Cinematic and stylish, it’s no wonder Last King of the Cross became the most-watched Australian show on Paramount+ on its debut last year. The Sydney-set crime series is fictitous drama inspired by the true story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who escaped as children from war-torn Lebanon and became rising figures in the Australian underworld of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
As the darkly compelling, fictional saga returns from August 30 on Paramount+, the focus switches from Kings Cross to Oxford Street. Season two picks up 18 months after the last season’s white-knuckle climax, with both new and returning characters on board. The second season proves even more suspenseful and perilous – with more punchy action and family drama than before.
We’ve highlighted five key reasons to add the second season to your must-watch calendar. If you haven’t seen season one yet, don’t worry – you’ve still got time to catch up.
Naveen Andrews joins the cast as a formidable underworld figure
Best known for his long-running role on Lost, British-American actor Naveen Andrews joins Last King of the Cross as fictional character Ray Kinnock, the current boss of Oxford Street. That places him in direct opposition to John Ibrahim, who has set his sights on the bustling district to bolster his waning Kings Cross empire. Given Andrews’s track record for playing quirky yet charismatic characters, audiences can expect Ray Kinnock to be an unforgettable antagonist.
Brotherhood sits at the heart of this expanded family story
The first season thrived on the friction between brothers John and Sam, played with gritty conviction by lead actors Lincoln Younes and Claude Jabbour. This season introduces younger siblings Michael and Fadi Ibrahim, played by Dave Hoey and Alex Kaan respectively. While the younger brothers play a smaller role, they complicate the already tense struggle for dominance between John and Sam. That heated family dynamic will be at the centre of season two, as Sam is released from prison and begins to assemble the most substantial bikie chapter in Australian history. Meanwhile, John gets to work re-establishing himself as a key Sydney nightlife figure.
Sydney’s Oxford Street provides an energetic new backdrop
The first season was firmly centred on Kings Cross – but this time we jump to Oxford Street, with the former hotbed of crime and nightlife all but extinguished. The corridor was home to Sydney’s fashion scene and queer culture in the late 1990s, when this season takes place. That makes for a colourful and diverse new location to rival Kings Cross, which was famously recreated with an elaborate set for season one. With new antagonist Ray Kinnock dubbed as “the reigning queen of Oxford Street,” a focus on the street’s lasting queer legacy seems promising. After all, it’s where Sydney’s first Mardi Gras was held in 1978.
Fast-paced action punctuates this high-stakes crime drama
Realistic car chases, shoot-outs and brawls set the tone for Last King of the Cross. That’s especially true of the second season, which ramps up the action and the stakes. As brothers John and Sam each ascend the ladder of Australia’s criminal underworld, their competition won’t go down without a fight. And don’t forget Liz Doyle (played by Tess Haubrich), the driven Sydney detective who has been promoted to senior sergeant and commissioned a new crime taskforce.
John is a strong addition to television’s modern canon of antiheroes
Modern television is full of memorable antiheroes: think Tony Soprano, Breaking Bad’s Walter White and Mad Men’s Don Draper. This season, John makes a strong case to join their ranks. While Sam and their younger siblings are compelling in their own rights, John moves to centre stage as he wrestles with Ray to gain control of Oxford Street. The tug-of-war between John’s underworld machinations and his family loyalties proves especially gripping this time around.
Season two of Last King of the Cross is streaming August 30 only on Paramount+.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Paramount+. Last King of the Cross is a dramatisation inspired by true events from John Ibrahim’s autobiography. Several characters and events represented in the series are fictional. Any similiarity to the name, character or history of any living persons is entirely coincidental and unintentional.
