Danny Blue, the young short con artist taken on by the team in the first season, is played by Marc Warren. He and Mickey are always bumping heads over work and over Stacie.
Even though the episodes are fun, filled with action and suspense, it’s the characters that really deliver the draw. After an episode or two, I just dropped into their world without any hesitation. I knew I was in good hands because the stories were clever and character interaction came from actors who knew their onscreen personae intimately. When the characters argued, it came out of their nature, not an encumbering plot hook or artificial twist. The season is as honest and forthright as it is fun and endearing.
The first episode, “Gold Mine,” re-introduces the viewer to the team and exactly what the art of the long con is. Mickey and the others are motivated to get revenge for a con man they all know who was taken down by a property manager who had been conned in the past. The interaction between the differing styles between Mickey and Danny really come to the forefront, as does the rivalry between the two.
“Confessions” starts out when Albert blows an operation after learning about the sad death of an old associate. He’s out of sorts but manages to land another mark. The new mark is a reformed criminal turned into a chef who’s become the owner of the hottest restaurant in London. Danny ends up posing as the man’s son and gets too involved emotionally.
“The Lesson” is absolutely the best episode in the bunch. I loved it so much I watched it twice just to sort out all the diversions, red herrings, and feints. Even as versed as I was in the episodes, this one caught me by surprise. I was blown away by how everything came together in the end, including Stacie’s revenge against a bank manager who was an absolute jerk.
In “Missions,” Mickey has the crew actually pay for a comic book cover, laying out 110,000 pounds of their own money to purchase it. As it turns out, Eddie — the club owner where the crew regularly drinks — is getting squeezed by a crook cop. He tells her about Mickey and the others just as their newest con is about to come together. This episode was really well done with an elaborate set-up.
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