The Gentlemen Season 1 Ending Explained

Warning! Contains major spoilers for Netflix’s The Gentlemen.

The Gentlemen season 1’s ending not only brings a satisfying closure to Eddie’s criminal rite of passage but also paves the way for another compelling season. Set in the same universe as Guy Ritchie’s eponymous movie, Netflix’s The Gentlemen begins with Theo James’ Eddie Halstead inheriting his late father’s title of Duke of Halstead and the 15,000-acre estate he lived in. However, what initially seems like a blessing becomes a curse when his brother Freddy (Daniel Ings) grows jealous and reveals he is buried in debt that he was hoping to pay off after acquiring the estate.

Things get even more complicated when Eddie learns that his father’s estate accommodates a marijuana empire owned by a powerful syndicate that wants to keep its hold on the land. Although Eddie initially struggles to assert his authority and navigate the criminal world he finds himself in, he soon learns to keep himself afloat after collaborating with Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario). The collaboration, too, initially goes through stages of storming, norming, and performing. However, before The Gentlemen ends, Eddie finds his true calling.

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Eddie’s Final Plan To Take Over Bobby’s Business In The Gentlemen’s Ending Explained

Eddie carefully pits all the bidders against each other

Towards The Gentlemen‘s ending, Eddie has a change of heart about Bobby’s business and sets out to buy it. However, to get his hands on business, he must first raise money and compete with the other bidders. He formulates a meticulous plan where he first gets Henry Collins involved by threatening him that Susie will only spare him if he helps them. Realizing that Johnston, Sticky Pete, and Mercy may still bid more than him, Eddie first gets Johnston out of the way by getting him arrested for breaking several tax laws.

Sticky Pete becomes his next target when he convinces Mercy that Pete is about to win the bid, but she is second in the line. To lead the bid, Mercy kills Sticky Pete only to get shot by Henry Collins moments later. With all bidders out of their way and Henry Collins under their control, Eddie and Susie secure the winning bid. To their surprise, Bobby reveals that selling his business was not a retirement but a ploy to make them work together. He tells them their bid is more like an investment in his business, which was supposed to help them understand its value and the importance of their team-up.

Why Eddie Changes His Mind About Buying Bobby Glass’ Business

Eddie realizes his true purpose

In The Gentlemen‘s initial moments, Eddie wants no part of his father’s his shady businesses. However, his circumstances and desire to protect his brother make him stick around. Even then, he hopes to clean the mess created by his brother before getting himself out of Bobby Glass’ business and his inheritance. This even becomes a cause of conflict between him and Susie when Susie tries to outsmart him by asking him to launder his money through Chucky, who would intentionally take a lot of time and ensure Eddie sticks around in the business.

When Eddie realizes her motivations, he takes a few missteps, especially when he unknowingly reveals the scalability of the business and the immense reach of its supply chain to Henry. Tempted by the business’ potential, Henry Collins tries to snag it away from Susie by threatening to harm her brother. When Susie disagrees to give it to him, her brother, Jack, faces the consequences, leading Susie to believe that Eddie was never built for the criminal world. For a while, Eddie, too, believes the same.

However, Eddie experiences a shift in his perspective when Freddy reminds him how, even when they were kids, he was much more ferocious than him, making him realize that he was shying away from his true potential all this while. With this, instead of trying to get rid of the business, Eddie embraces his role and becomes a formidable force to be reckoned with by formulating an ingenious plan that gets all the bidders out of the way. In The Gentlemen‘s ending arc, Eddie even allows Susie to kill Henry, but she lets him do it, realizing that it would be a crucial moment in his criminal rite of passage.

Why Susie Tells Gospel John The Truth About His Brother’s Murder

Susie feels betrayed by Eddie

Infuriated by Henry’s attempt to get her brother killed, Susie and her men attack Henry when he shows up at the hospital where her brother is recovering. When she points her gun at Henry, he tells her she should be worried about Eddie because Johnston has corrupted him and has him on the hook. Unaware of Eddie’s change of heart about the business, Susie decides to wage war on him by leveraging his biggest secret: Freddy murdered Gospel John’s brother. She calls Gospel John and informs him about Freddy’s deeds and Eddie’s attempt to cover them up.

Luckily for Eddie, her father, Bobby, informs her that Eddie has no intention of joining forces with Johnston. To temporarily stall Johnston from his hunt to acquire the business, Eddie even gives his advisor a fake list consisting of the numbers of other Dukes of England. Realizing Eddie is on her side, Susie ends her “retaliation” before it is too late.

Why Freddy Tries To Double-Cross Eddie

Freddy’s insecurities get the best of him

During Jack’s boxing match, Freddy subtly implies to Susie that if his brother was out of the way, he could take his place in the business. Like everyone else, Susie does not seem to take him too seriously. However, Freddy’s suggestion reflects how far he is willing to go to have a semblance of power in his hands. However, after he and Eddie visit Tibsy to acquire the list of other lords, he comes clean about wanting him to die.

He confesses his dark thoughts to Eddie because he realizes that his hunger for power and control made him forget about his loyalty to his brother and everything he has been doing to protect him. For obvious reasons, Eddie is disappointed by Freddy’s betrayal. However, he eventually forgives because he realizes he is guilty. In The Gentlemen‘s finale, Freddy even redeems himself in some ways by showing his willingness to take accountability for his actions when Gospel John attacks them.

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How The Gentlemen Season 1’s Ending Sets Up Season 2

The Gentlemen’s ending suggests Bobby’s playing an even bigger game

The Gentlemen‘s closing scene reveals that Johnston has been “imprisoned” in the same luxurious rooftop sanctuary as Bobby. Bobby tells him about his life in prison and how it is not half as bad as it may seem from the outside. “One could do a lot worse,” says Johnston, agreeing that he might soon get accustomed to his new life behind bars. Before the credits start rolling, Bobby acknowledges Johnston by saying, “Spoken…like a true gentleman.” The Gentlemen‘s ending scene seems to suggest that Bobby may soon have Johnston under his thumb.

In The Gentlemen season 2, he could capitalize on his control over Johnston by gradually taking over his meth empire supply chain and expanding his business. He has already trained Susie and Eddie to collaborate and even helped Eddie find his feet in the criminal world. Under Bobby’s guidance, who reveals in The Gentlemen season 1 that he will never retire, the two could further expand the power and influence of Bobby’s drug kingdom.

The Gentlemen

Based on the film of the same name, the Gentlemen is a crime drama series created for Netflix by Guy Ritchie. The series follows Eddie Horniman, who inherits his father’s estate, only to discover he has inherited a vast cannabis empire – and all of the rivals that come with it.

Cast

Theo James , Kaya Scodelario , Daniel Ings , Joely Richardson , Giancarlo Esposito , Peter Serafinowicz , Vinnie Jones

Seasons

1