The BBC Two series, which airs on Netflix for American audiences, “Peaky Blinders” is a fantastic crime drama set in a period that is seldom talked about with your friends or in your history class. It has been around for a while too, with season four releasing to US audiences on Netflix last December. The series starring Cillian Murphy, who also appeared in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is the lead man here and his stark blue eyes pull you in and don’t let you look away as his character Tommy leads his family and gang the titular "Peaky Blinders" through rough and uneasy roads as they grow their criminal empire and even try their hand at legitimate business.
However, it should be stated that this show is not for the faint of heart, it deals with some heavy themes such as suicide and can be very gory at times.
What makes ‘Peaky Blinders’ so good?
The answer is the leader of the Shelby’s Tommy, Cillian Murphy crushes his performance every second he is on screen and really brings Thomas Shelby to life and is supported by a wonderful cast as well. Tommy is a wonderfully written character with many facets and angles to his character which is refreshing in today's television and movie climate of characters who lack dimensions beyond good and evil. Tommy despite being the leader of the gang is also a war hero. He has earned his respect not through violence and fear but instead dedication to his family and quiet strength.
Most of the time quite literally.
The show also handles the topics of drug use and PTSD. While serving the British crown in France during The Great War, Tommy and his friend and brothers lived through some of the ugliest conflicts in human history and all of them in their own ways are affected by PTSD and each reacts to their memories of the war in their own way.
Danny Whiz-Bang, portrayed by Samuel Edward-Cook, is the most outwardly affected character with concerns to PTSD. He served with Tommy in France and from episode one you can see that he is not dealing with the trauma well, being set off by any loud noise and unable to rationally think through his situation when set off. Tommy himself deals with his PTSD by abusing opium, a drug of choice during the time period.
Besides a convincing portrayal of mental health issues caused by war, “Peaky Blinders” is an amazing historical drama. When you sit down to watch “Peaky Blinders” you will feel as if you are transported back to Birmingham with all the accurate dress, accents, and even machinery not to even mention the show’s portrayal of the contemporary issues of 1919 England. Tommy deals not just with the after-effects of The Great War but also the rising tide of communism throughout Europe and the rapid technological and cultural changes that were ripping through the entire globe at this time. Overall this show has so much to offer if you haven’t read something that is going to drag you in yet go watch the first episode, I promise there will be something there for you.
So when can we expect more?
As stated at the beginning, the fourth season just hit US screens but if you haven’t gotten around to watching this show yet don’t worry that this will be another show you’re going to start watching only to find out that the studio producing it has already canned it. BBC ordered the fourth and fifth season at the same time so we know for a fact there is at least one more season to be seen out of Tommy and the gang. When that season will reach us is slightly uncertain. BBC said it would come sometime in 2019, for US audiences specifically it will probably come at a slightly delayed from when our friends in England get to first see season five. So now is a good time for fan theories on which direction the show will take after season four to run rampant, but remember no one really knows so don't worry if you think your favorite character might be killed off next season.
If there will be any more after season five is hard to say but “Peaky Blinders” is doing fantastically in the rating office so if those ratings hold strong then “Peaky Blinders” could carry on indefinitely.
