highmarksreviews

For how big a of deal "Gangs of London" has made the Wallace murder out to be, it certainly did little with its murderer. Turns out, maybe that choice was for the better as the real benefactors behind that act are far more compelling than just some guy. The reveal doesn't come without its flaws, notably an unfortunate lack of focus, but it's substantial all the same. Concurrently running with that development are several other big ones that pay off to great effect.

I'm still a little puzzled by how the action set pieces are spaced out. Knowing how Evans prefers to show the profound acts of violence in fight scenes and last time, a torture sequence, I would have assumed that the two set pieces we got in episode seven will be an escalation. They aren't filmed particularly well nor do they highlight the severity of the acts in the moment, only in their aftermath. The first one in particular is difficult to keep up with as the camera's focus keeps shifting, the geography is incomprehensible and the opposing sides aren't clearly lined up. Whether this was story purposes, time or the director's choice is anyone's guess.

On the other hand, the plot and all its other branches get their due. There are plenty of satisfying payoffs. The Albanian sub-plot is finally heating up thanks to some brilliant scenes and the Turkish front is also accelerating to new heights. However, it is beyond debate that the Dumanis and the Wallaces had it the most crushing this time around. It's a reveal with plenty of layers and the good news is, it's a very flexible revelation. Arguably, it took "Gangs of London" a little too long with too many dead ends to get here, but with only two episodes left, the players are in the right place for what looks like a big bang.

The Wallaces are at a rigid standstill trying to dig deeper into murders of all kind, past and attempted. While the tension is substantially more palpable in certain scenes and the story becoming more and more linear, episode six is a little weaker, both in terms of content and direction.

Fair warning, this episode has some very graphic torture scenes that often cross the line. The camera angles are tasteful enough, but there is copious blood and graphic detail. Overall, it is meant to heighten tension between the Wallace family and gauge answers, but the sequences prove to be just a little problematic with how far they go. Michelle Fairley, however, is the star of all these scenes and the episode as a whole. The widow/matriarch has truly come into her own and the actress's fierce performance helps sell the fact that Sean (Joe Cole) may not be in total control of the criminal empire. That's an interesting and strong new dynamic for both characters and those in contact with them.

Furthermore, the mystery of the Wallace murder is deepening, though again, this episode is a slow burn with little payoff at the end, so the revelations don't matter too much. This chapter in particular works when it spotlights how unhinged Marian Wallace's temper and iron-willed approach to cracking the case.

There is also a lack of action scenes, which isn't a huge problem, since they exist to push the story forward, but for a director-switch (this episode ushering in Xavier Gens, who will direct the next two outings before Corin Hardy steps in for the finale), it would be nice to see what they can accomplish. Director Gareth Evans is a master at gritty but stylish imagery, while Corin Hardy has a superb control of atmosphere and colours. Gens's colours feel a little more harshly contrasted and his composition less inventive in comparison with what came before. All in all, episode seven is a bit a speed-bump, but its character interplay proves itself as an outstanding component that could impact the rest of the show.

Considering how hell-bent episode four was on pushing the story further, I found it quite surprising that episode five would switch up perspectives for a flashback/side-story. While the characters mostly fall flat and are unremarkably placed into their predicament, Evans does something that no TV show has done beforehand: Deliver a coherent, isolated action-film within a pre-existing programme. A lot shows currently on air have a defining scene or episode that becomes their standard. Ladies and gentlemen, "Gangs of London" has its house-siege episode. It's big, bold and filled with good bloody carnage.

Something I noticed is that this show, more than any loves to line up a squadron of gunmen in single file and march them at their targets guns blazing, with breaks in between for reloads. I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing that. It worked so well in episode two, but that was with only a handful of coat-clad men. Here, it's a fully armed, tactical mercenary team. There are some incredible camera moves and the firefight feels authentic. Debris, glass, splinters and bullets fly as both people and constructs are ripped to shreds. There are also some shocking uses of explosives, like C4 and grenades, with special effects combining with that of the practical to work magic. I don't think I've ever seen explosives in general portrayed so realistically and devastatingly. Or do the things they do to human beings.

It's shame that this episode chooses to focus on pivotal characters by disconnecting them from the main storyline entirely, as if they were their own separate little niche. It works in the context of the episode, but the isolation is too great, with only small hooks tying it into the happenings back in London itself. Sure, the effects that are employed here are shocking, but you know maybe one or two characters, out of which neither are sympathetic in the slightest. It's a frustration that ebbs and flows as the episode progresses and mostly subsides by the time it ends.

What this particular chapter of "Gangs of London" does pretty well is that it actually sets up some potentially prominent characters, especially from its posse of armed gunmen. It's shame that its other characters (both new and familiar) do not work as well as the action scenes, but when said scenes are practically dialling normal TV and even movie levels of awesomeness up to an eleven, it's hard to pass it up.