Top Boy – Season 2 Episode 8 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Prove Yourself

Episode 8 of Top Boy Season 2 starts with Shelley opening the salon in the morning with Naomi. Unfortunately Curtis happens to be outside with Vee and with guns in hand, they head inside and hold them both up at gunpoint. Gunshots rain down as Curtis and Vee spray bullets and take off.

Dushane and Sully meet with Jamie who admits what Kit has done. He pleads with them both that he didn’t know anything about it. Ats’ death was a mistake.

Despite telling the truth, Jamie is given an ultimatum – he needs to kill Kit or Jamie will die. That’s one way to show loyalty! And that’s exactly what Dushane is banking on, given how close the pair are.

How does Jamie react to his ultimatum?

Jamie is loyal to his family though and initially decides they should get out and run instead. With Kit hooking them up with a place in Cardiff, Jamie broaches the subject with his brothers.

Aaron has an important exam coming up and decides not to go. Stef is not happy either and bolts, leaving Jamie on his own.

Word of the shooting reaches Dushane as he hurries down to find a shaken Shelley outside. He promises to find the people responsible and make them pay.

Part of that comes from grilling Lauryn for info, but beyond basic details about Vee and Speaks, there’s not a lot else to go on. So Jaq decides to organize a coup and set up a meet with Curtis. Jaq is livid with Lauryn and promises that when this is over, they’re through for good.

Is Curtis killed?

Jaq sets everything up but Curtis has other ideas. He figures this is a trap but just before he leaves the car, Lauryn rings and tells him to come and meet in private. She doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.

So Curtis shows up and makes Lauryn promise not to run away again. Only, Lauryn grabs a knife and stabs Curtis in the back.

As he bleeds out, Lauryn kicks Curtis’ phone away and stabs him in the neck to make sure he’s properly dead. Blood stains the floor as Lauryn wails. She eventually rings Jaq, sobbing, ending the meet as she scrambles out to find her sister.

What makes Jamie change his mind?

Meanwhile, Stef walks into a trap of his own when he tries to sell the handgun Tia found in the playground earlier in the season.

When one of the men grabs Tia, Stef points a gun at him, causing all sorts of heat to come down on him. Stef scrambles out to safety but in doing so, finds the gang after him.

He rings Jamie to help and eventually he does just that, saving him from a sticky situation. However, this also seems to change his mind, wondering whether leaving is the right option after all.

As Dushane’s attention turns to sorting out Ruben, Sully is left with cleaning up Curtis and dealing with Vee. Sully rings Vee and gives her an ultimatum. Either she head back up to Liverpool and live her life, or she stays and things escalate further. One thing’s for sure – Curtis is not coming back. And scenes involving a car being crushed prove as much, as we’re led to believe Curtis is actually inside.

Meanwhile, with Ruben not budging on his decision to rat out Dushane, Dushane turns his attention to Jeffrey.

Thanks to Lizzie’s scheming, Dushane decides nonchalantly that she’s going to have be killed. If not, then he wants the Summerhouse plans reverted back to how they were before, with enough houses available for everyone.

What does Jamie choose to do? Is he loyal to Dushane?

Jamie eventually does prove his loyalty, deciding to shoot Kit down while he’s in his car. Realizing he can’t uproot Stef and Aaron, he chooses family over his crew, and eventually messages Dushane, telling him he’s done the deed.

As the message comes through, Dushane is surprised to see him prove his loyalty. Sully though is still not convinced. For Dushane though, Jamie is the next generation, the one who’s going to take over as Dushane grows older. Sully reflects on his words and agrees, believing that now is a good a time as any to move on.

What happens in the aftermath of Kit’s death?

The redevelopment plans for Summerhouse are suspended, much to Jeffrey’s disdain, while Jamie manages to patch up his issues with his brothers. Lauryn and Jaq seem to patch up their problems too, with the latter joining Lauryn for her baby scan, gushing over how she’s going to be a great aunt.

Meanwhile, Ruben decides to stay quiet after all, taking the fall and being locked away to save his family from Dushane’s wrath.

Over in Morocco, Chaash manages to send the young Spanish boy over to see his sister after all, trading Jamie’s watch for a boat ride. It’s a really nice way of rounding out his storyline, while it’s business as usual for Dushane and the crew in town.

How does Top Boy Season 2 end?

As the episode closes, we cut across to Jamie’s house, where a knock at the door sends him over to answer it. It’s Sully. And as this final shocking scene ends, Jamie is shot dead as Stef pleads with his brother to wake up.

The Episode Review

It’s perhaps poetic that the first episode starts with Jamie busting out of prison and the end sees him shot dead. He’s been playing a dangerous game with Dushane and Sully all season long, with the latter clearly not trusting of him despite coming through for Dushane and killing Kit.

The end scene is absolutely shocking and something that sets up the potential for a third season (or fifth, depending on how you view this show!) I’m still baffled by Netflix’s decision to rebrand the whole of Top Boy if I’m honest.

Beyond that though, this season has been all about growth and ultimately portraying a snapshot of life on the streets. This isn’t dissimilar from the first seasons of course, and Top Boy does a great job taking an unflinching look at the lives of these youths.

Top Boy has been an enthralling watch once again and the ending sets up a season with a lot of ramifications for the future. Quite where our characters go from here is unknown but that was a great finale for what has otherwise been a solid series.