“Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight has returned to Netflix with his latest drama, “House of Guinness.” Set mainly in Dublin, Ireland, and loosely based on the real-life Guinnesses, the historical series focuses on the famous brewery and the family behind it following the death of their patriarch. Although well-acted and engaging, the show fails to pack the same explosive punch as the Cillian Murphy-starrer “Peaky Blinders” or even Knight’s Hulu series, “A Thousand Blows,” which premiered earlier this year. Still, it’s an engrossing enough saga that puts the lore and the myths of one of the Emerald Isle’s most famous dynasties front and center.
“House of Guinness” begins amid death and rebellion. It’s May 27, 1868, and Sir. Benjamin Guinness has died, leaving chaos and his towering brewery behind. His passing isn’t exactly a moment of mourning for the people of Dublin. The Fenians (who would become the Irish Republican Army, the IRA) are celebrating his demise, especially amid his long-term partnership with the British. The streets are so chaotic that Guinness Brewery foreman Sean Rafferty (an outstanding James Norton) has been tasked with ensuring Benjamin’s horse-drawn casket arrives at the church unscathed from bottle-wielding protestors.
For their part, Benjamin’s children aren’t moved to tears in the wake of his death either. Meeting at the family home just before the funeral, Anne (Emily Fairn), the only girl sibling, encourages her rambunctious brothers to at least pretend to be a united front in public. However, the men have other plans. Arthur (Anthony Boyle), the eldest brother, resents being forced to leave his life in London, where he spends his days sexing, drinking and smoking. Ben (Fionn O’Shea), the middle brother, is too drunk to even conceive of what’s happening. Finally, there is Edward (Louis Partridge), the youngest brother, who has followed dutifully in Benjamin’s footsteps and has his own unique ideas, but has the sole misfortune of his birth order.
The siblings make it through the funeral uneventfully, but the reading of their father’s will throws all of their lives in disarray, changing the course of their futures forever. Ben and Anne are written out of the will for being a drunkard and a woman, respectively. Meanwhile, Arthur and Edward are awarded the brewery, all of the Guinness properties and a massive fortune ($162 million in today’s money) jointly and equally. Unfortunately, neither brother can walk away from the business without forfeiting everything entirely over to the other.
Over the course of the season, audiences watch as Edward and Arthur navigate their newfound roles, differences and what the legacy of Guinness requires each of them to sacrifice. (Anne and Ben are mostly relegated to side characters popping in and out of the plot for flair.). Moreover, as Edward looks to expand the business internationally and across the ocean to New York, Arthur finds himself with one foot in the spaces he longs to return to and another in this new public position he must claim. Though the family dynamics anchor the story, the Fenian uprising led by sister/brother duo Ellen (Niamh McCormack) and Paddy Cochran (Seamus O’Hara) are also causing major chaos on the streets of Dublin and within the company’s walls.
While “House of Guinness” is solid, it lacks the sharpness of Knight’s previous works. Despite the stunning cinematography, punchy music and slick stylization, by Episode 5, it becomes tedious and repetitive, droning on and on to extend itself into eight episodes. It’s interesting to reflect on the wealth of the Irish upper class just two decades after the Irish Potato Famine. However, the latter half of the season feels meandering, with overstuffed episodes diluting the impact of the plot. The series would have significantly benefited from a more precise edit, zeroing in entirely on the top-of-mind characters instead of trying to make space for every single Guinness on the family tree and those surrounding them.
The show isn’t historically accurate, but it’s mostly a fun ride for those interested in the Guinnesses and Ireland’s extensive history. Though “House of Guinness” isn’t Knight’s best work, it’s a compelling tale about family, ambition, desire and what it costs to remain at the top.
“House of Guinness” premieres Sept. 25 on Netflix.
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