Image Credit: Netflix
In fablesA team of undercover Customs operatives adopt new identities – known as their ‘Legends’ – and attempt to infiltrate drug gangs and dismantle them from the inside. Plus, it’s based on an incredible true story.
fables Producer Neil Forsyth already has a distinguished roster of British crime dramas; look no further than this goldA series based on the true Brink’s-Mat robbery of 1983, considered one of the best The most important events in British criminal history. In fablesHe takes audiences back to 1990s England and tells the incredible true story of how a small team of largely untrained customs officers became the most important task force in Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s ‘War on Drugs’. While most of the truth is based on true events fables The story has been altered for dramatic purposes. It also creates a fictional element to protect the real people involved.
fables It begins with a teenager in Liverpool obtaining heroin and quickly falling under its influence, resulting in his death. This quick depiction shows how fragile life is when it comes to drug use, and shows viewers the devastating real-world consequences. It is not only the dealers, leaders or secret officers who suffer mentally and physically; Young, innocent lives drawn into the wrong crowd are affected the most. And I think that persistence is what makes this show so appealing. It takes a comprehensive look at the drug empire, revealing its influence on every rung of the ladder.
From there, the show then builds its team of ‘Legends’ – a team of four customs officers working undercover in the heart of the drug empire in England, originating from London and Liverpool. The team is led by acting veteran Steve Coogan, who plays Don, a former undercover detective with a troubled history. He creates a team that he believes is capable of overthrowing the drug empire. The Don does not choose the strongest officers or the smartest officers, but rather those he trusts the most.
The first of the officers attending the task is Guy (Tom Burke), a family man who works in airport security. The boy is tough and street-smart, having grown up in one of London’s roughest boroughs. A man who prefers to work alone, Don gives himself the freedom to oversee the London side of the operation. The other two officers are Kate (Hayley Squire) and Bailey (Amal Amin), who are sent to the north of Liverpool, a city with the largest drug distribution network in the UK. Kate is resourceful and clever, but stubborn and disorganized in her ways; In contrast, Bailey values a more systematic approach. Of course their personalities sometimes clash, but teamwork is essential when dealing with the complex and dangerous streets of Liverpool.
Acting as the glue, or ‘engine room’, between the operations in London and Liverpool is Civil Service Secretary Erin (Jasmine Blackborough). They are tasked with making the force’s transition into their individual ‘Legends’ seamless, giving them detailed paper trails and providing them with the right personalities and backstories to fit into their relative societies.
Fables. (Left to Right) Tom Burke as Guy, Jasmine Blackborough as Erin, Steve Coogan as Dawn, Amal Amin as Bailey, Hayley Squires as Kate in Legends. Ten million. Courtesy of Sally Mace/Netflix © 2026
with fables Putting the team in one place, the show places them in the middle of a drug empire, where they must establish themselves as key players while also hiding who they really are. In doing so, the show offers an incredible cross-section of the drug empire: we meet everyone who leads the entire operation, from opium production in Pakistan to transportation to street-level dealers in Britain. Throughout all six episodes, the Legends find themselves embroiled in disputes and conflicts at each level.
The ‘double life’ aspect of the story is particularly fascinating. This affects each of our Legends in different ways, but perhaps Guy most profoundly. He is a family man, and he is so deeply immersed in his double life that he never lets his guard down. He finds himself almost so deeply embedded in his legend that it becomes difficult for him to break out of it, even when surrounded by his secret associates.
One thing that becomes immediately noticeable is how the show diverges from its titular giants. The undercover officers are the people we enter the drug underworld with, but once we arrive, the show spends a lot of time focusing on the big players in the heroin operation. One of these is young Liverpudlian Carter (Tom Hughes), the leader of a northern drug-trafficking operation, who projects an impressive image but is nevertheless deeply vulnerable when the façade is torn – especially when he returns home to his mother. Meanwhile, in London, Turkish leader Hakan (Numan Aker) proposes a new plan for a distribution network, which Guy struggles with.
Of all the plot lines, one side story shines the most: we follow Eddie (Johnny Harris), the Liverpudlian father of a typical nuclear family. He secretly works with Carter in his drug distribution operation. There is a strength in this story breaking bad feel; A family man becomes a leading figure in the pharmaceutical business. When Eddie witnesses firsthand the devastating effects of heroin on his son, ultimately leading to his death, he is overcome with remorse and becomes determined to destroy Carter’s empire.
Eddie’s story is a symbol of what makes fables Looks so powerful. It doesn’t embellish anything. This keeps the story raw and grounded. It’s about ordinary people, and it offers heart-wrenching moments to the audience.
MVP of fables
tom burke -Intense and emotionally vulnerable, Tom Burke delivers a powerful, layered performance. Guy’s strength and enthusiasm come naturally to Burke, but I was continually amazed by his wide-ranging emotional performance.
decision
We’ve already seen cover stories about officers going undercover on British crime shows; look no further than this line of duty. But fables Cuts deep. It is rooted in real events, and that gives it an edge over others.
It tells a dark story about the intricacies of the drug business in 1990s England. But it also shows how deeply it changes its characters mentally. They end the series exactly where they started. (spoiler ALERT) There is a scene at the end when Guy returns home to his family after successfully ending the drug delivery business. It’s midnight and he’s struggling to sleep. He hears noises outside and stands quietly at his window, waiting for threats. The secret work may be over, but there will never be peace. These people will keep watching their backs throughout their lives.
‘Legends’ is now streaming on Netflix.
