Peaky Blinders - A Fitting Finale

Setting The Scene For The Peaky Blinders Finale

This is going to be similar to my piece on the final series of “Killing Eve” in that I will tell you virtually nothing of what happens to avoid spoilers, but try and give you reasons to actually watch this. A warning, if you have never seen “Peaky Blinders” there are six series for you to catch up on, and every one is worth investing your time in.

A Little on the background of Peaky Blinders

The Peaky Blinders were members of a street gang based in Birmingham, England, which operated from the 1880s until the 1910s. The group grew out of the harsh economic deprivations of working-class Britain and consisted largely of young criminals from lower to middle-class backgrounds. They engaged in robbery, violence, racketeering, illegal bookmaking, and control of gambling. Members wore signature outfits that typically included tailored jackets, lapelled overcoats, buttoned waistcoats, silk scarves, bell-bottom trousers, leather boots, and peaked flat caps with razor blades in the peaks.

In 2013, the name was used for a BBC television series. The series stars Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, and Joe Cole and is a crime story about a fictional crime family the Shelby’s operating in Birmingham just after World War I partaking in numerous criminal activities such as race and match-fixing related to their bookmaking business, racketeering, illegal alcohol production, drugs and weapons smuggling and politics.

Although based in Birmingham the Shelbys have very close Romany connections and the mysticism related to that permeates a lot of the encounters in many episodes, Tommy being aware and respectful of his heritage despite being a man you would not like to cross.

Leading up To The Peaky Blinders Finale

Coming into the episode The Shelbys are going to meet their final showdown. Tommy, having lost his beloved daughter to Tuberculosis has been diagnosed with an incurable terminal disease, but also one of his clan is working with American gangsters to bring Tommy to an end on a remote Canadian island where he is due to pick up payment for smuggled drugs.

Arthur, Tommy’s brother, addled by drink and drugs is targetted by American gangsters and the IRA to be gunned down in The Garrison, the Shelby pub in Birmingham.

The end of these two may be the end of the Shelby clan although Tommy’s illegitimate sun Erasmus Duke (or Duke Shelby) might have something to say about that.

The Fitting Finale For Peaky Blinders

This is a difficult task to continue without dropping spoilers but I will try. Needless to say going into this the scene is set and you know what is going to happen, except by the end of this extended episode you realise you didn’t have a clue and it keeps you hanging on every minute that you watch it.

There are shootings, explosions, mustard gas and lots of broken glass.

The image that really sticks with me is Arthur and his mate walking through mustard gas wearing gas masks and carrying and using submachine guns. This imagery is pure stylish steampunk and I certainly did not expect to see that in Peaky Blinders.

When the credits roll you know you have been part of something very special. It is full of violence, sex, and bad language with some horrible attitudes from the fascists in the story (and I will leave you to guess what they are).

The finale has happened and you will have to watch it if you want to find out what happens to The Shelbys.

This is a BBC series so free on iPlayer but I believe it is on Netflix and Amazon Prime.