‘Gentleman Jack’ reviews round-up: Season 2 is ‘riveting’ and ‘an emotional ride’
After a three-year wait, Gentleman Jack is finally back on our screens!
Set in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1832, the BBC’s hit period drama is adapted from the real life diaries of Anne Lister by Last Tango in Halifax writer Sally Wainwright.
Suranne Jones (Vigil) and Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders) are reprising their roles as Anne Lister and Ann Walker in eight new episodes this spring.
Also returning are Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) as Marian Lister, Gemma Jones (Last Tango in Halifax) as Aunt Anne Lister, and Timothy West (EastEnders) as Jeremy Lister, while The Larkins star Joanna Scanlan joins the cast as Anne Lister’s outrageous former lover, Isabella ‘Tib’ Norcliffe.
Watch the trailer:
The long-awaited second season is currently airing on Sunday nights on BBC One in the UK and on HBO in the US, with episodes available to stream on BBC iPlayer and HBO Max.
The official synopsis reads: “All eyes are on Anne Lister and Ann Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple.
“Anne Lister’s entrepreneurial spirit frightens the locals as much as her unconventional love life and, with Halifax on the brink of revolution, her refusal to keep a low profile becomes provocative and dangerous.”
We’ve rounded up a spoiler-free selection of reviews to help you decide if Season 2 is worth watching:
“Suranne Jones strides straight back in as Anne Lister in a confident return to form … It’s been quite a while since we saw the Ann(e)s declare their love for each other and take their relationship to the next stage in emotional closing scenes back in 2019. But if fans were worried it might have lost some of its momentum in the three years since, they can rest easy.” ★★★★★ – Metro
“Sally Wainwright’s lesbian period drama is back with new energy – but the show hasn’t lost its heart and soul … Gentleman Jack remains a bold and transgressive figure not just for a period drama, but mainstream TV in general, and season 2 another emotional ride.” ★★★★ – Radio Times
“The key to Gentleman Jack is that it shares its leading lady’s unapologetic nature. It is unashamedly romantic, unashamedly a romp, unashamedly queer and absolutely worth the wait.” ★★★★ – iNews
“Suranne Jones returns in style in this rip-roaring romp … Love in peril, beautiful vistas, a witty script, and the Olympic speed-walking of Jones as ‘Britain’s first modern lesbian’ – Jack’s back! … She’s no saint, but she remains a riveting figure – and Wainwright’s series a rip-roaring romp.” ★★★★ – The Telegraph
“A swaggering comeback for Suranne Jones’ Anne Lister.” – Evening Standard
“If you are looking for an original kind of comic drama, though, not a meticulous history lesson, this is still the show for you … Its locations, such as half-timbered Shibden Hall, home of the real Anne Lister, seem even more beautiful, tricked out with elegant wallpapers, exotic curtaining and fine china to drive a heritage lover crazy with desire. And to eyes weary of being assaulted by the Day-Glo fright-frocks of Bridgerton and the ugliness of The Gilded Age‘s idea of opulent interiors and haute couture, Gentleman Jack is a soothing balm, a walking V&A.” ★★★★ – The Arts Desk
“Suranne Jones strides back into Sunday night.” ★★★★ – The Times
“One of the greatest British period dramas of our time … Suranne Jones is an alchemical force of nature in the gleeful, radical return of this rollicking, romantic and exquisitely scripted show.” ★★★★★ – The Guardian
Gentleman Jack is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.