How About Some Ale With Your Peaky Blinders?

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The beginning of *House of Guinness* immediately showcases the signature style of writer Steven Knight. If you’re familiar with his work – gritty historical dramas filled with fights – you’ll quickly get a sense of the show’s atmosphere. The Netflix drama starts by cutting back and forth between preparations for the funeral of Benjamin Lee Guinness, the founder of the famous brewery, and a protest outside the brewery gates about the dangers of drinking. Before all that, though, a disclaimer appears stating the 1868-set show is a fictionalized account “inspired by true stories,” followed by fast-paced shots of the brewing process, set to a driving bass line, with the ingredients – WATER, MALTED BARLEY, HOPS, YEAST – dramatically displayed on screen. We soon meet Sean Rafferty, played by James Norton, the Guinness family’s tough and determined enforcer, who’s gathering his men to control the protestors. The protestors have even created an effigy of the late Guinness. Rafferty predicts conflict: “The family’s name is Guinness,” he says with a sneer, “of course there’ll be trouble.” The opening ends with a title card: a beer bottle shattering the *House of Guinness* logo, accompanied by a lively electric fiddle tune.

Steven Knight’s new show, *House of Guinness*, feels very much like the start of his popular series *Peaky Blinders*, but set in Dublin in the early 20th century. While brewing beer is a legal business, the show quickly reveals that the fight for control of the Guinness empire is just as cutthroat as any gang war. After the death of the family patriarch, his four children immediately begin battling for power, creating a dynamic reminiscent of *Succession* and classic stories like *King Lear*. Knight is a prolific writer – he’s currently working on a James Bond script – and efficiently sets up the central conflict. The story focuses on two Guinness brothers: the responsible Edward (Louis Partridge) and the flamboyant Arthur (Anthony Boyle). The question is, who will inherit the brewery? Both brothers, however, have secrets. Edward is involved with a woman campaigning for Irish independence, while Arthur is hiding his homosexuality, which complicates his ambitions to enter Parliament.

The series *House of Guinness* takes a fascinating true story from the Guinness family’s past and turns it into a dramatic and exciting show. Created and written by Knight (known for *Peaky Blinders* and *Taboo*), it features strong roles that allow actors to deliver powerful performances. Boyle shines as Arthur, bringing a charismatic energy to the character, though the writing sometimes awkwardly avoids portraying him as stereotypically effeminate. Partridge plays Edward with a quiet, yet subtly untrustworthy, kindness, while Norton clearly enjoys playing the role of a man begrudgingly taking orders from the younger brothers. The show smartly explores how both businesses and families are built on shifting power dynamics and constant negotiation. Over eight episodes, the brothers struggle with internal conflicts and external threats, including blackmail, a sister’s ambitious charitable endeavors, and the challenge of introducing Guinness to American consumers. Ultimately, *House of Guinness* is a compelling look at the complexities of family, business, and ambition.

I’m really enjoying *House of Guinness* – it’s paced so well and easy to watch, and I swear Kneecap is making a fortune from all the music! But honestly, it’s a bit frustrating. The show looks amazing, but it doesn’t really *dig deep* into the complicated history it’s portraying. Every time it hints at the big questions – like what responsibility the Guinness family had to the workers they used – it just sort of brushes past them. It’s fascinating to see how Arthur and Edward Guinness view their role in Ireland, especially with Arthur supporting British rule and Edward leaning towards supporting Irish independence, largely because of his relationship with this fiery activist, Niamh McCormack (who is *amazing*, by the way). But the show feels like it’s afraid to get too serious, like it’s worried it’ll lose our attention if it spends too long on anything difficult. It’s style over substance, and it’s starting to bother me.

From the start, *House of Guinness* prioritizes a fast pace over deep storytelling. Scenes depicting social events or private conversations feel rushed as the show quickly returns to its main action. This leaves little room to explore the political and social issues the characters are involved in, or to connect them to modern concerns about corporate power and colonialism. The show seems more interested in entertainment than analysis. It offers simple, surface-level insights – for example, displaying the modern-day value of any money mentioned. Despite presenting itself as revealing, the Guinness brand itself remains largely untouched. One episode even builds a story around the brewery’s logo, the Irish harp, culminating in a beautifully shot beer can with the image displayed just before the credits roll. This focus on maintaining a positive brand image is clearly a priority for creator Steven Knight.

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2025-09-25 19:55