Disney+’s Renegade Nell Is a Delightful Blend of Highwayman Legend and Heartfelt Historical Drama

Sally Wainwright, the dynamo British writer behind Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, has done it again. Renegade Nell is a winning blend of highwayman legend, heartfelt historical drama, and, surprisingly, martial arts choreography. It’s an unlikely combination of buzzy, tried-and-tested genre conceits, but Renegade Nell doesn’t feel designed by network committee—rather a well-timed and deeply felt capitalization on why fantasy and history fiction appeals so much to younger viewers. It’s family-friendly but not pandering, and has a confident grasp on what audiences want to see from a “faeries versus satanists in 18th century England” pitch.

Over eight brisk episodes, we’re treated to the story of Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland), daughter to a Tottenham pub landlord and widow to an English soldier, who returns from the grave (it was the 18th century, if you didn’t send a letter, people assumed you were dead) to her father (Craig Parkinson) and younger sisters Roxy (Bo Bragason) and George (Florence Keen). But the local “toff,” the landowning aristocrat heir Thomas Blancheford (Jake Dunn), is causing havoc, imposing classist tyranny onto his tenants.

When he tries messing with Nell, however, he quickly realizes what we learned from an electric opening scene—Nell has a new faerie protector, Billy Blind (Nick Mohammed) that imbues her with incredible Matrix powers. Thomas’ humiliation has terrible consequences: Nell’s father is killed, and she is framed for the murder of Lord Blancheford (Pip Torrens), forcing her and her sisters to go on the run. They must make unlikely allies, commit to fabricated identities, and do their fair share of highway robbery to win back their freedom.

The praise owed to Renegade Nell’s swift and sure-footed first season shouldn’t solely be directed at Wainwright (the show is her first kids-orientated effort as a creator, although technically nothing’s stopping you from traumatizing your 11-year-olds with Happy Valley). The other writers, Georgia Christou and Emme Hoy, contribute sharp episodes; the energetic score by Nick Foster and Oli Julian goes into gothic overdrive with choral accompaniment to the action scenes; the well-experienced stunt coordinator James Embree brings the goods when Nell goes full wuxia mode.

But it’s hard to imagine Renegade Nell being nearly this good without Louisa Harland in the title role. Ditching the thick Northern Irish idiolect from Derry Girls, Harland is a bundle of propulsive snarky energy even when she’s not battling guards and miscreants, her eyes often wide with astonishment and mouth curled in a cheeky smile. She’s the type of character young audiences can instantly warm to and latch onto; savvy, exuberant, and fiercely loyal, quick to temper and empathetic in equal measure.

It’s clear in Harland’s performance how fun she’s finding the role, and her energy is marched by other ensemble members: Frank Dillane as washed-up gentry highwayman Charles Devereux, Alice Kremelberg as Sofia Wilmot, Thomas’ sister tempted by dark powers, and Enyi Okoronkwo as Rasselas, the Blancheford’s putupon manservant who chases adventure with Nell. None relish the opportunity for period fantasy more than Adrian Lester, who plays the haughty and genuinely demonic Earl of Poynton, who offers a grave, frightening, and supernatural spin on the critical players in this point of England’s history. 

The less attention-grabbing characters suffer a bit: Renegade Nell doesn’t know what to do with Thomas past a few episodes; as Nell’s pint-sized faerie protector, comedian Nick Mohammed never quite hits his stride—although this is perhaps a symptom of shooting his scenes separately from his normal-proportioned castmates.

Still, the merits of having such an experienced showrunner at the helm are evident. Tonally, Wainwright works wonders, jumping from heightened romp to the gravitas of historical drama with a nimble hand. What’s more, this isn’t another Disney+ adventure show where every episode blurs into another thanks to poor structure; Renegade Nell is paced like a dream, a slick, episodic story that gives us new locations and setpieces every episode and compelling caps before the credits to spin us off in a new direction. 

While the first half is tighter than the second (with a bit of wheel spinning around the Episodes 5-7 period), thankfully we rise back up to full volume for a rousing finale that’s only marred by the usual streaming show faults (abysmal lighting during exciting and needed-to-be-seen action scenes). But despite the blemishes on Renegade Nell’s jacket, its charm wins out. It’s a new bright spot in British period fare, one that invites you to enjoy it as much as it enjoys itself, and an unexpected pivot for Wainwright’s dramatic career. With its rich adventure and superpowered heart, Renegade Nell deserves your money and your life.

Renegade Nell premieres March 29th on Disney+. 

Rory Doherty is a screenwriter, playwright and culture writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. You can follow his thoughts about all things stories @roryhasopinions.

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