So I burned through the entire first season on Netflix today and immediately checked out the season premiere. Gotta say, I'm mixed on it.

The energy of the show seems to have slowed down considerably to reflect the status of the Blinders, with the punk rock young blue collar rebel gangsters vibe being replaced by a more ominous power players atmosphere. I loved the gorgeous cinematography of the first season, with all the golden sunlight and pops of color among the grey steelmills, but this episode is all night time and gaslights and shadows. It looks like any other dark British period drama now. Even the music reflects this: the Jack White guitar riffs replaced by somber old Johnny Cash.

That's my problem with the narrative, too. The show has always run the risk of being yet another Scorsese-esque gangster show, but the first managed to put in a more immediate sense of urgency with the running thread of Winston Churchill trying to find the machine guns before it falls into the hands of the IRA, to speed up the familiar rise-to-power gangland story. This second season premiere doesn't have that, so far, so it just seems like it's treading familiar waters. Yet another story of greed.

It just feels like a different show. Next episode is the introduction of Tom Hardy's character. Maybe it'll pick up then.