Netflix's The Gentlemen follows Eddie Horniman's transition from British nobility into a calculated criminal leader. Directed by Guy Ritchie ,the series draws heavy narrative parallels to The Godfather while reimagining traditional crime tropes.
The Michael Corleone blueprint in Eddie Horniman's descent
The series establishes a deep connection between Theo James's Eddie Horniman and Al Pacino's Michael Corleone. According to the report, both men share a military background that initially kept them distanced from their respective families' illegal activities. Upon taking the Duke of Halstead title, Eddie uncovers a hidden marijuana business run by his family, a discovery that mirrors Michael's own entanglement with the Corleone empire.
Much like Michael, Eddie begins his journey with a desire to legitimize his family's business, only to eventually embrace his role as a ruthless leader. This evolution is central to the second season, as Eddie's natural aptitude for the drug trade no longer conflicts with his moral compass.
The tragic parallel of exploding planes and car bombs
A striikng similarity between the two stories lies in the loss of their romantic partners through violent means. In the The Godfather trilogy,Michael's wife Apollonia is killed in a car bombing. The report notes that The Gentlemen mirrors this tragedy through Eddie's fiancée, Bella, who dies in an exploding plane while the couple is traveling to their honeymoon.
Furthermore, both men face betrayal from their own blood. Just as Michael is double-crossed by his brother Fredo, Eddie faces similar treachery from his brother Freddy. These shared patterns of sudden, violent loss underscore the high stakes of their respective criminal ascensions.
Susie Glass's departure from the Kay Adams Corleone archetype
While Eddie follows a familiar path, Kaya Scodelario's Susie Glass offers a significant subversion of the traditional crime drama female lead. Unlike Diane Keaton's Kay Adams Corleone, who was an outsider and a school teacher, Susie is the daughter of crime boss Bobby Glass (played by Ray Winstone) and an active participant in the family enterprise.. As the report highlights, Susie possesses far more agency than the characters in Coppola's classic, even forging her own path in cocaine distribution.
Susie is also credited with driving Eddie's entry into the criminal underworld. While Eddie initially struggled with the morality of violence, Susie was the one who led with aggression during the first season. She is not a passive observer but a true heir apparent to the Glass family's operations.
The unresolved tension in the Horniman-Glass partnership
Despite the growing connection between the two leads, the nature of their relationship remains a central point of speculation. Throughout Season 2, Eddie and Susie repeatedly insist that their bond is strictly professional, even as they are pressured to define their dynamic. susie has explicitly proclaimed herself Eddie's "business wife," insisting they maintain a working relationship rather than a romantic one.
However, several questions remain for viewers. It is still unverified whether the duo will maintain this platonic facade or if their growing chemistry will eventually shift the power balance of their partnership. The show leaves it unclear if their professional arrangement can survive the escalating violence of their shared criminal life.
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