‘Gangs of London’ Season 3 Review: Almost Back To Gareth Evans’ Form

I’m a bit late on the Gangs of London train, only jumping in headfirst after my father recommended it to me following the debut of Paramount+’s MobLand. Once I started it, I was immediately hooked, following an excellent first season with compelling characters, dynamics, mystery and some of the best action seen on television to date. Season 2 took that immediately and flipped it on its head, an evident downgrade following the departure of Gareth Evans from the show. So with Gangs of London Season 3, my hopes weren’t very high, but I was surprised to a small extent. Read our Gangs of London Season 3 review below.

Gangs of London follows the warring mob groups of the United Kingdom. Season 1 and Season 2 saw the rise and fall of Sean Wallace (Joe Cole), and with Sean now in prison and former undercover cop Elliot Carter (Sope Dirisu) supposedly on top of the criminal underworld, the series is now at its most cutthroat. Watch the Gangs of London Season 3 trailer below:

I’ve been sitting with the series for a couple of weeks now, and the more I think about it, the less it works. The show took a big swing this season, recontextualising Elliot’s past with quite a large retcon. It technically can fit, but the addition feels forced and unbelievable, coming as more of a twist meant to surprise the audience, which just absolutely does not work. Not only is Elliot’s past retconned, but so is Finn’s, the Wallace patriarch (Colm Meaney). We learn about another affair of Finn’s resulting in a child out of wedlock, who Andrew Koji plays excellently. This twist worked well here, but this proof of concept showcased exactly why Elliot’s didn’t. 

Two characters continue to be the highlights here: mobsters Luan (Orli Shuka) and Lale (Narges Rashidi), who are excellent in their roles. At this point are the only characters demanding this show be renewed for a fourth season. One action sequence revolving around a pregnant Lale is probably one of the best moments in the show, even if it isn’t as well-directed or choreographed as some of Evans’ fight scenes in the first season of the show. 

Gangs of London Season 3 is a mess. It’s at parts intriguing, but largely uncompelling, and definitely all over the place. The show definitely needs to become more grounded and return to its Season 1 roots, where entire episodes were dedicated to fights, but still entirely engaging for the audience both visually and mentally. Corin Hardy is almost there as a showrunner, definitely evolving since the second season, but nowhere near the level of talent this show currently demands.

Gangs of London Season 3 stars Sope Dirisu, Joe Cole, Orli Shuka, Narges Rashidi, Michelle Fairley, Lucian Msamati, Brian Vernel, Asif Raza Mir, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Janet McTeer, and T’Nia Miller. 

The first three seasons of Gangs of London are now streaming on Sky and AMC.

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