The Gentlemen Recap Season 1 Episode 1 ‘Refined Aggression’

Let’s start with this clarification just to get it out of the way – a duke cannot will his title to his second son; the eldest son always inherits first. A special remainder is commonly used to allow a daughter to inherit, should the peer not have any sons. Historically, there is one case of a second son who inherited a dukedom whilst the eldest son was still alive – Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry – but the 2nd Duke had to go through some legal manoeuvring to prevent his eldest son, who was violently mentally ill, from inheriting the title. 

That said, we do need to accept that in The Gentlemen, Archibald Horatio Landrover Horniman, 12th Duke of Halstead, completely cut off his eldest son Freddy (Daniel Ings) from his will and bequeathed his title and the entirety of his estate to his second son Edward (Theo James). Edward had left his posh legacy behind to serve in the British military and later, as part of the UN peacekeeping force. Freddy had to send their lawyer Ahmed Iqbal to come get him as their father was dying. 

Freddy’s emotional reaction to the loss of his expected inheritance came with a great deal of fear. Freddy had borrowed four million pounds from a cocaine dealer named Tommy Dixon for an Eton mate’s dodgy scheme; predictably, the investment went nowhere, and with interest, Freddy now owed double the original loan. Tommy had threatened to cut off Freddy’s sensitive parts if he did not pay back the money by the end of the week. Though Edward explained that the title had no practical value, the business was broken, the very roof they lived under was leaking, he promised to look into potentially coming up with some money.

Much to Edward’s surprise, when he opened the late Duke’s safe, he found a rather large stash of cash. He met with Ahmed, who told him what he already knew, that he was asset rich but cash poor. There was a Gainsborough painting he could sell, but that would take time. There was, however, a potential purchaser wishing to remain anonymous who wanted to purchase Halstead Manor. Edward told Ahmed that he would be willing to entertain an offer if they made it quickly.

It was a familiar pickle, especially to those raised by Downton Abbey – aristocrats who managed to hold on to their palatial homes and their lands, but had little cash to speak of. Maintenance of a historic home, a large staff, an aristocratic lifestyle – all these cost money, and only a handful of the titled had found a way to keep the cash flowing. When a lady named Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) introduced herself to Edward and told him she used to be in business with his father, Edward finally realised where the cash in the safe came from.

The old Duke had given Susie’s cannabis business space under his farm to grow their product in exchange for about five million a year plus profit share. Edward quickly figured out that Susie must have dozens of places like this, that his father’s land – his land – was just a small cog in a large machine. Edward told Susie that he may need to sell the house, which would disrupt the arrangement.

After speaking to Geoff, Halstead Manor’s longtime gamekeeper, who told him that Susie’s group would help, but warned him that they were dangerous, Edward decided to share his brother Freddy’s problem with Susie. Susie told him that if he could raise four million, she would see what she could do with the other four. Edward also instructed Ahmed to take the manor off the market. 

The heretofore anonymous potential buyer of Halstead Manor was not to be dissuaded easily; he sent his helicopter, his personal assistant, and 250 thousand pounds to persuade Edward to come and meet him. In what looked like a posh private club, Stanley Johnston (Giancarlo Esposito) introduced himself and offered Edward what he described as an obscene amount of money for the property his family had held for six hundred years. Whilst Edward refused to sell the manor, he did sell some precious cases from his father’s wine collection.

Meanwhile Susie went to Tommy Dixon and introduced herself as Bobby Glass’s daughter. Susie managed to sell her offer – four million by Friday, one million worth of cannabis, and an apology video by Freddy. With money from the wine sale and the safe, Edward already had the four million.

Had. The same Eton mate who got Freddy to waste four million, Sticky Pete, managed to persuade him to take all that money and place a bet in an underground boxing match. Susie, with her brother Jacky’s help, located the match. Edward, however, could not persuade either his brother or Sticky Pete to hand back the cash. Jacky later told Susie and Edward that it was a scam, Sticky Pete never even placed the bet.

Susie had his men beat up Sticky Pete in what was not just an effort to retrieve Edward’s money that he scammed off Freddy, but also as a warning to Edward – Susie’s crew was dangerous, they had no problem getting their hands dirtied with blood. Susie was at the manor when Tommy Dixon arrived with his man Jethro, who was tasked on counting the cash. He also brought a chicken suit for Freddy to wear on the apology video.

Freddy snorted coke before his performance, which was difficult to watch, but also, a showcase of Daniel Ings’s talent. If you haven’t seen him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, please do watch his performance as Lord Lyonel Baratheon. Tommy kept critiquing Freddy’s performance, insisting that he be a chicken rather than just play a chicken. It was a torturous destruction of a man’s dignity. Edward tried to stop it, but Tommy threatened to get the debt back up to eight million. Freddy left the room for a bit, and he returned with a shotgun, which he used to shoot Tommy. 

Rating: B+

Strays

🏚️Geoffrey Seacombe was given a lifetime tenancy at the gatekeeper’s cottage. The late Duke’s wife Sabrina was to be given an annual allowance to be bestowed by the new duke, along with the old Duke’s labrador, Luna. His only daughter Charly was given the Endurance, with the condition that she sailed it around the world in the next six months. She also had a trust fund of 1000 pounds a week until she married, specifically, a man.

🏚️Edward asked Susie if she knew Stanley Jonston; she did not. Edward said the kind of money he offered for the manor suggested that he knew something about the operation.

🏚️Freddy to Edward: ‘You’ve taken everything else from me. Why not take the rest of my dignity?’

Episode Title: Refined Aggression

Episode Writers: Guy Ritchie & Matthew Read

Episode Director: Guy Ritchie

Original Release Date: March 7, 2024