Sky Original’s Gangs of London is one of the most violent gangland dramas on TV. In fact, it’s so violent, it’s almost like it’s set in a parallel universe – one where the usually bustling London roads are empty and a raging gang war between kingpins and crime lords can spew onto the streets without anyone blinking an eye.
It’s an epic crime saga that completely immersed me, with its bloody punch-ups and chaotic shootouts genuinely making me feel as if I’m the one who has just been brutally throttled by a member of the Albanian mafia.
One thing’s for sure though is that Gangs of London season 3 definitely doesn’t shy away from the gore-fest. The violence kicks off in episode 1 with a savage fairground battle and a church gunfight in episode 4, but a tense stalk-and-slaughter scenario in episode 5 is where it really sets the precedence for Gangs of London’s ‘blood opera’ – and I can’t stop thinking about how unhinged it is.
An umbil-ievable murder
*Contains major spoilers for Gangs of London season 3*
After Kurdish freedom fighter Lale’s (Narges Rashidi) ultra-violent fight for survival from Asif Afridi (Asif Raza Mir) in season 2, she comes to blows with the Pakistani gangster and his gun-toting men once again in one of the most imaginative murders yet.
During Gangs of London season 3, we discover that Lale is pregnant with Sean Wallace’s (Joe Cole) baby. Instead of killing her, Asif decides to use her pregnancy and her connection to one of the most powerful drug families to his advantage in a bid to gain control of London’s underworld.
After being held hostage in Lahore, Lale ends up back in London and manages to escape Asif by hiding in an empty office block. If trying to evade capture from Asif’s armed henchmen wasn’t hard enough, her potential death turns into a new life when she unexpectedly goes into labour.
Barricading herself in an office while the men are hot on her tail, she self-delivers her baby (shooting one of Asif’s men in the process), before going on the run by climbing into the vents with her newborn still attached to her.
Poor Lale has already gone through one of the most painful experiences, but her suffering doesn’t stop there as she (now, you need a strong stomach for this part) bites off her umbilical cord and pulls out her placenta.
With her baby crying, she knows her time is nearly up to protect her infant at all costs and the insane cat-and-mouse chase eventually culminates into a stomach-churning conclusion. In a desperate bid to survive, Lale pounces on one goon and strangles him to death with her freshly severed umbilical cord while her minutes-old baby lies nearby.
Gangs of London is utterly ludicrous and completely farfetched, but I’ve got to admire the inventive action sequences in all its pugilistic glory. Thanks to director Kim Hong-Sun, he’s conjured up a memorable and unique fight scene that will definitely remain with me for years to come.
All eight episodes of Gangs of London season 3 launched as a box set on Sky Atlantic and the streaming service NOW on March 20 in the UK and Stan in Australia. While season 3 is currently unavailable to stream in the US, Gangs of London seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Netflix in the US.
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grace.morris@futurenet.com (Grace Morris)
