Top Boy star says episode 1 twist is 'driving force' of the season

The previous season of the Netflix crime drama had charted the relationship between students Stefan (Araloyin Oshunremi) and Ats (Keiyon Cook) and explored how the criminality surrounding the young pair impacted their friendship.

When Ats found himself recruited by the gang led by Dushane Hill (Ashley Walters), it put him in opposition to his friend Stefan, who is brother to Dushane's rival Jamie (Micheal Ward).

Ats betrayed Stefan by planting a bag of guns in the flat he shared with Jamie, which led to Jamie being jailed – all part of Dushane's master plan. (You can dig more into the show's backstory with our Top Boy recap.)

Top Boy has now returned to Netflix with eight new episodes, the first of which revealed what happened to Ats next... (Spoilers follow!)

Early in the first episode, it is established that Ats is missing, with his mother Amma (Jolade Obasola) and Dushane's dealer Jaq (Jasmine Jobson) both seen voicing their concern for the missing teen.

His whereabouts remain a mystery until the premiere's closing scenes, which sees a team of refuse collectors discover Ats' body dumped in a skip, his clothes covered in blood.

Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com, Top Boy star and executive producer Ashley Walters explained that the circumstances surround Ats' off-screen death will be "one of the driving forces" of the new season.

"I guess you could call it a kind of a spine that a lot of other storylines grow off the back of, especially one huge one at the end comes off the back of what happens in the beginning," said Walters.

Walters added that while it was "a shame" to lose the character of Ats, "there was not much that we could do about it, so we honoured that journey in the best way we could."

Though fans will be dismayed by Ats' fate, Walters explained that exploring how the events of Top Boy impact the show's youngest characters has always been a core tenet of the series.

"A community is affected by things that happen within that community – not just the specific people that are enduring it or experiencing it at that time. It has a ripple effect throughout our communities and it's really good to see the other side of this. Yes, you do have the dealers at the top of their game making the money, but how does that affect the people underneath them, the younger people around them? It's mirroring exactly what is going on in our communities right now, throughout London and around the world, and it's important that we make that point.

"It's not all glitz and glamour, there are people that are damaged by this, there are people who have their lives ruined by this sort of life."

Walters cited the character of Aaron (Hope Ikpoku Jr), Jamie and Stefan's studious brother, as an example of how the show highlights other avenues for young people beyond crime.

"[That's] our way of showing you don't have to take this route – there are other options, even though it may seem like it's the only thing to do growing up in that sort of environment. Look at Aaron – all he ever talks about is uni and working... that's us trying to make the point that in that gangster-dominated environment, he still has the motivation to try and get out in another way and take another route, and that can be you."

Following Ats' death, Jasmine Jobson – who earned a BAFTA nomination for her performance in the 2019 episodes of Top Boy – hinted at a "massive emotional journey" for her character Jaq.

"I pride myself on being a method actor, I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to my work, so I really had to channel some really dark emotions that I haven't actually felt or experienced in a long time, which then made me realise that there are some issues that I haven't actually dealt with," she said.

"I found there were days where I would need five minutes to myself, where I would just sit in a corner and cry and just figure out what emotion is she feeling at this point and what's driven her there."

Read more about Top Boy:

• Where is Top Boy filmed? Location guide for Netflix’s season 4
• How to watch Top Boy in order on Netflix
• Top Boy cast: Meet the stars of the Netflix series
• Top Boy season 4 review: On storming form in most ambitious season yet
• Top Boy's Ashley Walters reveals if Ra'Nell will ever return to the series
• Top Boy season 4 ending explained

The new season of Top Boy is streaming now on Netflix – visit our guide to the best series on Netflix, read more of our Drama coverage or find something to watch now with our TV Guide.

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