The Artful Dodger has to be one of my favorite period shows to date. It has one season with eight episodes so far, though there will be a second coming out, on Disney+.

In this show, we follow Dodger who, if you aren’t a classic literature fan, is a side character in Oliver Twist. In the 1850s, Dodger finds himself in Australia, having run from authorities after committing several crimes. We get a look behind what makes the character tick as well as a new look into Oliver Twist’s character.

Dodger, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, goes by the name of Jack Dawkins so that he can have a career as a surgeon. He soon meets the smart, shrewd, but generous Lady Belle Fox, played by Maia Mitchell, daughter of the Governor to Australia. Belle soon uses Jack as a means to get into medicine herself, in a world in which women are not doctors, and we soon see a romance start to form.

Both criminals and lawmen alike try to catch Jack in the act of crime as well as put a stop to the budding relationship he has with Belle. More problems arise between Jack and Belle as they try to keep secrets even from each other, making for a problematic and devastating reveal later on.

I found it fascinating to see what methods were used in the 1800s in the world of medicine but I found the characters even more fascinating. I hope that the next season is released soon as I cannot wait to delve into this world again.