The Gentlemen Season 2: Do You Need to Watch Season 1 First
In short: Yes. Season 2 (Netflix, September 3, 2026, eight episodes) continues Season 1's story directly and doesn't re-explain the setup. Season 1 is also only eight episodes, so watching it is the best recap. Netflix renewed the show for Season 3 on August 24, 2026, before Season 2 even premiered.
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Watch Season 1 first. Season 2 picks up the same story, with the same alliances and grudges, and spends no time explaining how Eddie got into this business. Season 1 is only eight episodes, so it's a weekend's viewing.
What Season 1 sets up
Army officer Eddie Horniman (Theo James) unexpectedly inherits his father's title and country estate, ahead of his reckless older brother Freddy (Daniel Ings). He then discovers the estate hides a huge cannabis farm run by the Glass family. Rather than walk away, Eddie gets drawn in alongside Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), who runs the operation while her father Bobby (Ray Winstone) is in prison. Season 2 assumes you know all of this, plus how their partnership and debts were left at the end.
What's new in Season 2
Eddie and Susie's business stretches into Italy, putting them up against a more traditional Mafia world. New cast includes Hugh Bonneville as Lord Hawthorne, a corrupt, port-loving aristocrat and politician; Michele Morrone as Cico Maldini; Benedetta Porcaroli as Bella; and Sergio Castellitto as crime boss Marco Moretti.
What reviewers said
Reviews were broadly positive but less excited than for Season 1. Critics praised the pace, style and cast, while several, including Collider, noted it feels like a different show now the story has left the English estates, and some found the later episodes less gripping.
Do you need the 2019 film?
No. Guy Ritchie's film The Gentlemen, with Matthew McConaughey, is set in the same world but has different characters and a separate story. It's a fun watch, but not required.
Our verdict
Start at Season 1, episode 1. The show's appeal is watching a polite aristocrat discover he's good at crime, and Season 2 only works if you've seen that happen.
Guy Ritchie also directed Henry Cavill in In the Grey this year; here's everything Cavill has coming in 2026 and 2027. For another crime story built on a big, scheming ensemble, try the Knives Out movies in order.
Want British spies rather than British gangsters? Slow Horses season 6 finishes on Apple TV on October 21.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to see the 2019 Gentlemen film? No. The series is a standalone story with new characters, set in the same world as Guy Ritchie's film.
Is there a Gentlemen Season 3? Yes. Netflix renewed the series on August 24, 2026. No release date has been announced.
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