There are jaw-dropping finales, and then there’s Top Boy’s total gut-wallop at the end of season four: a twist which still gives us palpitations.
If you’ve not seen the ending of the hit Channel 4-turned-Netflix series about gangs in Hackney then look away now, but the shock murder of Jamie by Sully in the final few seconds floored just about every single viewer.
The drama has become known for its brutal, no-holds-barred look at life as part of the country-wide drugs trade, and has already pulled out several savage shock deaths. But as it has now been announced that season five (or three, if you’re counting it from when Netflix and Drake picked it up) will be the final ever season, this means that revenge and score-settling are likely to be high up the agenda for the remaining characters. That is, if they don’t crack themselves from the pressure of their highly stressful daily lives.
Here’s everything we know so far…
What’s the big idea?
To catch you up to speed, during the last go-around, we saw an uneasy alliance between kingpin Dushane (Ashley Walters), Sully (Kane Robinson) and Jamie (Micheal Ward). Over the course of the series, it looked like the trio may have found a way of making things work for them on the Summerhouse estate.
However, when Dushane announced to Sully his plans for retirement, and that he wanted Jamie to take over, Sully shot Jamie point blank in the head. Did Stefan’s mate Tia have anything to do with it? And will Jamie’s brothers, Stefan and the studious Aaron, now avenge his death?
Other loose ends revolve around Jax’s sister, Lauren, and the abusive gangster boyfriend, Curtis, that she killed. Curtis’ sister and friend were told never to return to London by Sully. But what are the chances that they’ll also want revenge for his death?
Alongside all of this, we’ve got Dushane’s health problems: is he having issues with his heart? Or panic attacks? His collapse wasn’t really dealt with at the end of season four, so we imagine that will be tackled, too. As for all the other warring gangs and international drug rings and violent attacks…well, let’s just say we’re not exactly expecting a happy ending.
Who is starring in it?
While the final season will definitely be lacking the Ward’s captivating presence, other familiar faces will be making a return, with some new stars to up the drama stakes.
Walters and Robinson are once again featuring as our anti-heroes, Dushane and Sully, while Simbi Ajikawo (AKA Little Simz), Jasmine Jobson (terrific as Top Girl Jaq), Saffron Hocking and Araloyin Oshunremi will also be making a return.
New in for this final series are perhaps the slightly unexpected casting of Barry Keoghan and Brian Gleeson, playing two characters called Jonny and Tadgh. Not much else is known about their roles, but chances are they’ll also be part of the Irish mafia drugs ring.
The writer and creator Ronan Bennett is showrunner again, and executive producers are Drake and his business partner Adel “Future” Nur.
Is there a trailer?
Netflix previously released a sneak-peek teaser trailer and it looks set to be another classic season, with an epic ending to bow out on. After all, Walters promised Tudum: “With something as great as this, you should end on a high, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re all battling on a daily basis to make sure that we give our audience and the fans of the show the most amazing ending that we can.”
While tensions still look high between the two frenemies, Sully’s seen, in tears, saying: “If we’re not monsters, then we’re food. And I could never be food.” Once again, it’s about survival on the streets, and he’s refusing to go down without a fight.
There is now also a full trailer, released in the run-up to the final series:
When is it out?
All six episodes of the final season of Top Boy will be released September 7.
