Absolutely Everything That's Happened On Top Boy So Far Ahead Of Season 2

Top Boy fans, listen up. The brand new season drops on Friday after almost three years away from our screens.

Because the first season of the Netflix reboot happened such a long time ago, it's completely understandable if you're not totally up to date with everything that happened.

Fear not, here's a recap.

First things first, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Some fans might be confused about the new batch of episodes being referred to as season two, when technically this will be the fourth season overall.

In case you forgot, Top Boy made its Netflix debut in 2019 after airing two seasons on Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

After the revival became a huge success for the streaming network, another season was ordered all the way back in February 2020.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the second season was delayed before officially going into production in April last year.

Key characters Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kano) returned for the Netflix reboot and new characters Jamie (Michael Ward), Jaq (Jasmine Jobson) and Shelley (Little Simz) were introduced and they all return in season 2.

Dushane returned to London from Jamaica to reclaim his throne in the drug market, teaming up with his long time collaborator and friend, Sully, who was released from prison.

Dushane made a business deal in Jamaica with an imprisoned drug lord named Sugar (Gilbert Chen) and the deal continues once Dushane returns to the Summerhouse estate where he sells Sugar's products and aims to become the top boy once again.

However, Dushane and Sully are now faced with competition, as young and ambitious gang leader Jamie (Michael Ward) had since taken his own slice of the market, with no plans to give it up without a fight.

Jaq is seen hanging around the Summerhouse estate with Dris Wright (Shone Romolus), who runs Summerhouse while Dushane was in Jamaica and Sully was behind bars.

At the beginning of the season, Jaq was second in command behind Dris, but she soon rises through the ranks and passes Dris, as he becomes a liability - and was likely shot at the end of season 2.

We'll soon find out!

Jamie, who is responsible for his two brothers, Steffan (Araloyin Oshunremi) and Aaron (Hope Ikpoku Jnr), becomes entangled with a jewellery shop customer assistant named Tilly (Razan Nassar) who is unfortunately shot by Cam’s (Alexander Blake) crew.

Cam, who is part of a rival gang, asked Jamie to sell drugs for his crew, but he refused. 

Jamie arranges to kill his rival Dushane and Sully but fails. At the end of the season, Jamie turns himself in after drugs are planted in a bag under Dushane’s instruction.

The bag gets Aaron, Steffan and Abbie arrested. Dushane visits Jamie in prison and makes proposition for him to turn in Ats (Kieyon Cook).

Ats is a kid from the Summerhouse Estate, and after the trailer for the second season dropped last month, fans were convinced they knew his fate after he wound up being used as a pawn in the drug war between Dushane and Jamie.

Ats had a few brushes with death thanks to Jamie's gang, but managed to survive to the end of the season thanks to his mum.

He was still in hot water, though, with his family on the brink of deportation and Jamie's gang still hot on his tail.

After noticing the memorial dedicated to Ats, as well as scenes of Ats' BFF Stefan playing by himself in the schoolyard, fans realised that the worst had happened – he’s dead.

Meanwhile, drug lord Lizzie (Lisa Dwan), who is affiliated with Dushane and married Jeffrey (Shaun Dingwall) was dependant on Dushane as her sole distributor, after the downfall of Jamie, her former lover, who she also supplied.

Fans think the Lizzie and Dushane might be hooking up in the new season, too despite Dushane starting a relationship with Shelley, who cares for his elderly mum Pat (Marsha Millar).

Now you're all set to dive in to the new season!

Top Boy returns to Netflix 18th March 2022.