The only The Gentlemen Season 1 recap you need before the next chapter

With the release of Netflix's The Gentlemen Season 2 approaching, now is the perfect opportunity to revisit the first season, which aired in 2024. The main character of the series is Theo James's Eddie Horniman, who hails from an aristocratic family, the Hornimans.

The series begins on a more somber note as the Horniman family experiences the death of its patriarch, the Duke of Halstead. After the death of his father, Eddie is given control over the family despite being the younger brother. Over the course of eight episodes of The Gentlemen, Eddie discovers some harsh truths that surround his family.

The Gentlemen Season 1 recap:

Here are some of the things you need to remember about The Gentlemen Season 1, as the season is around the corner:

Eddie discovers an unexpected family business

One of the first things that Eddie learns upon inheriting the Horniman Estate is that his older brother, Freddy (Daniel Ings), owes £8 million to the Scouse drug dealer, Tommy Dixon. To help Freddy, Eddie considers selling the estate to the American investor, Stanley Johnston (Giancarlo Esposito). However, Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) intervenes before the sale is made and reveals a secret Eddie wasn't aware of.

Turns out, Eddie and Susie's fathers, the late Duke and Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone), came to an agreement, which would allow the latter to run a cannabis farm underneath the estate. Turns out this farm is doing well, and Eddie's father was earning £5 million annually. Now, Susie is managing the Glass family business as Bobby is in prison.

Susie agrees to renegotiate the terms of their agreement and even reduce Freddy's debt by half in exchange for one thing: Freddy must participate in a humiliating video, which would be filmed by Tommy Dixon. However, things take a dark turn as Tommy crosses a line while filming the video, provoking Freddy, who shoots the dangerous drug dealer.

Eddie chooses to join forces with Susie to get Freddy out of this mess. He even tries to get Jethro out of the country. He is the witness to Tommy's murder and tries to convince him to leave the UK instead of telling the truth to Tommy's brother, Gospel John, who is a dangerous cocaine dealer. He also joins forces with the Glass family, under one condition.

The Glass family would leave the Horniman estate by the end of the year. He even finds land belonging to the Bassington family, who are friends of the Horniman family. However, Bobby has no intention of letting Eddie go, and he suspects that the new Horniman Duke is enjoying this world. Eddie himself learns that Bobby doesn't intend to let him go, and he turns to Stanley Johnston.

It is revealed that Johnston was never interested in the estate but rather wants to take over the cannabis empire from the Glass family. This causes friction between the Glass and Horniman families, bringing Eddie and Susie into conflict. However, these rivals are briefly forced to collaborate as Tommy's brother returns to avenge him.

Gospel John demands that Freddy surrender for killing, which the older Horniman brother surprisingly accepts. But Bobby Glass makes a tempting offer to John, the dangerous drug dealer, to leave the Horniman family for good. But that's not the end, though; Bobby Glass makes an important announcement.

Bobby Glass's shocking announcement

Bobby encourages his daughter and Eddie to settle their differences and informs them that he is retiring. He announces that he will sell the empire to the highest bidder. This announcement brings Eddie and Susie together, and they begin approaching possible buyers. They even approach Stanley, but this meeting is a turning point in Eddie's character arc in The Gentlemen Season 1, as he decides to enter this dangerous world of the weed business.

However, this was a test that Bobby concocted to see what Eddie could do if he were given a chance to take control of the empire. Eddie raises £235 million, which Bobby accepts by making the former a business partner. Eddie even scores another win by the end of season 1.

What happened to Stanley Johnston in season 1?

Stanley Johnston flips between Eddie's rival and ally throughout The Gentlemen Season 1. He is the biggest obstacle on Eddie's way to becoming Bobby Glass's partner in the last portion of the first season. But Eddie manages to score a win over Stanley by having him arrested for tax evasion. This sets up Giancarlo Esposito's return in The Gentlemen Season 2.

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Follow Eddie in The Gentlemen Season 2 as he expands his criminal empire on September 03, 2026.

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