Netflix’s third series of ‘Topboy’ was revived by Drake, who worked to revive the series through his promotion. A lot of people urged me to watch it and I can understand why - its ten episodes struck me.
We need to watch ‘Topboy’ because it illuminates a world which is disenfranchised, overlooked and ignored by society. Its high profile cast including UK rappers Ashley Walters (Dushane) and Kane Robinson (Sully) align with its Spotify playlist as current, fashionable and attractive. Whilst bringing to life the deep rooted issues of gang and drug culture which pervades the UK, their fame physically engenders the sense of glamour that can be perceived of street hierarchy.
We need ‘Topboy’ because it broadcasts the gaping problems in British society. It speaks of immigrants being unjustly treated, mental health problems, gentrification, poor social housing, inadequate schools and gang grooming. Importantly, it examines the factors which drive young people into crime. We see that antisocial behaviour can be fuelled by genuine attempts at providing financial support. The show grants limited screen time to those buying drugs, but rather focuses on demystifying those who deal them. It unveils the elusive drug dealer - we are invited inside their own homes and cars, only to realise that they are not so far removed from us at all.
‘Topboy’’s thugs are violent, ruthless, obnoxious. Yet, family is at the heart of their individual stories. They are anchored by love and loyalty. Gang wars leak and fester into relationships, families and homes. Street crime tears apart safe domestic settings. There is hardly a character in ‘Topboy’ who is not intrinsically intertwined with the danger of gang culture. Yet despite its accurate portrayal of violence, ‘Topboy’’s most striking scenes lie in its moments of delicacy. Jamie (Michael Ward) is one of Hackney’s top gang leaders. Yet, tenderness towards his two younger brothers surpasses all. We witness the three brothers as they hold their annual reflection at a park bench to commemorate their late mother’s birthday. Based on executive producer Ronan Bennett’s own memory with his wife before her death, we see that ‘Topboy’’s script is saturated with the reality of love and loss. Family bleeds into everybody’s lives - regardless of the path they have chosen. ‘Topboy’ works to highlight this emotional burden that Jamie carries, and it humanises him.
In a later episode, Dushane and Sully offer a flash of consideration towards living ‘normal' lives. But their upbringings and environments are seen to have fated them to lives of lawlessness, and there is a sense of fatality and bleakness surrounding their futures. When Sully muses on a conventional working lifestyle, Dushane laughs and says quite simply, “that’s never gonna be you.” There is unmistakable poignance to be found.
We need ‘Topboy’ because it emphasises that all of these issues are happening right now, and showing no signs of faltering. Countless scenes highlight that urban danger is seconds away from domestic life: an elderly lady walks obliviously past a man shot dead in his car; children play metres away from a man bleeding to death from stab wounds. These shots are visual reminders of the proximity of the social issues which are happening right now.
‘Topboy’ invites contemplation and consideration for the factors which drive gang crime. It exposes the importance of claiming territory in these communities who feel outcasted, and the extent of the price of it. It demonstrates the futility, circularity, and inescapability of gang culture. In showing the economy of drugs from the dealer's perspective, it uproots and magnifies this culture from underneath. We conclude that despite the unfathomable violence which emerges on these streets, the individuals involved are undeniably, inescapably human. Rather than outcasting them, it offers a chance of humanisation: surely a constructive step to understanding these social issues.
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