The guy wakes up in the field in The Gentlemen Season 2 episode 1. He was injured. He climbs to the note. The note tells him to follow the X.
The Road to Kingdom
Three months ago, the guy Eddie is outside his house. He’s enjoying the views. Geoffrey shows up. He says good morning to his master. He persuades him to go back to the house. His guests will be coming down the stairs for breakfast. He would like to start the shoot team talk. Eddie says 400 years ago, this estate spread out as far as the eye could see. In every direction. All the way down to the coast. It’s been diminished. Year after year. Generation after generation. First came the apologies. The came the shame. Then came the contraction. It’s like a rot. He wants it back.
At the airport, the guy asks Susie if they have bought the airfield. She says they haven’t. His Lordship has. Through a shell company. 100,000 square foot of weed farm hidden under the hangar. Perfect cover for distribution. He grows it under the hangar. Load in the hangar. And then he can distribute to anywhere in the country by plane or road. Then there’s the air shows, the restaurant, the gift shop. All good ways to clean money.
The waiter shows up with the Espresso martini. He asks the guy if he wants it. Susie says they start early on a shoot day. So the guy takes the wine. Susie refuses to take the wine. The waiter walks away. The guy tells Susie that his father might’ve been right about the Duke after all. She thinks it was an inspired idea to mirror what they’re doing here in Italy. Growing their product underneath aristocratic palazzos. Speaking of which, here comes their Italian connection, who’s their gateway into Europe. They’ve gone international, and it’s paying off. The guy Jack sees the Spitfires. He asks Susie about it. She tells him that he never knows when a war’s going to start.
Maldini gets off the plane. He’s furious to blame the pilot. He thinks she’s not a real pilot. She talks back that next time he goes to London on foot. The woman walks to Maldini. She says good morning to him. She volunteers to help him take the luggage. He gives the bag to her. He asks her to call him Francesco. She asks him to follow her. Blanket will take care of his bags.
Maldini sees Susie. He gives her a hug. He explains it to her that there’s something of a niggle regarding their business dealings. They need a talk. She says they can talk about it later. They’re running a little bit late. She sees Contessa. She thinks she looks divine.
At the Estate, Eddie is having meal with his guests. He wishes the guest Lord Hawthorne tastes the kedgeree. Hawthorne says while he enjoys the flavor of curry at breakfast, it’s impossible to trump the kipper. He looks at the baby. Eddie figures Hawthorne has met his nephew. Hawthorne thinks Eddie’s nephew is very handsome. Eddie asks the woman about the father. She says he hopes to join them for dinner. The madam says it’s wonderful he works for a living. But he’s just like Eddie. He works too hard. Eddie asks his mother since when did a day of shooting become work?
Maldini shows up. He says they’re late. But not too late for the breakfast. He gives Eddie a hug. He explains it to him that his pilot decided to fly into a storm. Somehow they missed the eye. Contessa tells Eddie that it wasn’t a storm. Maldini introduces his girlfriend to Eddie.
Susie and Jack show up. Hawthorne asks the two how do they fit into this aristocratic jigsaw puzzle? Susie tells Hawthorne that he shouldn’t mind them. They’re here to represent the proletariat. He thinks they’re glorious-looking specimens. Jack says it’s a brave new world. Contessa asks Maldini how can these English eat curry and fish for breakfast?
After the meal, Eddie tells Susie that Maldini is edgy. It’s concerning him. He wants to know what’s the issue with the guy. She doesn’t know why. She thinks it’s not a good thing. She knows he looks down on Maldini. But he has helped them get a foothold in Italy, a territory beset by monsters around every corner. His efforts shouldn’t be underestimated.
He says fixers are supposed to fix problems, not create them. She thinks they give the guy the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Meanwhile, Eddie can focus his efforts on snagging himself a peerage, as per her father’s request. He asks her to leave Lord Hawthorne to him.
A helicopter appears. Susie hopes they haven’t got too many plates spinning today. Eddie says shoots are never about the killing. They’re about the deal-making. It’s an alibi to fuse a collection of disparate rogues. Contrary to logic, the more spinning plates, the better. People will fly 5,000 miles for a shoot in the English country side, and for some strange reason, are more open to business when they’ve got a gun in their hand.
He wants her to talk about her friend Aisha. She says she likes Aisha. Clever girl. Aspirational. Looks after herself and everyone who comes within her orbit. She moved to the Middle East five years ago to work in hospitality. Now she’s snagged herself a seat at the royal table.
Eddie tells Susie that the Middle East is the future. They build a new world out there every two weeks. She knows why he wants the guy here. She likes his ambition.
Aisha gets off the helicopter. Susie introduces Eddie to Aisha. Aisha thanks Eddie for hosting them. She introduces the Prince Amir to him. Eddie walks to Prince. He shakes hands with him. Prince gives Eddie a present. Double magnum of Petrus ’09.
Susie tells Aisha that she thinks she might have over-delivered. Aisha tells Susie that the prince is a sweetheart. Second in line to the throne. Loves a good time. He’s very rich. Aisha blames Susie for not mentioning her Duke looking like a movie star. Eddie talks to Prince. Susie is surprised that Eddie speaks Arabic. Aisha looks at Eddie. She says he gets better by the second.
Eddie introduces Susie to Prince. Prince thinks Susie is Eddie’s wife. Susie says business wife. Eddie tells Prince that they must get him a gun.
In the gun room, Prince asks Geoffrey Why are there so many guns? And why only two barrels? Geoffrey tells Prince that they should give the birds a sporting chance. He thinks he should choose Italian Beretta. They hunt in pairs. They’ve been at it for 500 years. Oldest gunmakers in the world. He points at the engraving. He reveals that took a little Italian man two years to etch that pretty picture.
Prince takes the gun. He thinks it’s magnificent. Geoffrey tells Prince that no good in a Chicago gunfight, but absolutely wonderful in the green fields of England. Eddie walks into the room. He says James Bond’s weapon of choice. But Prince thought that was the Walter PPK. Eddie says it’s not in the original novel. He tells Prince that he thinks he’ll do very well with those Berettas. He asks Geoffrey to ensure Lord Hawthorne has a suitably memorable experience. Geoffrey asks Eddie anything special for Hawthorne. Eddie wants Hawthorne to get the best. He gives Geoffrey the gun Lord Monmouth’s Holland and Holland. Geoffrey thinks Hawthorne is very lucky. He tells Eddie that it would be his weapon of choice.
On the hunting ground, Maldini tells Geoffrey that he likes his loader. He would like the angel from Essex to load his gun for him. Geoffrey says he will look into it. But he asks Maldini to tone down the language. He’s a guest of His Grace, and there’s ladies present. He tells the people that their numbers will be on the bottom of the glasses. That will be their peg number for the day. They get the glasses then.
The shooting begins. Maldini misses the shot. He complains it to the angel. She comforts him that he’ll get them in the next one. Hawthorne notices that Jack is very good at loading. Jack asks Hawthorne to show him his appreciation in his tip. Aisha shoots forty birds. Prince tells her that he wants one of these. He laughs and he continues to shoot. She says he’s a greedy fool.
Contessa shoots a bird. Eddie tells her that she shoots beautifully. She thanks him. She thinks he shoots like a god.
After shooting, Hawthorne tells Jack that he was absolutely wonderful out there. He put him right at ease. He offers to have one more drink. Jack agrees. He walks away. Eddie joins Hawthorne. Hawthorne tells Eddie that he loves him. He thinks it’s a wonderful drive. The birds just kept coming at him, wave after wave of them. Eddie tells Hawthorne that he did a good job. Nothing much got past him. Hawthorne admits that he shot rather well. He asks Eddie will he be heading to Scotland this summer?
Eddie says Chance’d be a fine thing. Too much going on in the corridors of power. Hawthorne heard about Lord Bramlingham’s death. It was a shocking. Eddie guesses Hawthorne will be looking to fill the position. Hawthorne says it’s not often that a spot for a hereditary peer comes up. Eddie wonders who will get it. He wishes he will be the lucky guy. Hawthorne tells Eddie that they’re drawing up a short list this weekend. Eddie wants to have a drink with Hawthorne before dinner. He has always been fascinated by the inner workings of Parliament.
The second wave shooting begins. Eddie shoots all the birds. Maldini isn’t happy. Geoffrey reminds Eddie that he should miss one or two. He’s making the Italian look bad. But Eddie thinks it’s not a problem. Geoffrey says the guy’s ego does. Eddie thinks they might have to lie on the count.
Maldini meets Eddie after the shooting. He mentions this time last year, they had nothing. But since they started the little farm under the Contessa’s palazzo estate. He thinks they nailed it. Six more farms in less than a year. Eddie brings up that Maldini said there was a problem. He asks him to enlighten them. Maldini says the problem is Marco Moretti.
Susie asks Maldini What is Moretti doing in this conversation? He says they need to talk to him. She points out that the reason they talk to him is so they don’t have to talk to El Capo Dei Capi. He knows it, but then Moretti started sniffing around. He found out they’re growing marijuana under the Contessa’s palazzo. Marco is her godfather. He was always going to find out. Now he wants a piece of it. Otherwise, he’s gonna rip it out of the ground.
Eddie thinks it’s not right. Maldini pushed them out of an airplane without a parachute. He told them he could keep Marco out of this. Maldini says it’s Italy. Everything is a surprise. This is why Eddie and Susie have him. So he can stop the crisis. Susie asks Maldini how much to stop the crisis? He says forty million euros a year. Susie and Eddie try to walk away. Maldini stops them. He knows forty is too much. This is why they pay him. He has a solution.
He asks the two how familiar are they with the works of Botticelli? A small picture of his is coming up for sale at an auction house in London. Marco is obsessed with his work.
Eddie and Susie talk about Maldini. Susie knows Eddie likes Maldini’s girlfriend. Maldini notices that Contessa is looking at Eddie. He has a fight with his girlfriend. Contessa is furious to shoot a bird. The bird hits Maldini. He passes out. Susie suggests that Eddie should focus on Hawthorne. He thinks it’s not hard. Because Hawthorne needs money.
In the evening, Eddie drinks with Hawthorne. Hawthorne knows Eddie flatters him for the hereditary peer. He thinks he wants the position to to influence a key piece of legislation proposing the decriminalization of marijuana. He asks for 50,000 pounds. After haggling, Hawthorne only asks 30,000. But he’s interested in Jack. Eddie agrees to give Jack to Hawthorne.
At the party, Contessa tells Eddie that he’s not a feckless aristocrat. Nanny Asante arrives at the Estate. He runs into his wife. They have a kiss. He’s interested in the car. He joins the party. He tells Hawthorne that his car is a jewel. Hawthorne asks Nanny to drive his car tomorrow. Contessa asks Nanny and his wife where did they meet? Eddie reveals Nanny is a rather outstanding soldier. He was awarded the military cross for his extraordinary bravery in combat.
Lady Charlotte and Nanny met at Sandhurst Commissioners Ball. Nanny and Eddie were commissioned together. Lady Charlotte tells Contessa that she was Eddie’s date. Hawthorne suggests that Eddie should think about children. He reminds him that his brother will take the estate. He asks him where is his brother? Eddie reveals his brother is recuperating. He doesn’t want to talk about it at the dinner.
At the dinner, Maldini spits the wine into the glass. He tells Eddie that the wine is corked. Eddie tastes the wine. He tells Maldini that he’s right. He asks him to go to select another one with him.
In the wine cellar, Eddie tells Maldini that the wine wasn’t corked. It was the best wine of the evening. Maldini knows it. Maldini asks Eddie is he questioning his judgement? Eddie says yes. Maldini says He’s Italian, and he can trace his bloodline back until the time of Michelangelo. Eddie tells Maldini that his judgement’s hardly watertight. He bought his girlfriend a pet tiger for her birthday. He wouldn’t play the antiquity of the bloodline game if he was him.
Maldini asks Eddie if he thinks he has a blood of a peasant. Eddie laughs. He tells Maldini that if he was a peasant or an aristocrat, he’d be something, but he’s neither. He was born out of the morass of mediocrity. He’s the witless son of a used car dealer who made his money selling fiat 500s in suburban Turin.
Eddie finds Geoffrey in the employee dormitory. He asks him to give the brace of grays to Hawthorne. He shows him the Double magnum of Petrus. He asks him to give it to Hawthorne as well.
Eddie walks out of the dormitory. He runs into Susie. He tells her that the Italian is a disaster. He smells a rat with the Botticelli. They’ve only got his word that that missile will reach its destination. She knows he doesn’t wanna buy the Botticelli. Either way, they need to speak to her father. She asks him about Lord Hawthorne. He says they have a number. She asks him does she owe him a happy meal? He says there’s a small caveat. He’s taken an interest in Jack. She thinks it’s not a problem. She will leave it to him to tell her father.
The next day in the sauna, Susie’s father asks Eddie to buy Maldini the painting. Eddie and Susie go to auction house. They run into Joseph. Joseph and Susie have a talk. Eddie figures Susie and Joseph had a story. Susie pays 16 million pounds. She gets the painting.
Eddie calls Maldini. He tells him that they got the painting. He wants to meet Marco. But Maldini says Marco is very busy. The painting is stolen by a thief. Jack catches the thief. The thief confesses that Robert Brooks asked him to do that. Robert is a famous art dealer. Jack finds Robert.
Robert is hung in the gym. Susie threatens Robert that he will be killed by Organ John if he doesn’t tell her who’s his boss. He speaks out a name Gino de Bambi. Susie and Eddie visit Maldini. They know he’s Gino de Bambi, and he lied to them. They called Marco. Marco shows up. He locks Maldini into a tiger cage. Marco and Eddie have a deal.