Aahana Swrup
‘Artful Dodger’ season 2 brings new misadventures and challenges for Jack Dawkins, the pickpocket turned surgeon, and Belle Fox, who is an aspiring female surgeon. At the end of the first season, the titular protagonist gets arrested on suspicion of murder. As a result, six months later, he finds himself awaiting death row, from which he only barely manages to escape. Even so, under heavy parole, which endangers his romance with Belle, and with a mysterious surgical serial killer on the loose, Jack has the odds stacked against him. However, fans will notice that instead of Port Victory’s reliable, if pesky, police captain, Lucien Gaines, is no longer in the picture. Instead, a new character, Booker, enters the narrative as the new Captain in the colony. Naturally, the shift in law enforcement power attracts inevitable intrigue. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Captain Lucien Gaines Dies at the End of Season 1
Captain Lucien Gaines remains a formidable opponent for Jack “Dodge” Dawkins and his surrogate father, Fagin, throughout season 1. The Inspector is eager to get his lawful claws into the surgeon for his past as a convicted felon, approved for death row. Therefore, much of the overarching friction plaguing the protagonist stems from his character in the first season. Nonetheless, all of that comes to an end in the finale episode, ‘Untapped Potential.’ In the end, Gaines has managed to catch Jack and meets up with Fagin. He believes that the latter is willing to trade his son’s conviction documents in exchange for his own freedom. Nonetheless, it all proves to be an elaborate trap.
Fagin only gives Gaines the impression of his betrayal of Jack in order to lure him into a trap. Once they meet in the back alley, the crook brings out Frances Scrubbs, aka Red, who had to fake her own death in order to escape her death row sentence. Red ends up killing Lucien with a bullet to the heart, exacting her revenge upon the law enforcement officer. As she leaves, returning to live her life with her newborn daughter, Gaines bleeds out in the nondescript alley. Ironically enough, as he’s dying, Jack, his mortal enemy, remains one of the only ones who can save him from his demise. Ultimately, no life-saving operations take place, and the police captain dies.
Initially, Jack ends up taking the blame for the death and comes close to tasting the noose for the untrue accusation. Fortunately, Belle is able to find an eyewitness, a laundress named Miss Linnet, who testifies about seeing a woman kill the officer. Although this doesn’t entirely absolve Jack of his criminal past, it lifts the blame of Gaines’ death from his shoulders and fades the dead police captain out of the narrative. In his stead, a new captain arrives to serve the community of Port Victory: Captain Boxer. The latter is a serious inspector, with a tragic past. While he doesn’t hold any outright grudges against the protagonist, his seeming chemistry with Belle offers a different kind of friction to the narrative.
Damon Herriman Seems to Have Exited The Artful Dodger
Captain Lucien Gaines’ death in ‘The Artful Dodger’ season 1 is evidently clear-cut, leaving little room for ambiguity. Furthermore, as the inciting premise of the second season heavily relies on the aftermath of the captain’s death, it only adds more weight to the storyline. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that Gaines’ involvement with the story has come to an end. Unfortunately, this also means an exit from the show for Damon Herriman, the actor who brings the character to life on the screen. Herriman, best known for his work in projects like ‘The Nightingale,’ ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,’ ‘Better Man,’ and ‘Together,’ has previously talked about his positive experiences with the show.
In a conversation with TV Week about the project and his castmates, Herriman said, “I’ve been a massive fan of David Thewlis (who plays Norbert Fagin) for probably 30 years now. Thomas (Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who plays Jack), I’ve just been blown away. He is the perfect Dodger; he’s such a nice guy to start with, but he just brings so much to this role, you want (Dodger) to succeed, and you want him to get away with it. And Maia Mitchell (Belle) is just an absolute sweetheart and brilliant, brilliant actor. But ultimately, it (the thing that attracted the actor to the show) was the story and just such a great role. I love when I can read something and imagine how much fun it would be.”
Luke Bracey’s Inspector Boxer is the New Police Captain in Port Victory
With Gaines’ exit from the show, a new character enters the storyline. In season 2, Port Victory welcomes a different Police Captain in the form of Inspector Boxer. This brings in the addition of Luke Bracey to the cast of ‘The Artful Dodger.’ The Australian actor found his big break in the soap opera ‘Home and Away,’ in which he plays the role of Trey Palmer. His earlier roles include films like ‘Dance Academy,’ ‘Monte Carlo,’ and more. Fans may also recognize him from some of his well-known projects, including ‘The Best of Me,’ ‘Point Break,’ ‘Hacksaw Ridge,’ ‘Holidate,’ and ‘Elvis.’ ‘The Artful Dodger’ has been on Bracey’s radar for some time, especially when Susie Porter, who plays Lady Jane Fox, told him about her pleasant experience on the production when they were filming for ‘The Travellers’ together.
Eventually, the actor received a call about the role of Inspector Henry Boxer, which he readily accepted. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Bracey spoke positively about his time working on the project. Bracey discussed the quality production, the pleasant cast and crew members, as well as the luxury of working in Sydney and being able to spend time with his family. While talking about his character, Inspector Boxer, whom he perceives as a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Darcy, the actor said, “He’s kind of like a hound. He gets a sniff of a scent and follows it. He’s a very moral, upstanding man. He believes in the right thing, and I really enjoyed that part of him. He’s someone who wants to do the right thing and believes in the right thing, and I think that’s a nice thing to do.”
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