Top Boy: The British Series Reaches Its Final Chapter
‘Top Boy’, the British crime drama series, returns for its final season on Netflix and fans are prepared to have their answers served at last. It’s been a year since leaving the fictional Summerhouse Estates in East London, yet from the looks of the original trailer, the storylines that are racy, tragic, betrayal-filled, and familial brokenness continue to advance. Prior to seeing what’s in store within the final chapter, one must backtrack.
The UK show originally debuted in 2011 on the Channel 4 network as ‘Top Boy: Summerhouse’ airing two seasons, four episodes each. Six years after it got canceled, artist Drake (Aubrey Graham) bought the rights to the show in 2017. In an interview with ET Canada, the 6 God explained how he revived the show. “There’s so many parallels between Toronto and London…it reminded me of people I grew up with or guys that I know and situations that I’ve witnessed.” Following that, Netflix branded the series as just ‘Top Boy’ in 2019 beginning with Season 1. With new characters and storylines, the two drug-dealing protagonists remained at the heart of the plot and continued where ‘Top Boy: Summerhouse’ left off. Fast forwarding to this week (September 7, 2023), the final chapter is here (Season 3) and will conclude the series for fans who desire revenge on behalf of their favorite characters.
SPOILER ALERT! Seconds before the credits rolled at the end of a tumultuous Season 2 Episode 8, Jamie (Michael Ward) was shot dead by an unhinged Sully. This cataclysmic point in ‘Top Boy’ was only the eruption of preceding scenes of turf wars and a wishy-washy partnership between Sully (Kane Robinson) and Dushane (Ashley Walters). While the unstable power trip between the two endured, people faithfully got hurt. Dushane believes in risking it all. “I did what I had to do to get us back on top. That’s what a f*cking leader does.” — Dushane (Top Boy Season 2) Sully doesn’t believe in being second best. “Because we didn’t lose, doesn’t mean we won.” — Sully (Top Boy Season 2) These individual beliefs rear their ugly head to cause a cycle of conflict after conflict and war after war.
The series portrays the youth and drug dealers alike, doing whatever’s necessary to support their families or themselves. Heavily impacted by the close proximity of street life, the late Jamie was the patriarch to his younger brothers Stefan (Araloyin Oshunremi) and Aaron (Hope Ikpoku Jnr) after their parent’s untimely passing. “See, me, I’m your father, your mother, your older brother. Where I come from, you take your chances when they come. If not, you ain’t going nowhere.” -Jamie (Top Boy Season 2) And while Jamie enforced education and good behavior in the household, outside of it he was praised and looked to as the neighborhood drug lord, an aspiring Top Boy that tries to surpass and threatens the business of both Dushane and Sully. The series flawlessly balances getting your wires crossed with gang rivals and retaliation with sermons about how significant your morals/values are. For instance, in a memorable and heart-wrenching Season 2 during a moment of desperation, Ats (Keiyon Cook) sets up the brothers for money to help his mom, yet Jamie opposes getting revenge for the traitorous act due to the simple fact that Ats is like family. Jamie was the main definition of my brother’s keeper; a thick thread that expands past the immediate bloodline in this series.
While ‘Top Boy’ may have lost some memorable characters to death and other disappearances — like Modie (English rapper Dave), Dris (Shone Romolus), Ats (Keiyon Cook), and Ra’Nell (Malcolm Kamulete) — in previous seasons, this final chapter will bring new faces to the cast creating leading to more destruction. An uncle-nephew duo Jonny (Barry Keoghan) and Uncle Tadgh (Brian Gleeson) who belong to an Irish gang are set to join the sensational cast in this finale.
The British series showcases how common it is for a good kid to come from a mad city (cue the Kendrick Lamar). In ‘Top Boy’, soft moments like hugging or saying “I love you” come right before or right after tragic moments like stabbing someone to death or killing your best friend. The series exhibits how knowing the consequences of supplying products to a low-income community like Summerhouse and beyond won’t stop Dushane or Sully from their pursuit of money and the “Top Boy” spot. Join in and watch the madness and “yout”, “bruv”, “innit”, “P’s” will soon become a part of your everyday dialect.
Catch the final chapter premiering now on Netflix and watch TikTokers put on their best British accents inspired by ‘Top Boy’ characters.
The proper way to watch ‘Top Boy’:
Top Boy: Summerhouse Season 1
Top Boy: Summerhouse Season 2
Top Boy Season 1
Top Boy Season 2
Top Boy Season 3
