Gangs of London: The 5 most thrilling fight scenes of season 1

Gangs of London returns this October for one of the most highly-anticipated seasons of 2022.

Season 2 promises to be even more thrilling and brutal than the first after the demise of the Wallace-Dumani empire – but it needs to have some impressive tricks up its sleeve to match the action from the first series.

Ahead of the show’s return to Sky Atlantic on NOW, we look back the show’s greatest and most thrilling fight scenes so far…

Secrets from the Set of - Gangs of London season 2

Meet the cast of Gangs of London season 2

5. Elliot’s bar brawl

Quickly establishing Gangs of London as one of the most visceral and intense TV shows of all time (Game of Thrones has nothing on the GoL bodycount), Elliot Finch’s bar brawl with the Albanians was the perfect introduction to the show.

Packing in humour, incredible physicality from Sope Dirisu and some inventive use of props – all you really need to take on a dozen men is a dart – this was a thrilling opening to season 1.

4. Elliot vs the Butcher

Gangs of London isn’t for the squeamish or faint-hearted and Sope Dirisu’s battle with The Butcher in episode 1 was a fair-warning of what lay ahead.

Elliot got battered and bloodied by the humongous and half-naked Butcher in a stunning sequence that kick-started the Sope For James Bond bandwagon. A classic David and Goliath battle with an extra helping of blood spatter.

3. Marian and Ed

The showdown between old friends Marian Wallace (Michelle Fairley) and Ed Dumani (Lucian Msamati) at the end of season 1 might not have had the brutality of bloodshed that we had come to expect from Gangs of London, but the two friends pointing guns at each other (and Ed pulling the trigger) was one of the most memorable sequences in the finale.

Watch Michelle Fairley and Lucian Msamati talk to BT TV exclusively about that shocking season 1 ending for Marian and Ed.

2. Luan vs The Nigerians

Albanian mafia boss Luan (Orli Shuka) was one of the most underrated characters in season 1, bringing some incredible debonair style to the grubby criminal underworld.

His one-man mission against the terrifying Nigerians felt like a foolish move, but after gang leader Mosi mentioned Luan’s family, the Albanian transformed into a one-man wrecking ball. The brutal eye-popping ending for Mosi showed that there is more to Luan than a well-cut suit. We can’t wait to see more of him in season 2.

1. The farmhouse siege

Season 1, episode 5 is an incredible piece of television. None of the major stars or characters are involved as the action shifts to a rural safe house where Finn Wallace’s shooter, young Darren (Aled ap Steffan) is waiting for a boat out of the country with his dad Kinney (Mark Lewis Jones).

When the Danish mercenaries led by Leif (Mads Koudal) track Darren down, there is an almighty showdown as the heavily-armed Danes bombard the country house and director Gareth Evans (The Raid) delivers a masterclass in tension and action. Kinney puts up an incredible fight as bullets, blood and body parts fly in an epic 30-minute crescendo worthy of any movie. 

Stream Gangs of London season 2 weekly on Sky Atlantic with NOW from 20 October, 2022