Gangs of London season three

Another series, another bloodbath. Gangs of London is back for a third season and is as vivid as ever. Having undergone construction over a previous two, Gangs of London centres around a viscous cobweb of factions, interests and vengeances of which it’s not an absolute doddle to keep track of the intricacies – though admittedly intricacy may not be the primary intended draw of this tense and sinister thriller.

Now, let’s see: Sean Wallace (Joe Cole) is mouldering in prison, leaving his mother, Marian (Michelle Fairley), in sole charge of their particular grand outfit. Former undercover police officer turned real criminal Elliot Finch (Sope Dirisu) has his own bunch of guys, along with a Gladiator-esque thirst for vengeance borne of his family’s violent demise. An Albanian Mafia, Kurdish PKK and Pakistani drug cartel all make their presence and wants felt throughout as well. In addition, assorted lone rangers, the betrayed and the betrayers act in ways they deem necessary, often with very limited moral scruples. Surely enough of a viscous melange to draw?

The story picks up apace and doesn’t hold back, too. A deadly tampered-with shipment of drugs affects all of the above, pleasing no one and spelling likely doom to each faction’s inexplicable dozens of dispensable lackeys. The screenwriting zips along, with a low contextualisation to deadly brawl depiction ratio, making the piece as a whole – eight episodes once more – a little bit of a test of endurance. What’s more, and not helping in this sense, the overall presentation is very dark; not just thematically, but quite literally too in terms of presentation, as in Order of the Phoenix kind of dark. However, thanks to well-formed and engagingly performed central characters, affinities and good old weighing up of rights and wrongs (or wrongs and worse wrongs) can carry the viewer through contentedly. Don’t get too attached to anyone, though…

Will Snell

Gangs of London season three is released on Sky on 20^th March 2025.

Watch the trailer for Gangs of London season three here: