Bruk Up

Bruk Up is the season premiere of the third season and the 9th overall episode of Top Boy.

Synopsis
Streetwise Jamie looks to lead a gang and cut old ties for a new supplier. In Jamaica, hardened criminal Dushane is at the mercy of a powerful kingpin.

Plot
The series opens on the Summerhouse estate. Dris, who is now the leader of the gang, is hanging around with a few crew members, including Jaq, Kieron and Romy. They are interrupted by two local crackheads, Sarah and Lee. Dris tells them he’s warned them not to come around here as Sarah asks for drugs. Lee tries to give him a radio in exchange for them but Dris refuses, as Jaq tells them both to fuck off.

As the crackheads leave, two Turkish gang members walk up to them. The leader of the two tells Dris he has news, the price of drugs is increasing, and he wants 50k for the next shipment. He then taunts Jaq, saying that his friend thinks she is a man, but he thinks she is a woman, to which Jaq responds to ask his wife. As the Turks leave, the rest of the group berates them as Dris takes some pills. Jaq looks on at him as he does so.

Romy asks what’s wrong with his bike. Kieron and Jaq mess around with him but Dris picks up the bike and throws it against a wall, telling them to stop messing around.

In the Fields estate, a young boy named Stefan is cooking food in the flat. His older brother Aaron asks if he needs help and jokes it smells bad. His oldest brother, Jamie enters and tells him the food smells good and he’s done a good job. The three sit down to eat but Jamie leaves shortly after. As he leaves, he tells Aaron to wash up and Stefan to be in bed by nine. Stefan asks him to wake him up when he gets back home.

Jamie and his friend Kit walk in the park to some of the other Fields crew members. One of them, Leyton, is telling the others, Farah, Si and Tyrone, that their former leader Modie said before he went to prison that Leyton will take over whilst he’s away. Leyton berates the two for being late. As Modie has been sent away for 18 years, he says he’s running the group now. Jamie asks him what he plans on doing with the Turks, and Leyton says he’ll speak to them. Jamie suggests a different supplier, he knows someone who will sell to them for a lower price. The rest of the group bar Leyton agrees. The two argue about it.

In Jamaica, Dushane and his cousin Donovan are at a party. A man approaches Dushane and says he recognises him from Summerhouse. The man tells his girlfriend about Dushane’s legendary status and asks him for a selfie. Dushane obliges but then leaves and speaks to a man named Lester. Lester tells him of a plan to visit a post office and take some money. Dushane is sceptical at first but agrees.

Stefan and his friend Ats are at the basketball court. Jaq and Romy arrive and take the ball. Ats asks them for his ball back, but the older two refuse, and Ats remarks to Jaq she should be playing netball instead. Jaq challenges them to a 2v2 game and jokingly congratulates the youngsters after. Jaq tells them if they keep it up she might have them working for her. As the youngsters walk home, Stefan warns Ats that they’re trouble. Ats and Stefan then go to Ats’ house, where Ats’ mum Amma greets them. She tells them there’s food in the oven as she leaves for work. The two jokingly play fight.

Dushane goes to work with Donovan at the car dealership. Donovan warns him about Lester, and more specifically Sugar, his boss, who is crazy. A customer arrives and it’s Marlon, the man from the party. Marlon is surprised to see Dushane working there and seems shocked as Dushane sorts out the car for him. As Marlon drives away, Dushane rings Lester and tells him to come and collect him.

As they drive, Lester tells him this job will get Dushane real money, but as they arrive at the Post Office, it’s closed. The two drive away but Lester stops at a shop to get a drink. As Dushane remains in the car, Lester threatens the old woman working there, and pulls out a gun on her. The woman’s son runs out but Lester impulsively shoots him by mistake, killing him. Dushane then gets out and shoots Lester, killing him. Dushane then drives off quickly, back to the dealership. Donovan says to Dushane he warned him about him and asks where Lester is. Dushane says he killed him and needs to escape. Donovan says he has no passport and he doesn’t want to leave his dad.

Jamie and Kit meet with Lizzie and her partner Jeffrey. Jamie and Kit explain they’ll take their product and sell it on the roads so the other two won’t have to go near that, and they’ll make 100x time more than what they currently sell. Lizzie says Jamie’s taking a risk, but he says where he comes from, life is a risk. Lizzie agrees to work with them.

Dushane goes to visit Sugar in prison. Sugar is angry that Lester has been killed, but Dushane tries to reason with him, saying that he was about to kill the old woman. Sugar is not having it however and says he won’t leave the prison alive. Dushane says Sugar isn’t selling in London. He knows Sugar has the drugs and Dushane has the people. Sugar reluctantly agrees before allowing Dushane to leave the prison. Dushane tells Donovan he’s going back to London, but Donovan reminds him of the problems he has over there. Dushane says he’ll deal with them.

Stefan tries to tell Jamie about a problem he’s having with his geography teacher Mr. Evans. Jamie has to leave again, and Stefan asks him when he’ll be back. Jamie says not until late and warns Aaron to make sure the kitchen is clean when he’s home.

Dushane and Donovan are together, but two police officers arrive. They order Dushane to put Donovan into the police car before getting in himself. They then drive off into the hills. The police stop the car as Dushane asks what’s happening. They refuse to tell him as another car pulls up. A man named Haze steps out, carrying a gun. They lead Dushane and drag Donovan into a clearing in the trees. Haze tells Dushane to get on his knees, pointing the gun at his head.

The Turks are at a warehouse. As they exchange some money, one begins to smell burning. They notice a fire, but it’s blocking the exit. They go to the other exit, but the doors are locked. As they break out, blinded by the fire and smoke, they are all killed by an assailant who shoots at them.

Haze asks Dushane if he respects Sugar, before leaving with the two police officers.

The assailants, revealed to be Jamie and Kit, burn their clothes. They empty the bag from the Turks, taking the money before burning the bag. Jamie gets home and kisses Stefan goodnight. Dushane carries Donovan down the road on his back.

Main cast

 * Ashley Walters as Dushane
 * Micheal Ward as Jamie
 * Shone Romulus as Dris
 * Lisa Dwan as Lizzie
 * Jasmine Jobson as Jaq
 * Hope Ikpoku Jnr as Aaron
 * Araloyin Oshunremi as Stefan
 * Keiyon Cook as Ats

Supporting cast

 * Jolade Obasola as Amma
 * Kadeem Ramsay as Kit
 * Kola Bokinni as Leyton
 * Josef Altin as Lee
 * Isla Jackson-Ritchie as Sarah
 * Alessandro Babalola as Haze
 * Dudley O'Shaughnessy as Si
 * Seraphina Beh as Farah
 * Reniko Francis as Tyrone
 * Nyshai Caynes as Romy
 * Joshua Blissett as Keiron
 * Shaun Dingwall as Jeffrey
 * Gilbert Chen as Sugar
 * Kimo Armstrong as Donovan
 * Kibwe Lawrence as Lester
 * Leonie Forbes as Miss Carmen
 * Alexandra Gregory as Sheanay
 * Riaze Foster as Marlon
 * Suzana Missenbeger as Imani
 * Kemanie L. Boothe as Young man
 * Marlon Wizzard as MC
 * Leeroy Gray as Jamaican Prison Guard #1
 * Quinn O'Connor as Jamaican Prison Guard #2
 * Reuben Teller as Cop #1
 * Boyd Anthony Grant as Cop #2
 * Aksel Ustun as Turk boss
 * Jel Djelal as Factory owner