Prepare to embark on a journey through the streets of 18th-century England with AppleTV+’s delightful new comedy, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. Led by the charismatic and eccentric Noel Fielding, this reimagining of the legendary English highwayman promises to charm audiences with its absurd take on the old tales. Step into the world of Dick Turpin and his merry band of misfits as they roam the countryside, turning the notion of highway robbery on its head with their hilarious escapades. Episode 1 offers a breezy glimpse into Dick’s origin story, revealing how he rose to become the fearless leader of the infamous Essex Gang. But what truly sets this show apart is its innocence and wholesome nature, which, I suppose, takes you back to childhood fantasies. Amidst the chaos of 18th-century England, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin offers a lighthearted escape, reminding viewers of the simple pleasures of laughter and self-confidence. The comedy is exactly as expected, the cast is an absolute delight, and the show’s wholesome charm ensures that it can do no wrong. So saddle up, dear viewers, and join Dick Turpin’s mischievous journey, and without further ado, let’s get into this recap.
Spoiler Alert
Why is Dick Set To Be Hanged?
It’s 1735, and Dick Turpin is set to be hanged for crimes we do not know of just yet. The man dressed in fancy frills with a penchant for all things starry finds himself in the company of others slated for execution too. When they halt for some refreshments, everyone goes around the room and introduces themselves. When it comes time for Dick to do so, a woman named Eliza Bean introduces him and joins them. She wants to write down the man’s adventures and publish them in a book, pamphlet, or something of the sort. I suppose I feel like Eliza is writing this article; I might as well change up everything myself, no? Just kidding, we’ll keep the made-up stories as they are. Eliza wants to know how Dick came into this group of “to be hanged” misfits. Dick begins his story at his home, where he lives with his loving father. Or a father he loves—maybe both? Anyway, Dick’s the son of a butcher, but he’s a vegan and has no interest in slaughtering animals, so he tells his father he’s leaving the house with a pair of (fantastic-looking) purple shoes and his trusty sewing machine.
His father claims he planned on handing the business down to Dick, but realizing that his son has always been different and a little bit strange makes him realize that he has to find someone else to hand the knives to. That’s how his journey to becoming the infamous highwayman begins. Dick then makes his way to the nearest pub, run by 8-year-old little Karen. They form a fond friendship there. While he’s chit-chatting with Karen, a beastly gang arrives, asking for drinks. Karen refuses to serve them because she doesn’t know who they are. The gang is led by Tom King, and he’s got a group of four under his wing. Tom wants Karen to do a task for him and redirect a cart so they can rob it. Obviously, Karen can’t do it, but Dick, who happens to be there, gets offered the job. Or, more like, gets threatened to join the gang.
How does Dick become the gang leader?
Dick pretends to be a future man (oh you know, just a man from 15 minutes into the future) and makes sure the cart is redirected; however, he’s unable to kill the man. The man escapes, despite Dick’s elaborate disguise and Tom’s fury. In the meanwhile, a bag of Dick’s things, including his favorite poncho, lands on top of a nearby tree. In his fury, Tom tries to shoot Dick, but something goes wrong, and the bullet ricochets and hits his own head (nice), dropping Dick’s favorite poncho onto his head, making it seem like Dick killed Tom. The future man is now everyone’s favorite person because he did what nobody else was willing to do. Nicholas, Honesty, and Moose are the remaining members of the gang, and they’re all smitten by Dick—well, two of them are. Dick quickly reveals that Nicholas is actually a woman, and she reveals herself to be Nell. It wouldn’t have been easy to be a highway “man” as a woman, I suppose. Seeing as Dick is so understanding and basically the agony aunt of highwaymen, the gang chooses him as their leader, despite Nell’s protests. The first move for Dick as the leader is to give the gang new outfits and a new name: the Essex Gang.
Does Dick defeat Jonathan Wilde?
Tom had a comrade in the thieftaker general, Jonathan Wilde. The morals of episode 1 lie in the way Dick handles his enemies. Tom was a bully, and he treated him with kindness, and somehow that worked out for him. Now, Dick tells Wilde that he won’t be sharing his misbegotten fortune with an aristocrat like him, and the Essex Gang has a more noble intent: to rob and then give back to the poor. Rebels, you know? Wilde, of course, hates this idea, and so Dick finds a new enemy in him. Dick then tries to escape through a secret passage in the pub, but he’s accidentally gone into the broom closet, leaving him caught while the rest of the gang escapes. Dick’s then set to be hanged for the murder of Tom King.
This is when we get to the beginning of the story, and now, in the present, Dick’s with the executioner and tells the crowd how his gang is going to help him escape. Nobody really believes him. Dick even thinks the executioner is Honesty, but when he reveals his face, it’s not. The gang is there to help him, though, but they’re just a little bit late. Dick gets hanged, but Honesty cuts the rope to save the day. At the end of episode 1, Dick’s freed and the Essex gang gallop into the sunset while Wilde puts up badly drawn sketches of the man for wanted posters. It reminded me of the time Flynn Ryder was wanted. Anyway, that’s how the legend of Dick Turpin was created—sort of.
