Peaky Blinders: Series 4, Episode 2 Review

“We’re all cursed”

Never has a bare backside been involved in such an intense montage before but what with all the tears , blood and bodies, the opening stages are so bleak that at least some will get cheer from the view of Cillian Murphy’s arse. To be fair, it’s not all doom and gloom. John is deader than Arthur’s social skills but at least Michael survived the shooting.

“An eye for an eye. It’s called a vandetta”

Bar a deserting Esme, the gang is back together around the Small Heath table. Finn is now able to take his place there while Polly grimaces fiercely at Tommy again. They take a vote, and we all know how votes go in this country. Five vote for peace and two for opt for a truce and that equals the reformation of an uneasy alliance. John’s funeral is immediately its first test.

The location is so public they’re “sitting ducks” and Tommy is in the line of fire before the intervention of a Aberama Gold, a gypsy with little or no moral compass. He may be protecting the Small Heath clan for now but at what cost? Naturally, using a family member’s burning body as a trap doesn’t go down too well with Aunt Pol. There was no vote either, but we’ve had enough of referendums so there. Despite the openness of the scene it’s expertly claustrophobic. The uneasy feeling that things are about to go tits up at any moment is a hallmark of the show but the threat feels so much greater now.

“When you’re dead already – you’re free”

In an episode full of compromises, John promises to go to Australia with Polly once all this has blown over (they may even grab a pint at The Winchester en route if time allows). From the hospital bed he offers advice which works like a tin of spinach does to Popeye. It’s good to have the mean aunt back on form and frankly the Blinders are going to need her more than ever.

It might all sound horrid but there are also strong elements of comedy, not just in the form of Johnny Dogs trying to cook but in plenty of droll one liners. It’s walking the fine line between dark and light perfectly. It’s a serious business but maybe the writers have the confidence to not take it so seriously and it’s benefitting the show greatly. Peaky Blinders still has its set notable traits that it falls back on but the only time it veers towards self parody is whenever Tommy saunters through the factory as flames blaze around him.

“Do you have a whistle? If so, blow it”

While the family have drawn a friendship circle, Tommy would not be Tommy if he wasn’t making fresh adversaries. He takes on Mr Gold’s boy as a boxer but it merely looks like a case of keeping his enemies closer. Then there is Jessie Eden, who makes real of her threat to start a walkout and the factory is soon empty, bar two well dressed gentlemen that is..

“None of you will survive”

No opponent will be a match for the mafia who are “an organisation of a different dimension”. For the second week in a row, Tommy’s security is sidestepped with ease and a showdown with the man himself, Luca Changretta ensues. In a not so subtle metaphor, the big hatted evil one names individual bullets after each of the Shelbys, like a children’s game gone rogue. He flicks “John” down and informs Tommy that he will be the very last target, so he has to watch and suffer the loss of his entire family. It’s brutal but engrossing. Tommy is now the underdog so what better incentive is there to stay tuned? Will the dog be put down or will his bite be bigger than his bark? 9/10

Peaky Blinders: Series 4, Episode 1 Review

“In the bleak midwinter…”

Family has always been the glue that binds the Shelbys together. Through all the dodgy dealings, murders and intense frowning, they stick like a stupid person’s tongue on a frozen surface. Series four commences with an unfamiliar feel. After last year’s shocking climax, they are all behind bars and set for the noose. All that is, bar Tommy, a man alone in his ivory tower. From there he manages to orchestrate their escape at the time it’s most needed. Their necks literally saved. Oh, and Thomas gets an OBE for his troubles. It’s a perfectly executed (forgive the pun) opening that’s both dark and surprisingly funny.

Fast forward a year and they are a family at stubborn loggerheads. Michael is snorting the business up his nose, John is shacked up with an increasingly unhinged Esme, while Arthur is living the simple life and talking to chickens. Meanwhile Polly has gone dark side and paces the house in a drug and drink induced fit of depression. Tommy is spending most of his time either drinking or having sexy times with ladies of the night. As ever, he’s clearly got the best deal.

There’s an interesting side story developing around the disparity of pay between men and women and in trade unionist Jessie Eden, Tommy looks set for a battle of wills and might just meet his match. Historically, Jessie led women out on unprecedented strikes and this is an arc that promises much. The crux of episode one though lies in reuniting the Shelbys and setting up the enemies of series four.

“I am emotional. I just don’t know what fucking emotion it is”

Ada has been in Boston, presumably visiting a bar where everybody knows her name but returns home for Christmas and calls in on her disbanded clan one by one. The truth is she should have stayed with Norm and Cliff because a series of letters reveal they have been “black handed” by the Sicilian Mafia. More specifically, a man called Luca Changretta who is seeking revenge. Proving that no matter how hard they try to escape their past it will haunt them to their dying days, which could be at any time given how this series is shaping up.

Believing in the motto ‘strength in numbers’, Tommy orders the clan to a crisis meeting but a fantastically gruesome showdown in the kitchen shows that his defences have already been breached. A sous chef with sinister intentions is soon served up with more blood than a raw steak.

“We’re going back Johnny… back to Small Heath”

The meeting is now a full on call to arms and as Tommy tries to contact everyone to speed up a reunion, the mafia are already serving revenge in the form of bullets. If only they had smart phones back then. It’s a shocking conclusion that proves nothing should be taken for granted.

It’s an indication that series four might take the prisoners but now they’re out, none of them are safe. In coming back home, Peaky Blinders might in turn be going back to basics. While the quality of the cinematography astounds more than ever, the acting is an extra level of mesmerising and the soundtrack still knowingly brilliant,  having the Blinders fight the world together as a dysfunctional force could make for the most compelling series to date. 10/10