We've been buzzing since we found out Top Boy season 5 was on it's way – and now our time has come. The final season of the beloved show launched on Netflix on 7 September… and without giving too much away, it's all kinds of good (though short but sweet, at just six episodes).
But before we confuse you, it's worth clarifying that the forthcoming season is listed as ‘Season 3’ by Netflix. This is because the initial two seasons of the show were produced by Channel 4, rather than created as a Netflix original series. The Channel 4 seasons aired in 2011 and 2013 respectively, a significant amount of time before Netflix decided to revive the show for release from 2019 – following backing from Drake who serves as an executive producer. In a bid to differentiate the productions, Netflix has added the first two seasons to its platform under the name Top Boy: Summerhouse.
You may see the latest and final season of Top Boy referred to as season three or season five – which is due to the crossover between platforms – but either way, this is the fifth instalment of the Top Boy story starring the likes of Ashley Walters and Kano.
Despite the show's title, this season also features a host of incredible female talent, including the return of Little Simz reviving her leading role as Shelley (the girlfriend of one of the two drug dealers at the heart of the story, Dushane – played by Walters). Other returning female leads including Jasmine Jobson (as Jaq) and Saffron Hocking (as her sister, Lauryn).
The final series of any beloved show always has a lot to live up to from viewers and critics, but so far Top Boy's last hurrah has won mostly high praise, with an epic finale to boot. The Guardian describes the ending as "potent" and rivalling “the very best of television”, while Radio Times declares it pacy and powerful – but admits it may leave viewers wanting more. The jury's still out on that one.
Here's everything you need to know about the final instalment of the show…
Warning: Top Boy spoilers ahead!
Release date
Season 5 (as mentioned, listed on Netflix as Season 3) was released in full on 7 September, with all eight episodes available to stream immediately. The previous four seasons are all still available to catch up on (although, as previously explained, you'll have to search Top Boy: Summerhouse for the first two).
Cast
The series boasts a talented cast, led by the characters of Sully (played by Kane Robinson) and Dushane (played by rapper Ashley Walters, also known by his stage name of Asher D), who play two drug dealers with a bitter rivalry. Araloyin Oshunremi will play school student Stefan, with the potential to become a more prominent character in this season after the murder of his brother Jamie in the previous season.
As we say, don't be deceived by the show's name: the cast includes a line-up of prominent female characters, including Shelley (played by Brit Award-winning rapper Little Simz, full name Simbiatu Ajikawo) who plays Dushane's girlfriend. Onscreen sisters Jaq (another drug dealer) and Lauryn are played by, respectively, Jasmine Jobson and Saffron Hocking.
There's also Beck, played by model Adwoa Aboah, who emerged as Jaq's love interest in the last season. Mandy, played by Natalie ‘NoLay’ Athanasiou, will return in Season 5 after playing a small role in seasons 2 and 4. There's also Bloodlands' Lisa Dwan, who plays drug lord Lizzie.
Characters Vee (Ava Brennan) – who is the sister of Lauryn's abusive ex-partner Curtis, who was murdered in season 4 – and Pebbles (Erin Kellyman) will also be coming back on the scene.
Joining the cast for the first time will be The Banshees of Inisherin's Barry Keoghan – playing an as of yet unnamed character – and Bad Sisters' Brian Gleeson. A character who won't be returning is Jamie, played by Michael Ward – who was killed by Sully at the end of season 4.
A joint statement released on behalf of the cast to coordinate with the final season announcement reads: “For those that have followed the journey from the start, you will know how much this show means to everyone on our team and we wholeheartedly know how much it means to you. These characters have been a part of our lives for over a decade now and without everyone’s support we couldn’t have come this far.”
It continues: “Whilst the journeys of Dushane and Sully have remained at the core of the show, the new characters that have entered the world of Top Boy have become a key part of the show’s legacy, representing each new storyline in a raw, authentic way. With all this being said, and staying true to our original goal, every story must have an ending and so season three will be our finale. A chance to come full circle and end the journey in the right way."
Plot
The official season 5 synopsis from Netflix reads: “Sully’s actions at the end of the last series have rewritten his business rules with Dushane. As new shared problems arise, everything they've built comes under threat from forces outside and within their empire. Can they coexist by the rules of the road they’ve lived by their whole lives in a world that is changing before them? Or can there only be one Top Boy?”
Without giving too much away, we can start to guess based on the storylines left unresolved in the previous season. For instance, following Sully's murder of Jamie – who was Dushane's retirement plan – we have a feeling Sully and Dushane will be having more than cross words this season. Then there's the question of how Jamie's brothers, Stefan and Aaron, might avenge his death.
Lauryn, the ex-girlfriend of Liverpudlian gangster Curtis with whom she was in an abusive relationship (also murdered in season 4), was pregnant when we last saw her, so we'll be looking out for her fate in this coming season.
Hocking – who plays Lauryn – told Digital Spy of this forthcoming plot line: ‘I’d like to imagine for Lauryn, and hope that the birth of her child and everything she’s fought for to get to this point, will make everything worth it and she’ll be able to find happiness within that. But who knows?"
Fans also sense there may be a prominent storyline ahead for Shelley, who was being blackmailed by Beverley (TerriAnn Oudjar) – the former girlfriend to Ryan, whom Shelley's ex accidentally killed – after Shelley covered up the murder.
Trailer
The newly-released trailer, titled "The Final Chapter", comes with a telling caption: “Sully takes charge, pushing Dushane to cash out, but with a new order comes new challenges, threats, and consequences.”
It begins with an opening shot of Sully walking in looking fearful. We see snippets of what looks like a riot in Summerhouse estate, while a glimpse of Stefan suggests he may be involved in the season's primary action – avenging his brother Jamie's death, perhaps?
It's not long before we see a face-off between Sully and Dushane: ‘I know what you’re on," Sully tells Dushane. "This road don’t end good.’
We see a shot of Barry Keoghan's character, suggesting he will be a major player in this season. There's also a shot of Sully holding a gun – although we're yet to see who it might be pointed at.
All eight episodes of Top Boy season 5 (a.k.a. season three!) are available to stream on Netflix from 7 September.
