I suppose Guy Ritchie’s name is enough for people to open their Netflix accounts and start streaming the new The Gentlemen series, a crime drama about an aristocrat who gets embroiled in a narcotics racket and tries hard to pull himself out of it to lead a peaceful life on his estate. The show is a Netflix original, was released on March 7, 2024, and is possibly one of the best crime dramas to come out of the streaming platform.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Was Eddie Back In Halstead, England?
Edward ‘Eddie’ Horniman was a captain with the British army stationed at the Turkish-Syrian border when he was informed about his father the Duke of Halstead, having had a fall, and that the family was gathering to meet him as he may not survive. Eddie, being the younger son of the duke, was back in Halstead to meet his family and ailing father. His mother Sabrina, sister Charlotte, and older brother Freddy were at the mansion, counting the days.
Was Freddy Angry At His Younger Brother, Eddie?
After the Duke’s death and funeral, his last standing will was read to the family. Everyone, except Eddie, was excited to find out who would receive what from the estate. Charlotte, the daughter, and Sabrina, the wife, were given a fixed amount to take care of themselves, which was the standard procedure. Geoffrey, the person who took care of the estate, was given a lifetime tenancy in the house just outside the mansion. Geoffrey was the closest to the family, and it only made sense for him to be mentioned in the will. The title and the mansion, as per the will, were given to Eddie, the younger son, and not Freddy. As per the law, the title and the mansion would automatically be passed on to the older son, but since the will specified Eddie to take over, Freddy was angry and had a meltdown.
Eddie did not care about the title or the mansion, as they did not draw in any money, which made him wonder why Freddy was desperate for the glory that comes with these two seemingly worthless things. Freddy was in a vulnerable position and revealed he was in debt and had to return 8 million pounds to those he’d borrowed from. Eddie and Freddy both did not have enough money to repay the loan. Eddie was calm about the situation and stepped up to find a solution to help his older brother get out of this murky situation. Freddy reveals the creditor to be Tommy Dixon, who runs a narcotics supply business with a poultry business as their front.
Who Was Interested In Buying The Mansion From Eddie?
Eddie was in a bind as he was searching for ways to accumulate eight million dollars for his brother so that he would stay alive and out of trouble for the rest of his life. Freddy himself was a substance addict, and Eddie, for the sake of his family, was trying hard to help his older brother in the hope he would learn from his past mistakes. Eddie learns of a potential buyer from his lawyer, an American gentleman named Stanley Johnston, who was willing to offer a lot more than the original value of the mansion. Eddie, at one point, considered selling the place since he owned it and hoped to clear all the debts with the money earned from the sale. Stanley Johnston had a good proposition since Eddie was aware that a lot of the regalities that come from the title were of no use anymore to his family.
What Did Eddie Learn About The Estate From Susie?
Eddie runs into a woman named Susie Glass, whom he had noticed at his father’s funeral as well, and wonders if she was the late Duke’s mistress. Susie was happy to explain to him the business his father was a part of, and how he was roughly making around fifty million from the farm itself. Eddie was shocked to know the value of the farm and the money his father made. Neither the wife or the kids were aware of this influx. Susie introduced Eddie to an underground bunker that was being used to produce cannabis. Susie claimed the marijuana market was high in the UK, and Eddie’s father earned a good portion of the profit from the sale of the recreational drug. This was an illegal setup, yet Eddie was mesmerized by his father’s vision of getting into this business to save their family from bankruptcy. As Eddie was the new Duke and the owner of the property on which the plant was being grown, it was Susie’s duty to inform him about the business, which would offer him a steady cash flow as well. This made him drop the idea of selling his mansion.
How Did Susie Convince Tommy To Reduce The Debt?
Susie was made aware of the situation Freddy was in, and she was the only person who could get the brothers out of the debt. Susie claimed she knew Tommy Dixon, and he was easy to manipulate. Susie had been in the narcotics business for a long time, which probably would have led to her having many contacts. Tommy Dixon was a gullible man, and he fell for Susie and her convincing skills and reduced the debt amount to four million pounds. In return, he would want a video recording of Freddy in a chicken costume. Tommy Dixon wanted to humiliate Freddy and prove that maybe the man was a fool.
Eddie accumulated one-half of the debt amount by selling a special wine collection to Stanley Johnston, who was fascinated with aristocracy and everything related to that. The rest of the money was taken by Freddy for a secret boxing match. The money was given to the conman Peter Spencer, who said he would use it for betting on behalf of Freddy. Eddie figured out Peter was lying and rescued his brother and the money from this situation. Susie and the henchmen handled men like Peter Spencer their way. Eddie was slowly coming to terms with the power he had because of his business with Susie, who helped him solve a couple of problems.
Why Did Freddy Kill Tommy Dixon?
Freddy was informed about the chicken dance request, and Tommy Dixon wanted to record the video for his pleasure. Freddy was an arrogant man who was still living in the shadow of the glory of his father and was in denial about many things. He was an entitled older son who only had anger and substance issues. He was not grateful to his brother, who’d helped him get out of a mess that could have cost him his life.
Tommy Dixon reached the Halstead mansion and began to order Freddy around for his pleasure. Tommy was possibly in a mood to humiliate Freddy because the latter had tried to get away from the debt too many times. Now that the debt was paid after several negotiations, he wanted to remind Freddy about his character, as he could do nothing to get the money. Tommy was accompanied by Jethro, who remained aloof and busy listening to the music. He was specifically brought to count the money, and he did not pay attention to the antics started by Tommy.
Eddie, at one point, was angry at Tommy and his methods of humiliating his older brother, and tried to stop the madness. As a younger brother, Eddie wanted Freddy to get out of this in a dignified way, but that was only wishful thinking, as both had entered the world of mafia and narcotics. Freddy was tired of being treated like a nobody who could be screamed at for no reason, and now he was upset there was going to be video evidence of his humiliation. Out of anger and frustration, Freddy pulled out a gun that belonged to his father and shot Tommy dead. Freddy believed he was being mistreated, and since he was an aristocrat, there needed to be a boundary that could not be crossed. Tommy was happy with the fact that they caught an elite in their mess, and making him suffer was probably his aphrodisiac. Crossing that invisible line caused his death at the hands of an angry Freddy.
