(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
House of Guinness’s eldest heir, Arthur (Anthony Boyle), is close to coming up with a new beer advertising slogan while receiving a b—job from an unexpected late-night visitor in the new Netflix historical drama. “What it is to be a Guinness,” he proclaims in the throes of pleasure.
A glance at the poster for the Succession meets Peaky Blinders venture from Steven Knight is enough to tell you that mustache-sporting Arthur is a man who f—s.
Unlike the other characters on the poster, he is reclining nonchalantly with his feet-on-the-table, pulling focus with his direct-to-camera gaze and cheeks sucked in. His impressive mustache demands attention. Boyle, a Tony-nominated Irish actor, brings Arthur’s swagger and d–k-swinging to life in House of Guinness. It is hard not to feel charmed whenever Boyle is on screen—press tour interviews included.
“He’d be much more interested in shagging fellas, drinking Guinness, and having the craic [Irish slang for “fun or good time”] in London,” Boyle recently said about Arthur on The Late Late Show.
House of Guinness continues a hot streak of Boyle’s “Dad TV” roles in shows like Masters of the Air, Manhunt, and Say Nothing. How Boyle hasn’t been promoted to the title of Internet Boyfriend is beyond me, but perhaps his take on Arthur Guinness will change that.
In each limited series, Boyle delivers a magnetic and fully realized portrayal of men based on real historical figures. He does the same with Arthur, whose air of entitlement only masks so much and whose overflowing BDE is easy to understand after watching the third episode.
The soundtrack blasts out songs by Dropkick Murphys and Kneecap, adding to the propulsive mood. Knight’s Peaky Blinders also took this contemporary music route, and he is far from the first creative to opt for this marriage of present and past. (“This fiction is inspired by true stories,” reads the House of Guinness disclaimer.)
Still, it sets a playful atmosphere so that even when events take a darker turn, there is an undertone of irreverence. Boyle taps into this push-pull with the weight of Arthur’s secrets and the thrill of the Guinness scion’s authentic self.
Unlike Succession, no one is trying to earn their father’s approval. It is too late for that. The first episode kicks off in Dublin on the day of the brewery mogul’s death in 1868 with Guinness patriarch Sir Benjamin’s lavish funeral. Arthur and his siblings, Edward (Louis Partridge), Anne (Emily Fairn), and Ben (Fionn O’Shea), are now the public face of the brewing dynasty, with Arthur reluctantly coming to terms with his new leadership position. He does not want to be the Number One Boy.
One notable change from other TV siblings who are thrust into an inheritance battle is their lack of toxic rivalry; Arthur wants uptight Edward to be the boss. It helps that Olivia Rodrigo’s IRL beau, Partridge, is playing a workaholic who is more interested in legacy and pumping out gallons of booze than anything in the pants department. Different priorities in their personal and professional lives make for a potent mix.
Another creative choice underscores how at ease Boyle and Partridge are sharing the same frame. When the pair first appears on screen, the noticeable height difference isn’t hidden by camera angles or perspective. Whether you can trust the listed heights of actors online is another story, but Partridge is said to be 6′0” to Boyle’s 5′7”. Boyle is not pretending to be taller than he is.
In a world where lifts and apple crates help mask stature, it is refreshing to see Boyle’s short king status in full view, immediately increasing Arthur’s (and Boyle’s) hot aura. Later, Arthur proves to be packing in another area.
Plenty of obstacles exist for the gifted Guinness. Arthur’s dark mood isn’t fully explained in the premiere, but his melancholy doesn’t stem from grief. “I am half-consumed by the flames of hell,” he mutters. We soon learn that having to take his father’s political seat and become the head of the Guinness brand is putting a damper on Arthur’s ability to live as freely as a gay man could in the 1860s (a time when getting sentenced to 20 years’ hard labor if caught with another man was the norm). Still, even with these constraints, Arthur finds a way, and Boyle’s electric depiction taps into the joy and heartbreak of lust and love in this era.
At the mid-way point of the series, not even a political scandal and getting barred from his favorite molly house (18th and 19th queer bars/venues) can halt his active sex life.
Luckily for Arthur, a former conquest and current employee, Patrick (Cúán Hosty-Blaney), stops by the dark brewery office when Arthur is at his horniest. Arthur can’t remember their past dalliance or his “act of post-coital philanthropy” when he recommended Patrick for a job two years earlier. Nevertheless, the Guinness heir is glad to have his memory jogged. Boyle also makes dialogue sing that could fall into a cheesy trap (such as “what it is to be a Guinness” during fellacito).
Arthur’s confidence is on full display during an earlier discussion about his choice of bride with long-serving (and suffering) family butler, Potter (Michael McElhatton). Seeing some bare flesh during a bathtub scene is not gasp-worthy. Well, maybe this time it is—even if the bathtub exit is shot from a distance. “My goodness, my Guinness,” is a famous midcentury advertising slogan (as seen in Joey and Chandler’s Friends apartment) that could apply here.
The casual familiarity of this nudity and how unfazed Potter is by a penis he has no doubt seen a thousand times adds to the specificity in showing Arthur baring himself on screen now. The literal swinging of Arthur’s impressive manhood is a show of power that definitely made me sit up and pay attention.
It doesn’t matter if other members of Arthur’s family (or the staff) think the outspoken Lady Olivia (Danielle Galligan) is “too sharp” because Arthur has the final say on who his bride is (marriage of convenience or not). Potter’s disapproval ensures this lavender marriage to Olivia—who is well aware of Arthur’s sexuality—goes ahead.
Being financially well-endowed is not the only reason Arthur wears a smirk; Arthur’s overt BDE in previous scenes is backed up by what is on screen (prosthetic or not). No wonder he has zero desire to get tied to a desk, unless a late-night visitor is on the cards. Arthur doesn’t want to lead, but with Boyle commanding the screen, it is time to order another round of Guinness.
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