Gangs of London Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Episode 5
Gangs of London Season 2 Episode 5 finds everyone dealing with the fallout from Sean’s explosive move, with Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù delivering a standout performance.
While the action subsides temporarily, at least in the first half, the tension never abates. It simmers and bubbles beneath the surface — that constant threat that the volcano could erupt at any moment. No one plays this better than Joe Cole. Cole’s adept at keeping a lid on Sean’s anger until he explodes.
LALE: We sent a message, but now is the time we’re the most vulnerable.
Other MVPs from “Episode 5” include Jahz Armando, Jude Akuwudike, and Lucian Msamati. Armando is the performer to watch. Despite having less screen time than the other players, they inject Saba with fire and fury, searing vulnerability and heartache. Here’s hoping we see more of them in the coming episodes.
Akuwudike is always a joy to see onscreen. He’s terrific as Charlie and boasts chemistry aplenty with Dìrísù. Gangs of London and Akuwudike do an excellent job constructing Charlie as a character with little time onscreen at their disposal. That makes his loss all the more palpable in “Episode 5.”
This series never fails to build anticipation, keeping us locked on the edge of our seats and refusing to let go until the inevitable crash. While there’s the hope that Elliot and his father will escape, that Elliot will free himself of the Investors’ grasp, we know it’s a pipe dream. Elliot’s in too deep, and the Investors are too good at their jobs.
LUAN: You cannot beat him. He’ll keep coming back and coming back until you and your brother and your mother are all dead.
Based on Elliot’s decision to hunt down his handler at her home, we’re ostensibly in for a full-on breakdown come next week’s episode. Dìrísù is a capable, versatile performer who digs deep into his characters and mines them for nuance. Whatever transpires in the following episodes, he’ll undoubtedly knock it out of the park.
Msamati always delivers the acting goods, and “Episode 5” is no exception. He has little dialogue, but everything he does between the lines is golden. He’s thrown himself into highly physical scenes in the past two episodes. His scene with Waleed Zuaiter, where he barely spoke a word, packs enough of a punch without dialogue. He expresses so much while trying to put on a faςade in front of Koba.
“Episode 5” finds Sean and Koba forging a precarious alliance as they endeavor to take out the Investors. We also see the edges of Koba starting to fray. We learn his hold on the London underbelly is perhaps more tenuous than we thought. While Zuaiter is a talented performer, Koba isn’t as menacing to me as other players in Gangs of London. The pomp, flair, and swagger conceal something less confident beneath the surface. Maybe now we’ll see him crumble.
ELLIOT: I kill people, Dad. They make me do it. I have to. Or they’ll kill you. They’ll kill both of us.
All in all, “Episode 5” isn’t the show’s strongest outing. Still, it strives to reassemble the pieces following Sean’s attack, with engaging, nuanced performances (especially from Dìrísù) and a few significant moments that’ll surely affect the last three episodes. The episode experiments with intriguing camerawork and shots while keeping its finger on the pulse of what works: ultraviolence, bloodshed, and balls-to-the-wall fight sequences.
Stray Observations
- Nothing is creepier than when Sean full-on grins. It’s that shot you see before a terrifying killer strikes that deadly blow.
- Charlie interacting with that baby in the airport is so wholesome. Gangs of London temporarily warmed my heart before ripping it from my chest minutes later. Par for the course!
- Koba needs to start his own clothing line. Maybe consisting of ’80s neon tracksuits or something of that nature.
- Out of all the graphic, violent acts and bloodshed, Elliot breaking Ed’s hand to free him might be the most I’ve squirmed while watching this show. Seriously. Ouch.
- Something in me needs to see Lale, Shannon, and Marian kick gangster ass together. Give me my Avengers: Endgame-style ladies team-up!
- How did Leanne kill Charlie and Joseph Singer at a bustling airport gate in broad daylight while evading capture? She’s just that good, I suppose.
What did you think of this episode of Gangs of London? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gangs of London streams new episodes every Thursday on AMC+.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.