Amazing show, not been credited enough for. The first episode immediately hooked me into this series, the characters were so well developed it was entertaining even without the action. The plot is thrilling yet they captured all the other elements and bonds between the characters. Thomas Brodie sangster played jack so incredibly well and captured all his characters emotions so beautifully. The romance between his character and Lady belle was funny, emotional and romantic which made the ending both so happy and sad. Both Jack Dawkins and without humour made there missions extremely entertaining and kept each episode with some challenge to overcome which began to increase with more drama. There is a lot of sarcasm which really amused me and I believe this is one of the greatest shows I have ever watched. The ending will leave you pleased however I hope this series will release season 2 as I'm sure many other people will agree.
2 Reviews
Season One Review
southdavid14 March 2024
I'm going to write this review as being for "Season One" though, given the relative lack of buzz around the show, particularly on this side of the Atlantic, I'm not sure we'll likely see a second run. Which is a shame, because whilst this wasn't exactly the top tier of prestige television, it was a series of fun stories with some excellent performances.
Having escaped jail and joined the Royal Navy, Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) once known in London pickpocketing circles as "The Artful Dodger" is now a skilled surgeon based, at an Australian colony. His life takes a turn when Fagin (David Thewlis) his former fence, organiser and father figure arrives in the town and edges Dawkin's back towards a life of crime. Meanwhile Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell) has designs on becoming a surgeon herself and hopes that Dawkins will help her get some practical experience.
So, what might be a fairly standard period comedy drama is elevated by the performances of the cast. My admiration for Thewlis knows no bounds and he is perfectly cast here as Fagin, balancing his self-interested side with an affection for 'Dodge'. There is a "will they/won't they" between Dawkins and Belle that is fairly obvious but elevated by the chemistry between the two actors. There are good supporting turns from Damien Garvey and Kym Gyngell as the governor and the chief surgeon both of whom are easily swayed with a good drink. Damon Herriman is a fearsome antagonist as the captain of the colony's soldiers, who knows that something is wrong with Dawkins and Fagin from the beginning. There's also Tim Minchin, in a smaller but important recurring role, as the harbour master.
It's a fun, heisty, comedy romp most of the time and whilst I'd never suggest it has anything that important to say, the time spent with it was enjoyable. It ends at a point where they could do more, if they wanted too but if it's just these eight episodes it's an interesting return for a couple of classic characters.
Having escaped jail and joined the Royal Navy, Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) once known in London pickpocketing circles as "The Artful Dodger" is now a skilled surgeon based, at an Australian colony. His life takes a turn when Fagin (David Thewlis) his former fence, organiser and father figure arrives in the town and edges Dawkin's back towards a life of crime. Meanwhile Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell) has designs on becoming a surgeon herself and hopes that Dawkins will help her get some practical experience.
So, what might be a fairly standard period comedy drama is elevated by the performances of the cast. My admiration for Thewlis knows no bounds and he is perfectly cast here as Fagin, balancing his self-interested side with an affection for 'Dodge'. There is a "will they/won't they" between Dawkins and Belle that is fairly obvious but elevated by the chemistry between the two actors. There are good supporting turns from Damien Garvey and Kym Gyngell as the governor and the chief surgeon both of whom are easily swayed with a good drink. Damon Herriman is a fearsome antagonist as the captain of the colony's soldiers, who knows that something is wrong with Dawkins and Fagin from the beginning. There's also Tim Minchin, in a smaller but important recurring role, as the harbour master.
It's a fun, heisty, comedy romp most of the time and whilst I'd never suggest it has anything that important to say, the time spent with it was enjoyable. It ends at a point where they could do more, if they wanted too but if it's just these eight episodes it's an interesting return for a couple of classic characters.
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