Peaky Blinders - Retrospective and Series 4 Review
Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Adrien Brody, Sam Neill, Aidan Gillen, Paul Anderson, and Steven Knight. What do all of these people have in common? They're all a reason for what is great about Peaky Blinders. Steven Knight's historical-fiction series about a family of English gangsters is one of the best historical pieces in recent memory. For many though, I'm sure this is the first time you are hearing of the show. With the release of Series 4 last week, many people are most likely doing their due diligence to see whether it would be worthy of their time investment. Well, I want to take a bit of time to look back on the history of Peaky Blinders, and give my quick thoughts on Series 4. That way those who are new to this world have a chance to see if it's piques their interest, and for those who have been to Birmingham to see if Series 4 holds up to the quality of television they know and love.
Retrospective - Looking Back at Peaky Blinders
This section of the article is for those who are new to Peaky Blinders!
If you're like me, you probably aren't immediately drawn to a series that focuses heavily on character development. I grew up being a huge fan of action and set-pieces. Peaky Blinders doesn't put that to the front of it's world, but it does carry both of those elements. Peaky Blinders is about the Shelby family and their rise to power right after the first World War. Starting with the main character of Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), who fought in the war, you get the sense from the very beginning that things are not going well for him. Tommy is a man who was a bright and happy boy before the war, but coming home he was someone else entirely. This is clearly noted by the rest of his family, and plays a major role in the series.
Going to war is something Tommy knows all too well. The Shelby family has a variety of characters that play a role throughout the series. Whether it be one of his brothers in Arthur or John (Joe Cole), or his aunt Polly; they're all interesting on their own. Arthur is another man broken by war, and suffers PTSD from the constant bombings that took place. His story of coping with these fears and syndromes in a world that almost always seems to still be at war is incredible. Watching his character develop throughout the seasons with these issues is fascinating. Polly is the other major player throughout that has a large arc that directly intertwines with that of Tommy and Arthur. Her life as a widow and after the war are major factors in her thinking and her position as a mother figure for the boys allows her to help them through some of their darker times.
Peaky Blinders' story changes but manages to keep a rather similar tone throughout its seasons. The scale of the war that they are fighting often changes, and the people who are trying to take down their empire changes as well. This constant cycle of villainy is for the strength of the series, as you get to see other enterprises throughout Europe and the world. The one major player that factors into the first three Series of the show is Chester Campbell (Sam Neill), an agent coming directly from Winston Churchill. His interactions with the Peaky Blinders play heavily into how the story moves forward and he, while not necessarily at odds with them at all times, does have a bone to pick with them. His character is one of the parts of the show I didn't enjoy as much as others, but it was a great piece for an even better show.
All around, Peaky Blinders is a widely acclaimed series that I would be unable to find any reason not to recommend it to be viewed. One reason that I do need to mention though is the episode count: there are only 6 episodes a season! That's a binge watcher's dream! In an age of fantastic TV, Peaky Blinders is necessary viewing.
Series 4 - Review
This section has very minor spoilers for Series 4 of Peaky Blinders!
18 episodes in, I honestly didn't think this show could do anything more to surprise me. Boy was I wrong. Picking up a few months after the bombshell ending of Series 3, we find ourselves in a world without the Shelbys. Tommy is running their company all on his own, but things quickly go south with the arrival of the American Mafia and mob lord Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody). Luca has a vendetta against the Shelbys, and intends to pay it through. Speaking firstly of Adrien Brody's performance: he is magnificent. I would watch Adrien Brody be a librarian if I had to because he simply makes any role he is in his own and I love what he does with this part. Adrien Brody is the first villain in Peaky Blinders to really have a built up story around him. That works to the series strength and allows you to see the world from the other side. Learning how the enemy thinks gives great insight into how the events of the Series come to pass.
Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby is again fantastic, and that should come as no surprise to those who know him as an actor. The way him and Brody work off of one another in their scenes together is incredible and I've never been more invested in this show than when they are on screen together. Seeing the Shelby family come back together tentatively after their betrayal by Tommy is intense and filled with questionable actions. Right away from the beginning the show manages to surprise us with twists and turns that nobody could see coming. Multiple major characters meet their end in this series, and even more come to play in a series that puts everything on the table for the Peaky Blinders. With only one Series predicted to be left, the story is left fairly wrapped up but also wide open for one last hurrah. While the direction is rather clear, I'm curious how threads from the past will come back to haunt Tommy one last time. There is a name drop in this season that I'm sure all gangster fans would pray comes to pass in the final season, myself included.
Series 4 of Peaky Blinders might be the shows best yet. Not weighing Tommy down with a true love interest, and making him a man purely focused on his family works for the shows benefit. He's a man with a mission and he will do whatever is necessary to get it done. Visually, Peaky Blinders continues to impress with it's action and pure aesthetic. The world is drab and bleak, but when sparks fly off the assembly line to shower a character in flickering light, I couldn't help but smile. Steven Knight has done an incredible job, and I only hope he finishes the series as strong as it started.
