criminal Power Player

Eddie Horniman (Theo James) begins The Gentlemen as a man who never expected to inherit his family's title or become involved in organized crime. He joined the British Army and expected a very different life. Instead, after his father's death, Eddie inherits the Halstead estate and discovers that a cannabis empire is operating underneath it.

His initial instinct is to protect his family and get out of the criminal business. That becomes increasingly difficult as Eddie realizes that he is actually good at navigating this world. Season 1 gradually changes him from someone reacting to dangerous criminals into someone capable of making his own decisions and using power deliberately.

By Season 2, the transformation is much more obvious. Eddie is no longer simply the reluctant duke trying to escape the criminal underworld. Netflix describes him as a man who has embraced the possibilities of being both an aristocrat and a criminal. He and Susie Glass expand their operation beyond England, taking their business into Northern Italy and confronting a completely different group of power players.

This is what makes Eddie's character so satisfying to watch. His strength is rarely about being the loudest person in the room. He becomes increasingly dangerous because he stays composed, thinks strategically, and learns when to act. The man who initially wanted nothing to do with crime gradually becomes someone who understands exactly how much power he has.

Freddy Horniman: The Brother Who Keeps Creating Problems

Freddy Horniman (Daniel Ings) is almost the opposite of Eddie. As the older brother and apparent heir, Freddy grew up expecting to inherit the Halstead estate. His lifestyle of partying and disastrous business decisions, however, helped explain why their father ultimately left the title to Eddie.

Season 1 turns Freddy into one of the family's biggest liabilities. He gets into serious debt with dangerous people and becomes responsible for a chain of events that puts the entire Horniman family in danger. His infamous chicken-suit sequence is funny on the surface, but underneath it is evidence of just how badly Freddy's impulsiveness can spiral out of control.

What makes Freddy more interesting in Season 2 is that the character does not simply repeat the same mistakes. He is noticeably more serious, and the season forces him to confront the consequences of his previous behavior. He is still Freddy, but there is a greater sense that he understands the responsibility that comes with being part of the Horniman family.

That makes Freddy's relationship with Eddie one of the more interesting parts of the series. Eddie becomes increasingly comfortable with power while Freddy has to figure out what his own place is within a family where his younger brother has become the dominant figure.

Geoff Seacombe: The Quietest and Most Loyal Man in the Room

Vinnie Jones' Geoff Seacombe is one of the characters who becomes more impressive the longer the series goes on. As the gamekeeper of Halstead Manor, Geoff initially appears to be a quiet background figure. In reality, he knows the estate intimately and has an extraordinary level of loyalty to the Horniman family.

Season 1 reveals that Geoff is Charly Horniman's biological father, following a past relationship with Lady Sabrina. Season 2 develops that relationship further and gives Geoff considerably more to do.

Geoff's importance becomes especially clear when his family is threatened. Season 2 finally shows the full extent of what this seemingly gentle and reserved gamekeeper is capable of when the people he loves are in danger.

• Extremely loyal to the Horniman family
• Knows the Halstead estate better than almost anyone
• Protects the people closest to him without seeking recognition
• Has a much more dangerous side than his quiet personality suggests
• Season 2 gives him a substantially larger role

Geoff represents one of the show's strongest ideas about loyalty: sometimes the most dependable person is the one who says the least. His calm personality makes his moments of violence and protection hit even harder.

Eddie and Susie: Partners, Rivals, and Power Players

Eddie's transformation cannot really be separated from his relationship with Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario). In Season 1, Susie introduces Eddie to the criminal operation beneath his estate, and the two gradually discover that they make an unusually effective team.

Season 2 changes that balance. Their criminal operation has expanded beyond England, and Eddie is becoming more ambitious while Susie begins questioning whether she wants to remain so closely tied to her father's empire.

That creates an interesting tension between them. Eddie is becoming more comfortable with power, while Susie is beginning to consider what her own future could look like outside Bobby Glass's shadow.

Their partnership works because neither character is simply a sidekick. Both are capable, ambitious, and increasingly willing to make decisions that could change the balance of power between them.

Family, Loyalty, and the Price of Power

Beneath the guns, drug deals, aristocratic estates, and Guy Ritchie-style dialogue, The Gentlemen is fundamentally interested in loyalty. Eddie has to decide how far he will go to protect his family. Freddy has to confront the consequences of his choices. Geoff remains devoted to the Hornimans, while Susie has to balance loyalty to her family with her own ambitions.

Season 2 expands this idea by making the criminal operation much larger. Eddie and Susie move into Northern Italy and encounter Marco Moretti (Sergio Castellitto), a powerful Italian Mafia boss. They also encounter new aristocratic and criminal figures, including Lord Hawthorne and Bella.

The result is a bigger world than Season 1, but the central question remains the same: who can you trust when everyone around you has something to gain?

The Masculinity of The Gentlemen

One of the reasons Eddie's character arc works so well for me is the show's approach to masculinity. It rarely presents strength as simply being louder, angrier, or more violent than everyone else.

Eddie becomes more formidable as he becomes more controlled. Geoff is another example: his strength comes from patience, experience, and loyalty rather than the need to constantly prove himself. Even Freddy's storyline is ultimately about learning to take responsibility for his actions.

It gives the series an old-fashioned idea of strength: competence, composure, responsibility, and the willingness to protect the people who matter to you. The show obviously exaggerates these qualities for entertainment, but that is part of what makes its characters memorable.

What Makes Season 2 Different From Season 1?

Season 1 is largely about Eddie discovering the criminal world and figuring out how to survive inside it. The story is more focused on the Halstead estate, the Glass family, and Eddie's attempt to get his family out of trouble.

Season 2 starts from a very different position. Eddie already knows what he is capable of, and he wants more. The criminal operation expands into Northern Italy, bringing the characters into conflict with the Mafia and introducing a larger international element to the story.

That change gives Season 2 a different energy. The question is no longer simply whether Eddie can survive the criminal world. It becomes a question of how much power he wants — and how much of himself he is willing to sacrifice to obtain it.

Where to Watch The Gentlemen Seasons 1 and 2

Both seasons of The Gentlemen are currently available to stream on Netflix.

• Season 1 — 8 episodes, released March 7, 2024
• Season 2 — 8 episodes, released September 3, 2026
• Streaming platform — Netflix
• Season 3 — officially confirmed by Netflix
• Watch on: Netflix

Final Thoughts

The Gentlemen Season 1 is the story of a reluctant aristocrat getting dragged into a criminal empire he never wanted. Season 2 is the story of what happens once that same man realizes he may actually enjoy having power.

Eddie's transformation is the biggest reason to keep watching, but he is far from the only character worth following. Freddy becomes more complicated, Geoff finally gets the larger role he deserves, Susie's ambitions evolve, and the Horniman family finds itself operating in a much larger and more dangerous criminal world.

For me, the best part of The Gentlemen is that its characters are not powerful simply because they can intimidate people. The most interesting characters understand people, control themselves, and know when to act.

Season 2 ultimately makes Eddie a much more dangerous man than the hesitant duke we met in Season 1. And with Netflix already confirming Season 3, his story is clearly not finished yet.

If you enjoyed Season 1, Season 2 is worth watching for Eddie's transformation alone. If you have already finished both seasons, the bigger question is where Guy Ritchie takes this increasingly ambitious criminal empire next.