Liam Hoofe reviews the second episode of Peaky Blinders series 5…
‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’ said William Shakespeare and no-one knows that better right now than Tommy Shelby. The head of the Peaky Blinders is facing it from all angles in the second episode of the show’s fifth season. As normal, the show wastes little time in chucking us right into the thick of it after an exciting opening episode.
The episode opens with a thrilling sequence which sees Tommy discover an effigy on him nailed to a crucifix. What follows is a wonderful tense and beautifully shot sequence where Tommy realises the field he is in is surrounded by mines. He briefly considers punching one and blowing himself to bits before his son makes a dramatic appearance. It’s the second time we’ve seen Tommy consider suicide in as many episodes and it set a dark tone for what was to come.
Somehow, this wasn’t the episode’s darkest sequence featuring a crucifix. Around midway through the episode, we were introduced to this season’s big bad gang, The Billy Boys. The group jumped Aberama Gold and his son, beating Gold to the ground before stringing his son up on a crucifix and shooting him in the head as a message to Tommy. It looks as though these guys are going to be the villains for this season and while they may not be as slick as Adrien Brody’s Luca Changretti, they are certainly a lot more dramatic when it comes to their violence.
Another interesting thread that was started this episode was the return of Michael from New York with his new wife Gina. The character was involved in two excellent scenes with Tommy and it looks as though the Blinders may have a traitor in their midst. Most people are already speculating that it is Gina, who is played by Anna Taylor Joy, is the traitor but there could still be plenty of twists in store.
If all of that wasn’t enough, Tommy also has to deal with the interest of Oswald Moseley as he attempts to juggle a life of crime with life as an MP. The scene between the two men in Westminster was brilliant and Sam Claflin is clearly having a lot of fun in the role. It’s going to be interesting to see how he ties into the big picture, which will no doubt become a bit clearer in the coming episodes.
There were many excellent scenes throughout the episode and it had one final one in store for us as Tommy had a showdown with Gold outside his house. An enraged Gold turned up with a hostage outside Tommy’s house and a tussle ended with Tommy holding a gun to both men after his wife had come outside and threatened them all. Tommy’s grip is clearly starting to slip and it’s fascinating watching his character attempt to deal with all of these things.
Verdict: Tommy Shelby is fighting it off from angles right now and it makes for absolutely gripping television. The episode never let up and the show continues to be one of the best on TV right now.
Liam Hoofe
