Irish-Romani Shelby family witnesses the ups and downs of the upheaval caused by WWI, as well as the lead-up to WWII, which is where the final season will commence.
Peaky Blinders season 5, which first aired in 2019, ended on a cliffhanger with Tommy Shelby, who is portrayed by Cillian Murphy, suffering from a PTSD episode and threatening suicide. It is not the first time Tommy has found himself in a mentally unstable position, and the character has faced more than his fair share of grief and trauma. With the untimely death of actress Helen McCrory, who played the role of Elizabeth "Polly" Gray, the Shelby siblings' aunt and unofficial head of the family, the pain is likely to continue for Tommy. As it is unlikely that McCrory will appear in season 6 at all, Polly will ultimately be written out. Murphy, who has always played Tommy Shelby with a barely hidden edge of uncontrollable darkness, has said that season 6 will be "dark as f**k."
The trailer for season 6 of Peaky Blinders brings us an older Tommy Shelby, one who has obviously survived the demons of season 5, only to discover new ones. Like the other seasons have done, season 6 will likely jump forward in time a few years, allowing the events of the previous season to die down before new fights rise to the surface for the gang. The final episode of season 5 took place in December of 1929, and Peaky Blinders' creator, Steven Knight, has stated that the story will end as the Blitz begins in England, which took place in September, 1940. So how will Peaky Blinders end? While there are countless possibilities for the end of the series based on true historical events, the most likely scenarios are broken down below.
Michael And Gina Gray Take Over The Peaky Blinders
This possibility was strongly alluded to in season 5, and the perfectly conniving Gina Gray (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) made no effort to cover up her plans for a takeover. Her husband Michael, played by Finn Cole, is the son of Aunt Polly who was raised by adopted parents after she lost custody of him. While Michael has spent several seasons trying to fit into his family and find his place within the organization, Gina's influence has already proven intoxicating to the ambitious young man. Because Tommy and Polly sent him to America, where he met his wife, she took over as the greatest influence in his life. Without Polly to keep him grounded within the family, Gina was already able to convince him to betray Tommy and the rest of the Peaky Blinders, as they are likely the source who warned Oswald Mosley about the assassination attempt.
The season 6 trailer leans heavily into this possibility, showing the Grays distancing themselves from the Peaky Blinders even further, including the fact that Michael is seen wearing a fedora (the headgear associated with the Italian mafia) rather than the flat cap that has long been the trademark of his family's gang. Since viewers know very little about Gina Gray's history, it will be interesting to see how the Grays intend to make good on their plans for taking the Peaky Blinders from Tommy. Given the obvious ambitions of Michael and Gina Gray's scheming intelligence in Peaky Blinders, Shelby Company Limited and the gang are both within their reach, should the couple turn vicious enough to take them.
Ada Thorne Takes Over The Peaky Blinders
For five seasons, Ada Thorne has been the least involved member of the Shelby family, with regards to the Peaky Blinder's criminal activity, but a teaser trailer for Peaky Blinders season 6 may have changed that. The fourth child of Arthur Sr. and his wife, Birdie, and only daughter, Ada has spent much of her life in the background. Beginning in season 1, Ada has developed a network of Communist and Socialist allies through her husband, Freddie Thorne. She is politically savvy, and understands the plight of the working folk in a way that is different from her brothers. In season 3, Ada moved to the United States to take over the legitimate arm of business for Shelby Company Limited. In doing so, Ada has developed even more of her own s and allies.
While it is most likely that she will take over Polly's position as head of the family, rather than Tommy's as head of the gang, Ada Thorne has proven she can be brutal when necessary. She is also the most cunning of the surviving Shelby's, after Tommy, which may mean that if Tommy is no longer able to hold power, she has no choice but to take it. She has children that she must protect and care for, and the Shelby women have made it clear that while they like to distance themselves from the violence and criminal aspect of the Peaky Blinders as much as possible, when their children are endangered, they'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.
Tommy Shelby Goes Straight At The End Of Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders has given viewers an unflinching look into the war between right and wrong inside Tommy Shelby's soul for five seasons, and every time right looks to be winning, something yanks him back into his criminal past. From a small-time race fixer to spying on one of the most dangerous men in Britain, Tommy's life has grown more dangerous, and his darkness grown ever more dense as the series has progressed. His happiest time was when he was married to Grace, a period when he was mostly doing legitimate business.
The finale of season 5 showed Tommy Shelby grappling with Grace's memory and battling the PTSD that has haunted him since the war. His hallucinations lead him to the field, where he contemplates suicide. However, since Murphy clearly appears in the season 6 trailer, it is obvious that he does not kill himself at that time. It is possible that the hallucinations he has of Grace convince him to abandon his criminal enterprises and be the legitimate business man she knows he can be. If this is the path Tommy chooses, viewers could see the dissolution of the Peaky Blinders, as its move on to embrace different aspects of the family business.
The darkness will never completely be gone from Tommy Shelby, and, therefore, it seems unlikely that this will be the path he sticks to for the rest of his life. There is always the possibility that this ending could be combined with another, perhaps turning the criminal enterprises over to Michael and Gina while Tommy retires as a successful businessman, or ing some of the organization onto the younger generation. Unfortunately, with Polly's absence from season 6, this ending seems less likely.
Tommy Shelby Is Murdered At The End Of Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is violent and brutal television with a high body count, and, after five seasons, viewers are well aware that no one is truly safe. From the shocking murder of Grace Shelby to the unexpected demise of Aberama Gold, main characters have little security in a world as cutthroat as Small Heath. Death comes for everyone, eventually, and it is entirely likely that Tommy Shelby will meet his end through violence, when all is said and done.
It could even be argued that the show has been preparing viewers for Tommy's death since the very beginning. He never thought he should have survived the war, and the guilt he's suffered because of that survival has led to many of his most dangerous decisions. With another war on the horizon, Tommy is sure to put himself into more situations that could lead to his death, perhaps at the hands of someone he loves - or someone he hates - or perhaps even someone new, as hints of Al Capone's appearance in Peaky Blinders persists. There's plenty of all these groups with reasons to end Tommy Shelby.
Tommy Shelby Dies By His Own Hand At The End Of Peaky Blinders
As Peaky Blinders season 5 proved, Tommy Shelby has plenty of demons haunting him, and his inability to discuss his grief and deal with the trauma and loss he's suffered aren't likely to go away. The show has proven repeatedly that Tommy's mental health could lead to a crisis from which he cannot come back from. While this ending seems like the least likely outcome, given his heavy presence throughout the season 6 trailer, World War II may prove to be the straw that breaks Tommy Shelby's back. Fans of the show may hope for a different ending for the long-time antihero, but the trauma of early-20th century European upheaval left scars on many, and Tommy Shelby's suicide wouldn't be a surprising ending, even if it were a disappointment.
However Peaky Blinders does finally end, viewers can be assured that violence, malice, and the red right-hand of divine vengeance will play a heavy role in the final season. Long-time viewers can expect the return of old friends and enemies, as well. Perhaps there's still time for Alfie Solomon to betray Tommy once more, or for Arthur Shelby to self-destruct one last time. Maybe Audrey Changretta will take up the vendetta her sons Luca and Angel failed to fulfill, or maybe Oswald Mosley will find a way to turn Birmingham against the Shelby family. Audiences will be thrilled to see the ever-saucy Esme make an appearance in the trailer. Perhaps she's come back to take revenge for John Shelby's death in season 4. Whatever happens, viewers are guaranteed six more episodes of Peaky Blinders, along with the promise of a feature film to begin production in 2023. That means there's still plenty of time for the epic conclusion to surprise its audience.
Peaky Blinders season 6 premieres on February 27th on BBC One.