Mint (2026) Series Review

Mint is a fresh new crime drama where Romeo and Juliet meets 21st century industrial Scottish crime syndicate.

The show is told specifically from Shannon’s perspective; we see how her relationship with her family is impacted by their business. 

Throughout its eight 30-minute episodes, Mint presents us with reveal after reveal as we explore the complicated circumstances of Shannon’s life under her parents’ watchful gaze, and her attempts to defy them. Although we are never directly told what the omnipotent ‘family business’ actually involves, we are aware that there is a violent aspect involving other families, specifically one known as the Densons. Which is where the series’ first big conflict arises, in episode 2: following the arrest of her father at the end of episode 1, Shannon is taken by mum Cat (Laura Fraser, of Breaking Bad), to her spur of the moment meeting with Arran. Here, we learn in an explosive conversation that he is one of the ‘Denson boys’, with the other being Connor Newall’s (28 Years Later) Liangelo, the rival family who have been causing Shannon’s family trouble.

One of Mint’s strongest elements is its focus on characters, opposed to the wider ‘business’ and the town which the family appear to hold control over. It’s a writing choice which expertly flips our expectations of the show and its narrative, as we go into the series expecting a narrative about the business of organised crime but instead we are presented with a series of episodes that explore masterfully written and acted complicated character relationships. 

The relationship between Cat, Shannon and Ollie – Shannon’s foul mouthed, gangsteresque grandmother (Linsay Duncan, of H is for Hawk) – is a main focus of the series. The spotlight on the women within the crime family life is so refreshing and immediately pulls you further into the show. The series explores the way that these women live for their husbands, who in turn live for their business. exposing the slack of authority and autonomy they have in a way that adds a sympathetic angle to the genre. It is a choice that only strengthens through Mint, as in the final two episodes we are introduced to Clive Russell’s (One Piece, The Death of Robin Hood) imposing matriarch Andy through a series of flashbacks blended with present day scenes of Ollie visiting him in prison. 

Dialogue wise, there are lines that could have felt out of place or clichéd, but the show is so well written that, with the introduction we receive to the characters and their world, they fit in with ease. The best example is in episode 3, where it is said to Shannon, “This is more important than you. This is our family business.” The line doesn’t fall flat because we’ve been introduced to Shannon and her behaviour, so we have an understanding of her childish attitude and the family dynamics; we know that she is only thinking of herself. 

The show’s writing prevents Mint from suffering the larger than life gangster media fatigue that a lot of crime dramas fall into, with recycled plots and stereotypical character archetypes. From the onset, the show knows what it is and the story it wants to show; it sticks to this, and it doesn’t try to provide us with the next Sopranos. However, the only drawback lies in the series’ oftentimes dialogue-heavy scenes, which do not feel entirely out of place but do shunt the pacing of the limited run of episodes. 

Within its limited episodes, Mint presents us with another major narrative hit when Dylan, Shannon’s father, announces that he is stepping away from the family business. The announcement later leads to the confession that he has been having an affair and leading another life behind Cat’s back. His stepping down throws the entire family and business into a tumultuous downward spiral, with his replacement, Sam (Neil Leiper, of The Old Oak), acting violently and without cause in a way that threatens to spoil the business that the family has built and the control that they have secured.  This feels so unexpected after going into the show anticipating the romance plot to be its primary focus.

Visually, Mint is a treat but may lie outside of what the average crime drama viewer is accustomed to. With its sweeping tilting shots of the town’s refinery at night, and its theatrical, almost Shakespearean take on fight scenes, Mint presents scenes that look like they came straight out of a play. Spliced among the modern scenes are home video-style VHS shots of both the past and present, which give Mint a hazy, nostalgic feel. The more stylised scenes go hand in hand with the industrial setting, which gives the show an interesting grit and roots it to reality.

Even when it is on a smaller scale, with scenes set in kitchens and community halls, the show manages to feel visibly rich, grabbing every detail from posters on the back of doors to cheetah print mugs on kitchen tables. The result of such care creates an environment that feels so lived in that it is easy to slip into the world of this crime family as it unravels. All the small details of the show, combined with the writing and acting, give us a series where we don’t feel like we’re being performed to; instead, we are simply a fly on the wall observing the unfurling family drama and devastation. Mint also contains a notable amount of fantastic needle drop moments, such as the end of the first episode, where Charlie XCX’s “Party 4 u” is used, and later in the final episode, when 10CC’s classic “I’m not in Love” plays to close out the last scene.

Mint’s limited and lesser known small town locations – such as Grangemouth, which provides its refinery backdrop – paired with the choice to not set the show in a city, works overwhelmingly in its favour. The world feels pocketsized and limited, a fantastic reflection of the way that Shannon, who has been subjected to boredom and isolation under the guise of control, has come to view her world. It is only when the family starts to break apart that we start to see a broader range of locations, stretching to Glasgow’s Merchant City and an unnamed city University campus. 

There is such a masterful balance to each element of Mint:, the storytelling, the visuals and music, the characters and their actors, and the show’s transitions to a character study of the family, with the latter episodes delving back into its history, focusing more on the past than the future. Mint provides such a refreshing take on crime drama, balancing stylised violence with genuine heartfelt emotion, especially among its impressive cast of female characters who are put front and center throughout the show. Reagan has created a show that is visually rich in an overwhelmingly realistic setting, providing an impressive new character-driven spin on crime drama. 

Mint is now available to watch on the BBC iPlayer in the U.K. and will be released on BritBox in the U.S. later this year.