More than 10 years have passed since Top Boy introduced us to the Summerhouse estate, and in a bittersweet moment, the final series has arrived.
The hit drama was initially a Channel 4 production, but it was Netflix who revived it in 2019, and convinced original cast members – including Ashley Walters (who played Dushane) and Kane “Kano” Robinson (Sully) – to return alongside a host of newcomers.
Given that the critically-acclaimed drama has already made one unexpected comeback, you would be forgiven for hoping this might happen again.
Unfortunately, we have to be the bearers of bad news. Here’s why a season six definitely isn’t happening...
The shock ending of season five
Top Boy season four’s jaw-dropping finale saw Michael Ward’s character, Jamie, being shot dead by Sully, but the writers managed to deliver an even more shocking twist in the last ever episode as both Dushane and Sully were killed off.
Dushane had been on the run from the police for the murder of Jeffrey, and when the finale began, he was in hiding at his mum’s house, shortly after a young girl was killed by a police car that was chasing him.
With the help of Shelly (Little Simz) and amid a riot on the estate, Dushane had been making plans to leave the country – but not before jumping Jaq (Jasmine Jobson) and stealing drugs belonging to Sully to pay his way out.
When Sully figured out his old rival was behind the theft, they ended up in a shootout which saw Junior (Micheal Maris) killed before Sully shot Dushane, who bled out as they confronted each other for a final time.
Then, just as it seemed Sully had earned the title of “Top Boy”, the last ever scene of the show saw him gunned down by a mystery assailant while sitting in his car.
What have the cast said?
Despite that cliffhanger ending, the cast have been insistent that there will be no more episodes of Top Boy.
The first two seasons were produced by Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013, before it was revived by Netflix in November 2019.
Speaking to GQ, Ashley Walters revealed Netflix “wanted to go on forever” but he and Kane “Kano” Robinson were insistent it was time to put the show to bed.
“[We] were like, ‘Personally, we can’t.’ We don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “It may have gone on too long, anyway.
“Not that it’s not been great, and the seasons have all been great, and everyone’s loved them, and I’ve loved them. But it wouldn’t have been right. I like to end on a high.”
Director William Stefan Smith, who oversaw the final two episodes, added to GQ that the plan was to “bring the story to a close with the utmost care and heart”.
The cast released a statement explaining the decision back when it was announced that the fifth season would be the last.
“Whilst the journeys of Dushane and Sully have remained at the core of the show, the new characters that have entered the world of Top Boy have become a key part of the show’s legacy, representing each new storyline in a raw, authentic way,” they said.
“With all this being said, and staying true to our original goal, every story must have an ending, and so season [five] will be our finale. A chance to come full circle and end the journey in the right way.”