Gangs of London season 2 ending explained: How did the finale of the gangster drama's second season finish?

Blood floods the capital and limbs are severed all over the place, in Elliot's Gangs of London season 2 finale quest for revenge. 

Gangs of London season 1 was a success with critics and audiences alike, and saw Peaky Blinders' Finn Cole morph from portraying a 1920s gangster, to a modern day mob member. After a shocking cliff hanger of season 1, the wait for the second instalment of the gangster drama was certainly a long one - season 1 premiered all the way back in April 2020. Early reviews veered towards expressing disappointment at season 2, but audiences turned out to be just as enamoured with it as its predecessor, once it actually dropped for them to binge. Without wasting any more time read on for that ending explained, and everything that went down if you're in need of a recap.    

For anyone wanting a Gangs of London season 1 recap - it was a lifetime ago after all - we have you covered. For a similarly action packed series, SAS: Rogue Heroes filmed in a hot climate and tells a brilliant true story. The main protagonist in the series is portrayed by an excellent Jack O'Connell, but who was Paddy Mayne and what really happened to him?

Gangs of London season 2: Ending explained

The Gangs of London season 2 finale begins with an enraged Elliot putting Billy's severed arm into a box, ready to post to Sean and Marian. 

Elliot's dad met his end earlier in the season at the airport, and after boxing up the arm Eliot has a vision of him. It appears his father's subconscious appearance is to warn Elliot he may have gone too far - this is not a warning he heads. A now one-armed Billy is still alive, with his stump covered by a plastic bag and a tourniquet stemming the bleeding.  

Billy's tattooed arm is next seen with its intended recipients, sat on the table in front of Sean and Marian. This development causes Sean to confront Marian about her part in how her son's arm came to be separated from his body. Marian delivers the news that she double-crossed Sean and stole his drug shipment, and agrees it was her actions that have hurt Billy. Her futile argument that she did this to protect her sons from Sean's alliance with Koba, falls on Sean's deaf ears - after strangling Marian, he tells her to get out of his life for ever.

Koba is on a revenge mission of his own, and is out to kill Saba for helping Elliot try and assassinate himself and Sean. With seconds to go before completing the job, Sean arrives - he knows where Elliot is, and this is more important than dispatching Saba. Hakim is left to finish the job, who messes it up when Saba manages to fight him off and shoot him dead instead.

With the drug shipment missing, Marian enlists Luan to help find it - he already had this covered when he fixed a tracker to the van and is able to locate the drugs. Shannon Dumani has the van, who takes it to Ed with the argument they can use it to take control, and no longer need the help of the Wallace family. Luan and his men track Shannon and Ed and a shootout ensues - the Dumanis come out on top. Shannon now believes the Dumanis have the power they need, and finally freedom from the Wallaces.

Sean and Koba head off to find Elliot, not before Sean mysteriously decides they need to stop for burgers. Chomping happily on their fast food, Sean's actions are confirmed as suspicious when Koba starts struggling to breath. Viewers know his number is up, when he starts bleeding from his nose, then just about everywhere else. Sean calmly informs Koba he has been poisoned with a substance that will paralyse and kill him. Koba's attempts to locate his gun are futile, and he chokes on his own blood and is unceremoniously dumped in the boot of the car when he's dead.

Sean calls Elliot to let him know Koba is dead, and in turn Elliot reveals Billy's location. At the given location - an abandoned junkyard - Sean lays out Koba's body to prove he's dead. Elliot arrives with Billy, instructing Sean to get on his knees. Telling Billy he loves him, Sean appears to await death himself. Before Elliot can take his shot, he's stabbed by Billy with a screwdriver. This gives Sean the opportunity to fight his way out of the situation, with Elliot distracted by his injury.

After a fight of epic proportions, Sean is once again left facing death when he's strung up to hang. He manages to pull on Elliot's heartstrings with a mention of his dead father, telling him his father would be proud. The manipulation works, and after seeing another vision of his dad, Elliot puts a tyre underneath Sean to stop him dying. Instead of cutting him down though, he calls the police, who would arrive to find Sean next to Koba's dead body and no doubt arrest him for it - he is later shown being visited in prison by Billy.

All the gangs come together for a meeting, and as Elliot arrives his final conversation with Sean rings in his ears - he tells him his intention to take everything Sean has ever worked for. At the meeting, the Dumanis make space for him between them and silence falls. This proves Elliot is now in control of London. The last to be seated, Marian is humbled into agreeing to the new pecking order but glares at Elliot to suggest this is a temporary arrangement.

Is Lale dead at the end of Gangs of London season 2?

Lale isn't dead at the end of Gangs of London season 2. She was handed to Asif to die, but this didn't happen.

At the close of the finale, Asif is discussing with Lale what they have both lost. Asif no longer resides over the London gangs, and Lale has been betrayed Sean and deposited to Asif to be killed. They discuss putting aside their differences to form a partnership, returning from exile and regaining control. Hardened by betrayals from those around her - especially lover Sean, Lale is out for revenge.

Already a determined Kurdish freedom fighter, Lale has always used aquisitions from her criminal activities to help her people. Her husband was already tortured and killed because of a betrayal by Asif, and to pair with him must mean rock bottom for Lale. Asif's son is dead because of Lale, and a pair with nothing to lose, can only spell enormous danger for the remaining gangs. 

Will there be a Gangs of London season 3?

Yes, Gangs of London has officially been confirmed to return for season 3. The news came on November 29, 2022, when Sky TV shared the announcement to their Twitter account. 

They shared the news along with a video of three bullet holes appearing in a red backdrop alongside. The short clip was simply captioned "News just in, gangsters... #GangsOfLondon series 3 is confirmed." The cards are on the table for the fight for top dog, set up by season 2 - everyone has revealed their hands, and a season 3 body count in the fight for power could be monumental.  

Speaking to Digital Spy about the possibility of a season 3, show director Corin Hardy had previously said "It's one hundred percent set up for a third season. I think you always plan to tell your story and hope that you're lucky enough to continue it but ultimately it's down to how it gets received". He got his wish, and season 3 is happening.

Gangs of London season 2: Rotten Tomatoes

So far, Gangs of London season 2 has a positive critical and audience score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. 

Hugo Rifkin from The Times said "Altogether, it’s like Guy Ritchie minus the jokes, which isn’t even a criticism because Ritchie’s jokes could be unbearable. It’s huge, it’s expensive and it’s glam as hell."

Amanda Whiting from The Independent was equally as enthusiastic, adding "The series’ pleasures are unchanged by the years: impeccably choreographed fight scenes, quick-twitch pacing, and clever, immersive direction that takes suspense as its watchword."

One audience member said "This series is getting better and better, the action scenes are more and more realistic and intense, they are simply breathtaking and asking for more."

Another added "This is one of the best tv series I have seen in a long time. A must watch for John Wick fans with drama and a psychological rollercoaster. 10/10. Will be waiting for a season 3".

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