Liam Hoofe reviews the fourth episode of Peaky Blinders series 4…
As jam-packed hours of television go, you are going to struggle to find anything more exhilarating than Peaky Blinders right now. This week’s episode wasted no time moving forward and with only two episodes of the show left, things are only going to get more exciting in the coming weeks.
What Peaky Blinders does so exceptionally well is keep all of its plates spinning at full speed. This week’s episode felt like the most action-packed yet, with all of the show’s key narratives given screen time. The biggest story in the show is obviously the Mafia’s quest to take out the Shelby family, and after last week’s surprise twist which saw Polly make a deal with Adrien Brody’s Changretta, this week it looked as though that wasn’t quite what it seems. In fact, the episode raised the question as to whether or not that it was legitimate on several occasions, and the episode ended with the Italians following Tommy but who is that a trap for? Polly has her issues with Tommy, but I suspect they are working together on this.
Brody once again chewed the scenery as Changretta but he was only the only big name star to shine this episode. Aidan Gillen’s Aberama Gold made his return to the show after his absence last week, and his exchanges were Tommy was great to watch, but it was the returning Tom Hardy who stole the show here. Coming up from London to arrange a fight between one of his boxers and Gold’s son, Hardy’s Alfie Solomon has always been one of the show’s most enjoyable characters to watch and his exchange with Gold was the episode’s scene stealer.
While the show has made us wait for Hardy’s return, it gave us plenty to chew over in the episode’s opening moments. The tea-party scene, which saw Arthur being set up by Mrs Ross was a nail-biting sequence, and the revelation that the whole thing was a decoy was perfectly executed.
The communism and the worker’s strike was also rumbling on the in the background, and it was nice to see Ayda getting to flex her Blinders muscles during a confrontation with Jessie Eden late in the episode. The rise of the workers is building up some steady momentum in the show, it’s a ticking time bomb that is likely to go on in the show’s final two episodes.
‘Dangerous’ was an apt title for this episode, as that it is the perfect way to describe Tommy’s current situation. The head of the Blinders has a lot to contend with in the coming two weeks, and it promises to make some of 2017’s most explosive viewing.
What did you think of ‘Dangerous’? Let us know in the comments below, and let Liam know on Twitter @liamhoofe
Originally published December 7, 2017. Updated April 19, 2018.
