Utterly devastating, however, truly excellent finale to the Fourth Season of British Crime Drama Top Boy. While I think the season three finale might still be my favourite overall, I personally find this to be a tremendous success and superb finale. Altogether, counting seasons one and two (Summerhouse, as they're known in the UK), I believe this to be the second greatest episode yet, only outranked by the season three finale, and joint with that is the episode "De Capa y Espada", which is the sixth episode of the fourth season. "Prove Yourself" is dark, daunting, brutal, remarkable and masterfully acted. Remarkable, I say, due to its directing, execution, acting, and writing. The greatest writing of the entire series, well, at least for the most part. As I said the aforementioned episodes only just outrank it, but they're just impeccable. Do not get me wrong, this is episode is exceptional. If you're a fan, someone who's been following it, you know how heartbreaking the outcome to this episode is, and that's, like, the remaining 10-20 minutes. It's not just poignant, it's heartbreaking. First of all, Kit dying, not just the fact that we lose a pretty good side-character, but to the hands of his brother, his best friend, Jamie. Jamie has to prove himself. Why? How so? What's the reason? It's all because of Dushane, and the situation with Ats. Another thing that was conveyed throughout this was Ats death. This is something which I found very unexpected as the fourth season began, but it was written well enough. But wow, the writers went dark with that one. Daring, bold. And yet, something we had seen more than once during this series. I still think season two's final moments are the absolute darkest, saddest of the show, until a point in season three, during the episode "Bonfire Night", fourth episode of season three, which was utterly harrowing and extremely sad. Top Boy is one of the best shows I've ever seen, but very endearing, emotional, and pushes its limits, boundaries, and doesn't stop. It's relentless, as unhinged as anything I've ever seen, among the top ranks.
What, then, comes to round it all off - something so heartbreaking, us fans just can't accept? Sully shoots and, I'm sure, kills Jamie. Jamie, the third main character introduced in the premier episode of season three, possibly even the show's most popular and beloved character by this scene, is fatally shot by Sully. It was utterly shocking, expected in some ways, but definitely not how it was portrayed. I still watch this episode and expect it, knowing it's right around the corner, yet it still shocks me. What does this mean for Sully? Dushane? Everybody? Us, viewers? What's going to happen? How are they going to follow up with this, if they're rounding it off with a final season? Oh, thank goodness they're doing another, as I not only love this show, but need answers. Well, not so much answers, but I need to see how they're going to write this to a close. How they're going to continue this until its end. I always go back and forth, who's my favourite, Sully? Or Jamie? Dushane is a phenomenal character, but he is my second favourite at this point. I don't know what to think by now, given what Sully just did to Jamie. But this episode was really, truly incredible. Their character development is fine, but the characters themselves are brilliant. The depth is fine, but the writing as a whole is superb. The directing, cinematography, and acting, alongside the show's atmosphere and style, these are all masterful. And in the latest episode to date, "Prove Yourself", Top Boy proves its worth; the show gives us insight and reasons to why it is, at least in my eyes, one of the best shows coming out of the UK. Truthfully though, if you ask me, I think you're looking at one of the best shows, period. It has successfully proven its value and has become a top show worldwide.
It's a Top Boy.
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