Peaky Blinders: Mr Jones (Series 5, Episode 6 Review)

“THE GREEN SHOOTS OF ANOTHER WAR”

Tommy has been on his own personal mission to overthrow facism throughout series five but in a grand finale that chucks the rulebook onto the fire, conventions are also vanquished. He does not emerge victorious, more enemies surround him than ever before and, worse still for most viewers, there is no conclusion to the story by the time the credits roll. It had previously been stated by Steven Knight that series six will continue the story but most people won’t know this information and will undoubtedly feel perplexed, cheated even. The fact that this was different is a positive thing. The impending doom for next time is stronger, the threat more real. We knew Tommy would defeat Lucas Changretta last time out, now he’s defeating himself. It’s a bold move and one that pays off in sixty five minutes of television that should go down in razor gang based TV folklore. Hardly a crowded field admittedly.

‘Mr Jones’ is more in keeping with where the first two episodes seemed to be heading. It is by no means perfect but the end just about justifies the means. While the third, fourth and fifth episodes were rivetting they lacked a certain edge. Virtually every minute here though is engrossing as the tension slowly builds. From Tommy’s first face to face meeting with Winston Churchill (who looks suspiciously like Neil Maskell with Play-Doh as make up) to a tense four stage meeting in the Garrison which was literally extraordinary.

Michael and Gina issue their plans to take over the company only to be on the recieving end of Tommy’s glacial stare. These are the moments Peaky Blinders shines most. The tension is palpable and made worse by a rogue Barney making a rude interuption. Then the plan is revealed to a disbelieving audience. The tiredness and strain etched on Tommy’s face is clear to see. All the awards should go to Cillian Murphy who has inhabited Tommy for ten post war years and gets better with age. The serrated edges of his character have grown even sharper than his cheekbones. This is akin to watching an immersive play. You’re right there in the room with him. Just be glad you’re not or he’ll shoot you in the face like he did with poor Mickey the barman. A grass for sure but certainly not the dreaded black cat.

What follows is a moment fans have been waiting two years. When Tommy mumbles “I have to go to Margate” we all knew instantly didn’t we? Sure enough, a few seconds later the dulcet tones of Alfie Solomons call out and in mere minutes he makes his presence felt. “How soon did you know that I was not dead?” he asks. “You wrote me a letter, Alfie” Tommy sighs. He’s daan saaf to ask a favour of his old friend / nemesis which is odd because Alfie has continuously stabbed Tommy in the front which is why he got shot in the bleedin’ face. Was it precient that their shoot-out was off kilter? He cant be back from the dead it wasnt confirmed he had departed. Was his return just for the fans or integral to the plot? The truth is we won’t know until 2021.

As for Mosley, he’s been a bit quiet up until now but that peace is shattered at his rally by a double dose of Idles. In a perverse television mash up, Love Island gets mentioned at a fascist convention but things are set to get more mad as everything goes so spectacularly tits up it’s best described with Ron Burgundy’s “well, that escalated quickly” meme. As Alfie’s boys start rioting, Barney is shot dead, Aberama is knived 284 times and Arhur is nearly killed. Again. The scope and ambition is remarkable. The direction, music and performances unite to create visual and aural poetry.

Alas, the disappointments show through right at the end as unresolved arcs slap us in the face. Most should be continued in the next run but for a second time the war with the Billy Boys is reduced to nothing. They offer no threat here and when things kick off Jimmy McCavern just watches on. The biggest bugbear throughout the run has been the apparitions of Grace showing up left right and centre, willing him to suicide. We get it, we don’t need reminding. Don’t overkill the dead. We’re left with Alfie’s dream coming true. Tommy in a field with a horse nearby and a gun to his head, Grace being the metaphorical trigger. Was it real? A dream? A drug induced fantasy? Guess what? We won’t find out until 2021.

Peaky Blinders mark five has challenged itself to evolve and has done so with great success for the most part. If the plan is to take the Shelbys up to the second world war then it seems the seven series timeline is well behind schedule as we’ve only just been to 1929. Fuel your own film rumours if you wish. Whatever happens, now is the time to keep faith in Steven Knight and Tommy Shelby.

A LITTLE PEAK:

– Polly has lost Aberama on the eve of their wedding. Her vengeance on Tommy will be lethal.

– “I got shot in the face by some c**t” Alfie always has a way with words.

– Billy Grade’s sketchiness has a different perspective now.

– On that note: Finn! You had one job!

– Did Alfie betray Tommy again? Is he responsible for the killings at the rally? Common sense would say no as you’d think he’d want Mosley dead too.

– Arthur’s time always feels up. Will he get out alive and leave the gang?

– A big shout out for the editing of music in tonight’s show including when the maid turns the radio on and Idles kick in and the juxtaposition of ‘Land Of Hope And Glory” over the montage of everyone with opposing views. How very 2019.

Peaky Blinders: The Loop (Series 5, Episode 4 Review)

“For now, love must defeat revenge”

After the declaration of all out war last week, it’s a tad disappointing to see the Billy Boys greeted immediately with a peace pact. However, it’s handled exquisitely. “You left me a landmine” Tommy laments. “For which I apologise” McCavern sarcastically responds. This being Peaky Blinders, any peace is fractious. “Nothing here is stolen Mr McCavern, Charlie simply finds things before they’re lost”. This agreement comes as a result of their mutual “friend” Oswald Mosley. The big showdown will not be televised, this week anyway, and that’s reflected in an episode that feels like the calm before the storm.

Calm in Small Heath is a dubious notion because there’s still lots happening, most worryingly of all is the fate of Mrs Connors’ songbirds but it’s ok because Arthur will replace them with birds that have the “same colours and.. feathers”. Tommy’s constituency is of course at the Garrison and his next visitor ups the ante. Brilliant Chang offers a brilliant plan involving opium for Tommy to transport and it gives the Shelbys an opportunity to recover money lost in the crash.

In truth, Tommy has more on his mind than money. Grace keeps revisiting at inconvenient times and she’s no longer a friendly ghost. “It wasn’t the blue stone Tommy, it was you”. The visions may be getting a bit overcooked now. It clearly serves the purpose of showing Tommy’s descent into madness but if people haven’t got that by now they haven’t been paying attention. One thing that is notable about the scene was the use of (Graces?) heavy breaths. That combined with his own coughing fits and breathiness serve as a reminder that Tommy feels more mortal than ever. His weakness shows on the outside now and he was clearly rattled by Mosley.

The set piece of ‘The Loop’ is saved for the very end. A grand ballet is the setting for much intrigue, or as Oswald puts it “an evening with a tribe of gypsies” (incidentally, that’s a show which never got past the ITV Commissioners). Tommy is late due to performing his own bed based ballet much to the chagrin of Mosley. Worse still, the moody guest had previous entaglements with Lizzie back in the day but turns out his own performance was cancelled early due to champagne. AWKS. It’s Come Dine With Me but with drugs, sexual intrigue and murder. Yes, murder but we’ll get to that bit.

While the dancers swan about to Arthur’s snoring, Aberama whisks Polly away and proposes. It’s kind of sweet. “Let’s fuck before the swan dies” she insists. You definitely don’t get that on Come Dine With Me. Meanwhile Linda turns up on the doorstep with a vengeance. We think she’s shot her ex. We think Arthur is dead.. again, but out of nowhere Polly appears (the lovin’ clearly didn’t last long) to put a bullet into Linda . It’s a device that has been used too often for Arthur now but the whole thing was beautifully shot. So was Linda, as it goes.

A LITTLE PEAK:

– The best line was with Ada insisting Tommy throw away the opium. “How much of it have you got left?” she asks. The reply? “Seven tonnes”

– “FUCKING BALLET?!” We’re with you on this one, Michael.

– He may be back in the gang but is Tommy setting Michael up for a fall? Will the Chinese really hang for things if they go wrong?

– No talk of the black cat this week which adds to the feeling that it’s someone in the background. Esme or Frances maybe?

– Finn didn’t piss himself at gunpoint. We’re so proud.

– Did Arthur actually replace those birds in the end? We need to know. Poor old Mrs Connors.

Peaky Blinders: Strategy (Series 5, Episode 3 Review)

“IT’S WAR YOU WANT, IT’S WAR YOU SHALL HAVE”

Never has walking into an orphanage looked so cool. After the guitar riffing and hot stepping, Tommy and Polly have a sort of “moral off” with some nuns and for once the Shelbys come off better due to the fact they don’t beat up children. It should probably go down as a pyrrhic victory. “There is God and there are the Peaky Blinders” he warns as they withdraw their funding. Polly is in threatening mode too: “You listen for my footsteps”. There’s little chance of missing them to be honest. It’s a surprising opening scene but perfectly shows the conflict at Tommy’s core. A man that has many bad habits.

—

Speaking of which, his sister doesn’t get much of an act bar being Gina’s taxi service. Ada feels very underused this series but this may be down to filming commitments elsewhere. Michael is indesposed by a meeting with “the devil himself”, Oswald Mosley. It’s as much to do with people politics than actual politics but we do learn that Mosley has connections to Jimmy McCavern and that he’s made the police investigation go away.

—

The Tommy versus Michael saga continues at an intriguing pace. Our main main literally treating him like the shit on his shoes but keeping him close all the same. Michael does face up to his nemesis again to say “By the time that baby draws its first breath we will be done”. Is it a friendship beyond repair?

—

With all this political manoeuvring it’s no surprise to see the return of Jessie Eden who is greeted by a tired, out of sorts Tommy. He’s literally a champagne socialist as he slurs his words and pops his cork. Jessie’s confused by his motives but then it’s not totally clear if Tommy knows what his own agenda is.

—

In all, episode three has a more sedate pace than the rest of the series so far. The grand scale and atmospherics are toned down. Perhaps the show needed it but initially it feels slightly flat compared to what’s gone before. That said, there are two outstanding scenes that close it out..

—

Arthur seeks out the refuge where Linda has been hiding and the man she’s had the audacity to talk to. In a cleverly shot contrast he punches the man repeatedly, beats him with a chair leg and knives him all while the camera stays still. It makes the violence even more uncomfortable. Arthur cries out “There is good in my heart but these hands belong to the Devil!” The second mention of the antichrist tonight. Make of that what you will.

—

Even better is Aberama Gold’s head to head with the Billy Boys. He’s after Jimmy McCavern for who he has a bullet. He shows up at Border Control and gives them a taste of their own medicine (a broken arm) but pouring boiling tar over his victim is adding insult to injury.

—

Never ones to make a quiet entrance, the Glaswegian gang are back for revenge of the revenge but they’re louder than Polly’s boots and Gold, with the help of Arthur, leaves them the present of a grenade. The glee on McCavern’s face at this declaration of war is glorious. It’s even better for us because we can watch it all unfold at home with a cup of tea and not be brutally maimed.

—

A LITTLE PEAK

– Tommy agrees to be Mosley’s deputy leader in his new ‘British Union Of Fascists’ party but we soon find out it’s as an informant. Or is it?

– “I’ve decided to balance my heart against my head” The moment Lizzie compromises her head and body for the sake of her lifestyle.

– Johnny Dogs is a dirty dog. Who knew?

Peaky Blinders: Black Cats (Series 5, Episode 2 Review)

“YOU MIGHT HEAR SOME BANGS‘

Tommy has been standing on landmines since the war, mostly metaphorically, but in quite possibly the most stunning opening seven minutes of a TV show ever he does it for real. For as long as we’ve known him he’s always thought of himself as a dead man walking and this provides the perfect visual metaphor. He stands before his scarecrow self which is hung on a cross, millimeters from being scattered across the field like compost. Stylistically the direction and atmosphere has a poetry to it  Amid all this drama the only sound is the foreboding bluster of the wind in the distance. Until Tommy goes full suicide bomber that is and we hear those bangs. Boy, do we hear them. As he says shortly after, “It’s pretty dark Frances”. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

—

Meanwhile Michael is apprehended on his way back and held in Belfast by the Occupied Six Counties who report that he has betrayed his family. His eventual return is met with a magnificent standoff in the street and is followed by a bruising non physical showdown with Tommy and Arthur in the bar. Cillian Murphy saying so much in his performance when saying so little. His words undercut by mixed messages. “Ok Michael, I believe you” he deadpans before demanding his money back. He giveth then taketh away. Michael and Tommy squaring up are heart skipping moments and give the show a new kind of edge. Let’s face it, this show has always had edge.

—

An intriguing turn this year is the younger generation starting to stand up for themselves. “General Finn” too is getting his say even if that say is ignored. “I’ve met this girl and want to get married” he declares proudly, “Fuck off!” responds Arthur. Classic bants. The dialogue is even zippier this series and that is quite an achievement given all that’s gone before.

—

Lizzie and Linda are also taking on the Peaky patriarchy but their letters of intent fall on flat ears , or burning coals to be precise. They are dismissed but no moment was crueller than Tommy telling his wife “In my head I still pay for it”. He definitely deserved the gun pointed at him.

—

We meet the Billy Boys. We know they’re the Billy Boys because they politely introduce themselves (“Did you not hear my song?!”) They’re a Protestant razor gang and they surprise Aberama Gold’s picnic, not to steal the sausages, but to kill his son Bonnie and tie him to a cross. It’s gruesome and as Gold lies in a pool of his own tears his life is spared purely to pass a message on to you know who…

—

Narcism and paranoia are the driving force behind Tommy now. He states “I am the revolution” and that “Someone wants my crown” This is no longer about family. This is about status and ego. Michael, Lizzie, Linda, Aberama, the Billy Boys and probably the whole of Ireland are in his sights. Apologies if anyone was left out, it’s difficult to keep up. Everything is falling apart from the inside while the hunters outside prowl. Let’s enjoy the fireworks because the bangs are set to get even louder.

—

A LITTLE PEAK

– In a rare moment of vulnerability Tommy told Arthur “I don’t like the fucking life” with tiredness writ large over his face. The human inside is trying to come out.

– We got another glimpse of Oswald Mosley who was met with Ada’s typical offishness. He is being held back for now.

– Here’s betting The Garrison doesn’t serve Guinness.

– “How can a one armed man avenge the death of his son?” Hand grenade? Knife? Angry glove puppet? The possibilities are vast.

Peaky Blinders: Black Tuesday (Series 5, Episode 1 Review)

“EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION”

Cillian Murphy rides once more into the breach (on his one horse open slay). His return is grander than a canyon and it’s bloody spectacular. Tommy is a man full of his own importance and the cinematic opening sees him once more as the star of his own Hollywood tragedy. Television shouldn’t look this good, television shouldn’t feel this good, television shouldn’t sound this good and yet here we are in 1929 setting higher and higher bars for programme makers in 2019.

—

While Murphy rocks every scene he’s in with a vibrant coldness, the malevolent world of Peaky Blinders is brought to life by every character, every set detail, every chord struck and every line said in the Brummy timbre. Quality runs through every pore of its sweating but very furrowed brow. The show knows how bloody good it is and even if the first ten minutes play out like a blockbuster film, it’s the subtlety in everything that follows which transcends it beyond just theatre – this is art.

—

The central theme of series five looks set to be Tommy’s inner demons but this isn’t an overnight thing. This has been going for six years. Strands from previous series are always picked up on or referenced to. Nothing feels throwaway and even if Steven Knight did scrunch an idea up and throw it in the bin he must later save it from the recycling to take us by surprise.

—

Maybe Michael will wish Knight had trashed the bit where he inadvertently loses a lot of money in the stock market crash because Tommy is furious with him. Actually, Tommy is furious with everyone. Lizzie, their son, and later on a journalist. “What do I have to do to make people fucking listen to me?!” he bellows. His family might zone out but the irony of Tommy being welcomed into the Garrison with open arms by an adoring public is strong. His reputation has changed with his role as an MP but with the inner turmoil rapidly escalating he should be feared more now than ever.

—

With Tommy’s struggles as the centrepiece Peaky Blinders has evolved. It may not be the Arctic Monkeys blasting riot fuelled pubescent early days anymore but in middle age it is aging well. The storytelling is even better, the direction is more on point and the impending sense of doom is even more sinister. Anna Calvi’s score is perfectly in sync with Tommy’s despair. It’s a glorious marriage made in hell.

—

Believe it or not there are softer moments too and Arthur’s attempts at holding a meeting are uncomfortably funny. Even when Finn got shot we were allowed to raise a smile. Sorry Finn While there has been many funny lines in the past it feels like a concerted effort has been made to make the lighter moments lighter. That may have something to do with the transition to BBC1. It’s not even a criticism because the comedy works and in every other way there’s no sense of compromise. Peaky Blinders is still unrelentingly dark and violent. Which is nice.

—

It’s a wonder of script writing how Knight can focus on Tommy’s downfall and unite his venture into politics so harmoniously, yet alone everything else that’s going on. In parliament he isn’t much more corrupt than the fellow politicians and it’s delicious to see him let loose in this world of careerist vagabonds. Two standout scenes highlight this perfectly. The first when he knocks red wine onto the table and the second when he’s at loggerheads with a journalist by the name of Michael Levitt. Two people are simply talking in a darkened room but the tension is unbearable and broken up only slightly by Tommy’s insistence that he writes it all down. The closing scene is confirmation that with power comes great irresponsibility. Levitt Is shot down im a swarm of bullets. It’s graphic and shocking and would no doubt make Quentin Tarantino a little jealous.

—

So our antagonist is making enemies out of his own family, has enemies in his own head and is making new enemies with each new scene. With friends like Tommy and all that..

—

A LITTLE PEAK

– Ada is pregnant. In an incident packed episode this news felt small fry.

– The surprise appearance of Grace felt eerily out of place at first but in full context it does make sense.

– We see a little glimpse of Oswald Mosley and as hindsight has taught us, anyone with a ‘tashe like that shouldn’t be trusted.

– It’s good to see Aberama Gold still working for the gang. For the time being anyway.

– Lizzie has quite clearly had enough of Tommy’s shit. In fact all the women have. An uprising is in the offing.

– Michael is going to have quite the welcome back. Let’s just say the order on bunting has been cancelled.

Peaky Blinders: Series 5, Episode 1 (Spoiler Free Preview)

The following article was written for TheCustardTV.com and also features there.

There’s always scepticism when a series makes the move across the deceptively deep waters between BBC2 and BBC1. This isn’t family friendly fare such as The Great British Bake Off though so if there’s compromise it will lose its whole raison d’etre. That and Tommy would just shoot the judges and declare himself star baker. The good news is this – Peaky Blinders has lost none of its bravery. 

The first ten minutes chime out loudly in the vein of a discordant musical. Not many words are uttered as the series arc forms but when the guitars aren’t shimmering, they’re crashing into your very soul. The score by Anna Calvi is pitch perfect with the atmosphere throughout. It curates the darkness beautifully.

There are other noticeable changes at play too. Peaky Blinders has always been visually stunning but the game has been upped further if episode one is anything to go by. Anthony Byrne’s direction is the perfect contradiction of slick and edgy. The whole thing looks incredible.

A less explored area in the show is the humour because, frankly there’s never much to smile about. Here there are some genuinely laugh out loud moments. Two scenes with Arthur in particular are comedy gold. If this whole gypsy gangster thing doesn’t work out he’s always got an unlikely career touring the country’s Jongleurs venues as back up.

What of the storyline? Not much can be divulged but Tommy’s demons are stronger than ever and summed up with a powerful visual in a scene with his horse that says a thousand words. We also see his first, not at all tentative, steps in the halls of Westminster and it’s even more exciting than we could ever have expected. Cillian is in fierce form.

While most series that make it to a fifth run are on a downward curve, Peaky Blinders has offered up one of its strongest ever episodes. You are in for a treat, just not of the baked variety.

Peaky Blinders Series 5 Inteview with Helen McCrory

Helen bounds in after the designated meeting time “I’m so sorry I’m late! I was being interviewed”. She takes a look around her “He’s not here now so I can blame him!” On series five’s opening episode Helen gleefully asks “Have you seen it or are you seeing it tonight? Tonight? Great, I can say whatever I like.. I’m the lead!” 

Where do we find Polly at the beginning of it?

“It starts with the crash and they lose a lot of money very very quickly and she’s back on the streets- not literally! You see her  enjoying all the luxuries and then you see her realising she doesn’t have any left.

How does the relationship between Polly and Tommy progress? Does she still not approve of his ways?

“Well, people in glass houses and everything! I think she’s very encouraging of Tommy’s philanthropy. She’ll always be on his side but for the first time the son and Tommy become much more divided so she’s in the middle”

What’s in store for Tommy?

“Tommy has, for the first time, access to the world of journalism where they’re allowed to talk about people’s private lives. there’s also the whole idea of can somebody escape their past? Can a bad person become a good person? Can you have a good act by a bad man?”

How does Tommy’s new career in politics affect the family dynamics?

“What Steven (Knight) starts to explore is how much Tommy uses politics as a commodity, just as he used to deal with horses and then booze, he deals with politics in the same way. The information can be bought and sold and information is a way of getting what you want wether it’s blackmailing or trading. It’s just another form in which you hussle”

The women of Peaky Blinders have grown from strength to strength and are part of what makes the show incredibly successful? Do they steal more of the limelight?

“For the first time women were hauling their husbands to account quite publicly. The women really question the men”

Is Polly still connected to the spirit world? 

“That continues to be part of Polly, that sort of quasi psychic thing. She just has good instinct, it’s that streetwise thing isn’t it? She believes it. I think at the beginning Steven wrote the first scene like he wasn’t quite sure she was psychic but because I came in all ‘Yes, she obviously is’ he went ‘Yes, she obviously is. You’re mad. She’s mad. There you go!'”

—

It’s wonderful to report that Helen has all the presence of Polly Shelby but non of the menace. That is replaced by a wicked sense of humour and fierce intellect. You feel like you’re in the presence of someone powerful.

What of Polly’s vulnerabilities though? Her fears went awol in series four. 

“The biggest fear is still leaving Michael behind. Fear of death is not death itself, if you’re going to fear death then that’s a pretty fucking losing battle you’ve got on that one! That’s the one thing that is going to happen. Your fear is your children’s lives without you”

Polly and Michael have always been a fraught pairing. Does that continue?

“She’s always trying to protect Michael. He’s greedy in a way that Polly isn’t. Polly doesn’t really care about the trappings, she wants the family to be together and safe as you can be when you’re carrying razors around with you! So there’s a tension with her son. She’s lost the battle with Michael but hopes he doesn’t get caught with blood on his hands. It quite a family to discover particularly as Michael seems to have come from.. apple scrumping land of make believe!”

Peaky always has great guest stars. Is this this same in series five? 

“I have one special scene with Sam

(Claflin) and he’s really fucking good. As Polly I got to watch him do something and I was really impressed with the clever choices. Because of who he’s playing it’s all got to be totally fictional because it’s a litigious hell if you did anything that was vaguely truthful. You just can’t be”

Celebrities are also proud to be part of the Peaky fandom too.

“It’s such a cacophony of people who have nothing in common! You’ve got Julia Roberts and Snoop Dog! I heard the other day about the demographics, it turns out more women watch Peaky than men which is interesting because it’s boys with guns”

What do you make of the public’s reaction to the show? The fashion and music in particular.

“It’s fantastic! The move to BBC1 is interesting because I’m really loyal to BBC2. I thought they took such a punt on it. You can’t compare it to anything else”

The music is so opposite to the visuals that you’re seeing. You hear Nick Cave in a completely different way than if it’s him standing in a tortured pose in a music video. And you’re used to seeing somebody in flat caps with the Hovis music! It’s such a contrast”

What can we expect from Polly’s wardrobe this time round?

“Now THAT (Helen points to the promotional picture on the wall) I get particularly excited about as it was my design. I really wanted her to wear a suit in one of the scenes. I really wanted Polly in it because it’s just so cool”

—

With that, Helen is whisked away, this time on schedule and to no doubt cause mischief somewhere else. It’s been a pleasure.

Peaky Blinders: ‘The Company’ (Series 4, Episode 6 Review)

“Big fucks small”

So it turns out the ominous shadow of Alfie Solomons was not being followed by further shady characters. Not directly anyway. He just wants a chat and chats with Alfie are always a one sided affair, he regales Tommy of his plans to move to Margate and intentionally(?) offers some cryptic advice.

Meanwhile, back out in the boxing ring “gypsy boy” is taking a bit of a battering but it’s all for show. The ladies are getting merry and Arthur’s drug induced paranoia proves correct. In a dark corner of the venue he is jumped on, strangled and left for dead. Tommy arrives too late but fires shots in the ring out of fury. For what is essentially the second billing character to be killed off is a shocker and for the first time in a few episodes makes real the threat of the Mafia. Finn even comes of age in true Peaky fashion by taking the eyes out of a “wop”, glee covering his face as he does so. Welcome to the dark side, Finn. It’s exactly the sort of exhilarating set piece the show thrives off. Violence and intrigue matched perfectly.

“You can sign them on your knees”

Tommy has a new plan and it looks a lot like the white flag of surrender Changretta’s mother was just waving at him. In a move that gives an impression the series is going to end on a whimper, he agrees to sell over his businesses to Luca. The moment Tommy gets to his knees and starts reeling off a speech after minutes of silence is when you realise we’ve been deceived. Deception has played such a big role in series five, it really should have its own credit on IMDB. Heeding Alfie’s “advice”, they find someone bigger and turn the just thrown tables round onto Luca. The gunmen that have been trained on the Blinders now turn to their enemy.

That’s not all, though is it? From being redundant and then dead of all things, Arthur suddenly turns up to be the one who shoots Luca with his own bullet. We’ve been conned again but it’s all worth it for the shock value. Welcome back Arthur, though we didn’t get the chance to miss you.

“Alfie, stop talking!”

In a more gory and unromantic version of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Tommy meets Alfie on Margate beach. No ice creams, no seaside reminiscing, just penance for treachery. Even with death encroaching, Solomons still babbles on and only a bullet to the face stops him. Is he even dead? Even if the dog gave him mouth to mouth his chances aren’t looking good, frankly. Women might not fancy Tom Hardy so much with half a face.

“Distilled for the eradication of seemingly incuarable sadness”

Arthur’s words that the “war is over” don’t ring true though. The Mafia may be gone but the much bigger war still is playing on Tommy’s mind. On a self-imposed break he retreats back into the PTSD and no amount of gin is going to put a smile on his face. No matter how bad he felt, his strop at golf was perfectly justified. So, who do you call when you’ve got a really depressing montage to soundtrack? Radiohead, of course.

“Your cause is now my cause”

Tommy and Jessie reunite, get naked and fight for socialism together. Which sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? In a political twist more surprising than Jeremy Corbyn’s first Labour leadership victory, our main man runs for office and soon becomes the representative for Birmingham South. How much is for personal gain and how much is actually for social justice is up for debate and will surely be explored in the next series. It’d be great to see more of Jessie (we saw quite a lot of her tonight to be fair, nudge nudge) with a more substantial storyline.

Did the set up six weeks ago live up to its own billing? Probably not. The threat was never quite as bad as was made out. However, Peaky Blinders always serves up unexpected twists and thrills through the lens of incredibly shot, brilliantly acted television. If series five is the last, let’s cherish every minute because we won’t see its like again. 9/10

 

 

Peaky Blinders: ‘The Duel’ (Series 4, Episode 5 Review)

“Me and you, Tommy”

We pick up exactly where last week left off, Tommy being followed in slow pursuit by the Mafia and with a knowing look into the rear view mirror we know that our anti-hero is in on Polly’s plan. What follows is an epic, noisy opening few minutes of, let’s face it, very badly aimed gunfire. There’s more shots here than in the last half hour of Hot Fuzz as Tommy and Luca rampage through a housing estate.

Riveting though it most definitely is, it does raise some questions. Why did Changretta and his gang not carry out the deed on a quiet road en route rather than wait for the final destination? Why did Tommy not seek back up from either the Blinders or the gypsies to help him take on the hit squad? Is his death wish so strong? Hey, who cares, it looks amazing. There’s a murder committed through a white bed sheet and everything. An unlikely advertisement deal with Ariel is but a phone call away (“Killed someone on your linen again? Try new Shelby All In One”). The duel doesn’t last very long because it is crudely interrupted by the police.

“I don’t drink whiskey or gin anymore”

Lizzie delivers the news of her pregnancy in typical matter of fact Lizzie fashion and Tommy takes to the news as if he’d just won a tenner. He has got the shakes though, bless. He did kill three people, not sure if he mentioned it.

While pregnancy is causing one person to tone down on their vices, the same can’t be said for Arthur who is getting carried away with the white powder and not the kind Tim Henman would happily promote. That combined with his drinking means he’s slipping down a very slippery slope and falling down a very still table. He calls for Linda to save him but frankly, the man may be beyond redemption. Full marks for Paul Anderson’s drunk acting, it was convincing enough to conjure up images of Delia Smith shouting on a football pitch.

“I know ways back that will take forever”

Much to Michael’s delight, Polly arranges a little holiday for him with the gypsies. The idea is that he’ll be off map and avoid detection. While the son is away the auntie will play as she soon starts locking lips with Aberama Gold. Inappropriate men indeed. They may be getting it on but Gold knows full well that if any harm comes to her child, then he won’t have the equipment to get it on much longer.

“You just made a deal without a negotiation, didn’t ya?”

There’s another face to face duel as Luca squares up to an Alfie who conveys much more menace than the man stood opposite, even with his eyes closed. The negotiations involve an indecent proposal of sorts. Alfie will hand Tommy over at the boxing match if Luca runs his alcohol into New York. We don’t get the outcome of this intriguing conversation, but where would the fun be in that?

“Tommy Shelby is going to stop the revolution with his cock”

The pesky C word pops up again – communism. Ada is taken in for questions by the military who have a keen interest in her political past. As with most things, Tommy is responsible. His wheeling and dealing  climbs two further levels. Firstly, the military have offered him a lucrative contract and secondly, he reveals his plans to deceive and corrupt Jessie Eden for his own gain. Profit over principles. The very opposite of the socialist he once was.

They settle down for a dinner that wouldn’t have made the edit of First Dates. The tone is completely serious and worse still, Curly is the DJ. You can see Jessie’s guard falling by the wayside as Tommy works his charm once more but fair play, she doesn’t put out. Physically, at least anyway. In the end she does comes to an agreement she’ll soon regret.

“Take your bets”

And so to the ring and there’s nothing Peaky Blinders loves more than high octane drama around a boxing match. Out of the shadows Alfie appears in a blaze of mystery. Is he alone or did he strike a deal with Luca? The imagery of Tommy walking into the light suggests it’s actually a trap for the boys from New York. While the Mafia haven’t lived up to their early threat, next week’s finale still looks set to be an explosive, gory and satisfactory ending to the series and hopefully Changretta’s bloody toothpicks too. 8/10

Peaky Blinders: ‘Dangerous’ (Series 4. Episode 4 Review)

“If you’re here in one hour, I swear to God I will cover you in tar and fucking feathers”

One of the many great strengths of Peaky Blinders is the unpredictability of its narrative. It never adheres to a set formula and that is shown off with great dexterity tonight. The first half plays out like a series finale. Teapots are shaking and guns are blazing as a woman from the past comes back to haunt Arthur. The second half takes the foot off the pedal and even the loud reintroduction of Alfie Solomons can’t shift the gloom encompassing Small Heath.

Mrs Ross, the mother of a boy killed in the ring at the hands of the moustachioed one, offers Arthur round for a nice cuppa and a big slice of decoy cake, which tastes even worse than last week’s dry scone. It’s all a trap so Mr Changretta can sneak into the hospital unchallenged and he’s not turned up with grapes. Turns out, this is just more gameplay too. He pushes an unloaded gun into Michael’s sweaty forehead and pulls the trigger. It’s all about the drama and that was a truly dramatic way to open the show.

As Luca saunters away, turbo charged on his own raging gangster pheromones, things soon come to a standstill at a road block. This time it’s Luca who has been lured into a trap. One of Aberama Gold’s making. Gypsies assemble (now that’s an idea for Marvel) en masse and shoot to kill. Changretta gets away. Of course he does, but the driver isn’t so lucky. It establishes just how dangerous the two sides are and shows that Tommy being between the two parties means he is the very epicentre of the storm.

“Sometimes he sees something glamorous and expensive.. he just can’t resist it. He’s so weak”

Lady Carleton is back on the scene and even though she’s smelling of paraffin it won’t put Tommy off. They talk about horses and drink gin but it’s quite obvious the chemistry between them is as explosive as the factory when he walks through it. The train strike that never happened was another trap. but this one didn’t catch its intended target. They kiss but the lady isn’t for turning. She has his horse but he doesn’t have her heart.

Speaking of long faces, this brings out Lizzie’s exquisite bitchiness (“fuck Tommy and his cock and his gin”). Her seething jealousy is not in the slightest bit hidden, yet Tommy remains oblivious. He might have to take notice soon if Lizzie is pregnant, as is hinted here.

 

“Morning Alfie”

It is a typically grand introduction for Tom Hardy, clearly still loving the role of Alfie and making his potty mouth sound so ridiculously poetic. Which side is he on? What kind of world is this for kids to live in? Answers on a postcard. He squares up to Aberama Gold with great comic pathos. This is a verbal wrestle but they set up a proper one and Gold’s boy is, as ever, up for the fight. Quite where this storyline  is heading is a mystery but it’ll certainly be an entertaining spectacle.

“Just tell us where and when. We’ll do the rest”

Of course, Michael is now wise to Polly’s deal with the devil and we have to wait most of the episode to know what he does with the information. As it turns out, he simply wishes his boss a good weekend. Which is nice, isn’t it? If you disregard the fact he’s letting Tommy leave that building knowing he could be dead by Monday morning. Still, Australia is nice this time of year..

As Tommy sets of, his car is followed by Luca and his gun toting team while a pensive Polly looks on. Is Peaky Blinders brave / mad enough to kill Tommy Shelby? Answers on a postcard to:

Alfie Solomons

1 Smells of pig road

Shithole

England.

8/10

 

 

 

 

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