Hulu’s The Artful Dodger is one of the year’s best surprises, as the network dropped it all at once and took us in an immediate chokehold. Created by James McNamara, David Maher, and David Taylor, the new series takes place fifteen years after the events of Dickens’ Oliver Twist, with clever wrenches and turns bound to keep viewers engaged.
The series stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, Maia Mitchell, Damon Herriman, Luke Carroll, Vivienne Awosoga, Damien Garvey, Lucy-Rose Leonard, and more, with each actor bringing something thoroughly riveting to their roles. The series is grittier and not for the fainthearted who get squeamish at the sight of blood, but if this is something you can put aside, the story is certainly worth diving into.
Editor’s Note: At the moment, there is no news on whether the series will be renewed for a second season.
The Artful Dodger Features One of the Year’s Best Romances
Here at Lady Geeks, we’re romance fans first, everything else second—none of this is shocking to our readers. However, it’s shocking how gripping and tenderly vulnerable the romance in The Artful Dodger is. The relationship between Jack Dawkins (Brodie-Sangster) and Lady Belle Fox (Mitchell) is right out of a romance novel for all the historical romance aficionados who are especially fond of Lisa Kleypas‘ Ravenels. The two are not only featured in our Best of 2023 Romantic Relationships list but also in our Romantic Scenes list, with moments that continue to make us swoon every time we think about them.
As two people who can’t exactly be together because of societal rules, Belle and Jack dive into the type of relationship that will undoubtedly trump anything that comes before them. While there isn’t concrete proof that we’ll get a happy ending with the two of them, it’s hard not to have hope when much of the season spends ample time diving into their relationship through an overtly romantic lens that wants viewers to root for them. For a series as gory and gruesome as The Artful Dodger, romance is a large part of its appeal and storytelling.
The Clever Twists
Because The Artful Dodger is taking from Dickens without outright going off the text, the twists and turns are a clever way to add layers to a story and character many of us know from the classics. The small easter eggs are there, but the narrative is trying its best to stand on its own, and it’s doing so in ways that work to engage the audience while moving the characters along.
The high stakes in the story make for a thoroughly engaging plot that never once takes away from the characters but adds to their journeys. It’s a joyously stressful time, which adds exciting layers to the debate of whether it’s a good thing to binge shows or to sit with them for a while. Where the series will go in the second season only time will tell, but it’s one with a ton under its sleeves.
The Performances
Whatever film franchise or series you know the actors for, they are here to astound you with their embodiments of these characters. A large part of the reason The Artful Dodger draws its audience in is that the performances are genuinely fantastic, making each character’s journey feel not only believable but worth investing in.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster is no longer the kid from Love, Actually. If you’re anything like me, you’re hesitant to start because you’re convinced there is no way you’ll be able to unsee it, but all you need to do is give Brodie-Sangster one episode to charm you. It works incredibly well, and the same can be said about David Thewlis, who’s far from the Professor Lupin we once knew. Each cast member understands their character remarkably well, and you’ll be left wanting more.
The Characterizations
The performances are great, but so are the characterizations, with writing that dives deep into the how and why to move the story along in a riveting fashion. The main characters are fleshed out and well-written to shine in a way that makes us care deeply about their story. There’s not a single character who feels out of the loop or one who’s misplaced in a sea of greats. And a large part of the plot works because of how engrossing the writing is in developing every person that crosses our paths.
While characters like Jack and Belle quickly become fan favorites, there’s so much to the story that can develop if the series is given the chance to grow with more layers and plot points. The vulnerability we get with each of them, coupled with moments of uncertainties, doubts, fears, and even bouts of cocky confidence, makes them so fascinating individually that when we see them together, the narrative becomes even more enthralling.
The Production Design
The production design for The Artful Dodger is one of my favorite things, and it’s entirely shocking because I’m not at all a gore person. Yet, the hospital scenes, Victorian-era Australia, the houses, the bars—all of it. It’s a gorgeous spot to stay in, even when it’s dirty and messy. The production design makes it easy for the series to feel like an escape despite the heavier themes that might be off-putting at first glance.
In short, despite how heavy it is at times, the show is a ton of fun, with a fantastic score accompanying it and a narrative that’s easy to binge-watch. Between the characters and the romance, it’s clear that much of it is thought out, with the last few episodes bringing in some of the year’s most exhilarating TV viewing experiences. It’s also easy to know when to turn away if gore isn’t your cup of tea because almost everything else is entirely worth pushing through our aversions for.
The Artful Dodger Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu or Disney+.
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