Eddie finds love in The Gentlemen season two with Italian aristocrat Bella. But mere moments after the pair get married, Eddie is forced to watch his new wife’s plane explode in front of him – and there’s a dark reason she had to die.

Yes, everyone is hoping for Eddie (Theo James) and Susie (Kaya Scodelario) to be endgame, but Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series has far bigger fish to fry in the second chapter.

Eddie meets Bella (Benedetta Porcaroli) while he and Susie seek to expand the Halstead operation into Europe. Although it starts as a strategic relationship, it quickly develops into real love.

In episode six, the pair get married and set off for their honeymoon, with Bella travelling by seaplane while Eddie drives, ready for a happy future together. That lasts approximately five minutes, because moments after taking off, Bella’s plane explodes in front of him, killing her instantly.

So, who actually killed Bella, why was she targeted and – perhaps more importantly – why did The Gentlemen’s creators decide she had to die?

Who killed Bella in The Gentlemen season 2?

Gospel John (Pearce Quigley) is ultimately revealed as the man behind Bella’s murder, with Eddie’s own brother Freddy (Daniel Ings) involved in his wider plan.

The Gentlemen never reveals who physically planted the bomb on Bella’s plane, but by the season two finale, Freddy admits he knew what Gospel John was planning and helped him.

Before discovering the truth, Eddie initially believes Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone) is responsible. After armed mercenaries attack Halstead Manor and attempt to kidnap his nephew Tarquin, Eddie interrogates one of the surviving attackers, who appears to confirm his suspicions.

Eddie is so convinced Bobby’s behind everything that he arranges to have him assassinated in prison. Except Bobby has nothing to do with it. Eddie realises he’s made a huge mistake and races with Susie to stop the hit, eventually discovering the conspiracy leads much closer to home.

Gospel John and Freddy’s unlikely partnership actually goes all the way back to season one, when Freddy killed his brother Tommy Dixon. John originally wanted revenge on Freddy for Tommy’s death, but by season two, the pair have formed a twisted bond after meeting in rehab.

Under his spiritual guidance, Freddy’s resentment towards his brother grows. As the eldest Horniman son, he believed the Halstead title and estate should have passed to him, only for their father to leave everything to his younger brother instead.

Their plot wasn’t limited to Bella either, with the attack on Halstead and attempted kidnapping of Tarquin all forming part of the conspiracy against Eddie and his family. And Eddie makes sure they both pay for it: by forcing Freddy to kill Gospel John.

The real reason Bella had to die

Both Theo James and the writers of the Netflix show have explained that Bella’s death was ultimately about breaking Eddie. She represented his chance at a happier life away from the criminal world, and killing her took that future away from him.

As The Gentlemen’s lead writer Matthew Read told Netflix’s Tudum, season two first sees Eddie break physically, then takes Bella from him. “We thought it was really useful to see Eddie as somebody who could be broken, who was vulnerable,” he explained.

“To see the journey of how Eddie would respond to such a terrible thing happening to him” helped to open up the drama for the final couple of episodes.

James believes her death destroys more than just their marriage. “She’s awakened this possibility of a good life outside of death and destruction, so when she’s quickly wiped off the face of the planet, his whole sense of self and life is completely deconstructed,” the actor said.

This also paves the way for season three (which has since been confirmed), as Eddie now has a capacity for brutality that he didn’t have before.

James elaborated on this in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining, “In terms of the ending [of episode six], we actually shot a bunch of [versions].

“Eddie sees what’s happened, and there’s an aftermath. Guy wanted a bit more mystery, so we don’t understand where he is or what’s happening to him until the end of episode seven – and then he starts this story of ultimate revenge fueled by anger.

“That’s the fun as well of being able to do a third season. He’s betrayed by his brother. He loses his wife on his wedding day, but he also ascends to a higher place of power, so he’s going to be more ruthless and deadly.

“And at what point is the barrier between a vaguely good person or a complete monster? Kaya’s character says that she thinks he’s evolving into something else, and I think that’s fun territory to be in.”

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