This Netflix original may have just hit the platform in the last two weeks, but already, fans are clamoring for a second season. Critics feel the same way, singing the show’s praises and rating it an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. And while the show continues to climb the charts, now sitting at the #6 spot on the Top 10 Most Watched list (up 2 spots from last weekend), it seems that fans’ hopes for a follow-up aren’t all that far-fetched.
Legends, which is based on a true story, is set in 90s Britain, centering its narrative on the wave of heroin that flooded the streets at that time and the team of underprepared civil servants who stepped up to go undercover in an attempt to topple the gangs responsible for the drugs and violence released into their community. The first season stars Steve Coogan, Tom Burke, and Hayley Squires. Its audience rating sits slightly lower than critics’ ratings, at 85%, but it’s still pulling in some more than impressive viewership numbers.
And it’s that fact that has viewers so desperate for more of this thoughtful, nuanced series. Especially in the age of media that feels more akin to fast fashion than anything with true depth or meaning. “Legends has that rare thing that made The Wire remarkable: it seems to tell the story not just of a few cops and robbers, but of a whole city,” says critic Charlotte Ivers. Dustin Rowles adds, “Legends is a genuinely excellent crime drama that pulls the viewer in almost as far as it pulls Guy into his assumed identity — which is to say, further than is probably comfortable, and further than you’ll be able to resist.”
And while slightly less impressed with Legends than critics, in large part because of its slower start, audiences are still chomping at the bit for more of this gritty story. One viewer said, “This series is now the best TV drama series I’ve ever watched. Everything was outstanding, especially the cast, with not a single weak performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if it cleans up during awards season!” All in all, Legends is already proving to be the stuff of streaming legend, bringing to life a story that’s sharply told and full of deep, dark twists and turns.
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