The second season of Hustle just hit the stores this week. I fell in love with the first collected season just a few months ago, and now I can’t wait till season three is released on DVD.
Hustle features the trials and struggles of a professional long con crew, but with the British flair for tongue firmly rooted in cheek. The long con requires an investment of time and money from the confidence men and women working it. Usually the schemes are elaborate and require extensive research, but the shows are so well put together that you don’t realize you’re getting educated as well as entertained.
Each season, so far, consists of six hour-long episodes (a full hour, not the 42-minute versions of hours we get on American television). The episodes have truly wonderful writing, brilliant acting, and a sense of familiarity. Every time I pop a disc into the player, I feel like I’m sitting down at a family reunion to catch up on new stories with old friends.
The ringleader of the group is Mickey Bricks. His real name is Michael Stone, but everyone calls him Mickey. Played by Adrian Lester, Mickey is suave, cool, and super-competent. He’s the con artist who always plays with every angle covered and at least two backup plans.
Jaime Murray plays the beautiful and eloquent Stacie Monroe. She’s the banker for the team, meaning she usually handles their finances — and that figures into one of this season’s shows in a dramatic way, but also takes part in most of the cons.
Albert Stroller (Robert Vaughn) is the father figure of the group. He serves as the roper, the man responsible for pulling a mark (victim) within range of the rest of the team. Vaughn’s portrayal of Stroller is outstanding. He’s so smooth onscreen I just love watching him pontificate, argue, or play to character.
Robert Glenister stars as Ashley “Ash” Morgan. He’s the team’s fixer, the man responsible for finding sites they can use to run the con, and the man who has to fabricate the objects necessary, and their electronics specialist.
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