London, East End, around 1880. Hezekiah Moscow and his friend Alec Munroe arrive from Jamaica. Their skin color doesn’t go unnoticed. Although the neighborhood is poor, no hostel would take them in. Only Monsieur Lao, also a foreigner, agrees to rent them a cellar in his hotel, and then only because he discovers that Hezekiah speaks Mandarin.
Hezekiah came because he was promised a job as a lion tamer. But he was soon disillusioned. To survive, the two men will have to use an entirely different skill: their boxing ability. Illegal fighting is successful in the East End, with its star Henri “Sugar” Goodson. But in London’s affluent districts, boxing was developing as a noble sport, with modern rules.
Hezekiah, the black foreigner, quickly becomes a link between these two worlds. An opportunity for Mary, leader of a clan of thieves called the “40 Elephants”, who is planning a major heist in the wealthy society. Ambitions and loyalties clash in a world in the throes of evolutionary chaos. The slightest spark -or blow- can cause an explosion.
What’s good is dreaming when reality is harsh?
Hezekiah and Mary, two dreamers who dare to show their ambition. This won’t please everyone. Between the ambitious masked ones and those who have given up dreaming, their opponents will be numerous and determined. London is at a turning point in its history. The Underground is under construction. The nobility are developing sports (see also “The English game”, on the beginnings of soccer). The shock of modernity is harsh. Like Sugar, many people cling to tradition.
After a somewhat slow first episode, the series convinces with a narrative that explores these profound changes. Like Peaky blinders, it is actually based on two true (separated) stories : Hezekiah and the women gang named “the 40 elephants”. The characters are well written and interesting, whatever their profile. The images are superb, the sets, lighting and costumes meticulous. The unexpected music quickly becomes effective in supporting the action. Nothing is overlooked.
The writing and production skills of Steven Knight, creator of “Peaky Blinders”, are evident. A promising series whose Season 2 I can’t wait to see!
1 season, 6 episodes (55 mn), 2025 -, on Disney+
WITH : Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow, Stephen Graham (seen in Peaky blinders and “Bodies“) as Henry “Sugar” Goodson, Erin Doherty as Mary Carr, Francis Lovehall as Alec Munroe, Ziggy Heath as Peggy Bettinson, Jason Tobin as Mr Lao, Darci Shaw as Alice Diamond, James Nelson-Joyce as Edward “Treacle” Goodson, Nadia Albina as Verity Ross, Jemma Carlton as Belle Downer, Caoilfhionn Dunne as Anne Glover, Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long, Ruaridh Mollica as Nicholas Graften, Ella Lily Hyland as Marianne Goodson, Robert Glenister as Indigo Jeremy, Susan Lynch as Jane Carr