Peaky Blinders Series 6, first look: bombastic yes, but still a master class in style and content

“Ever since we last met,” said Tommy Shelby of Cillian Murphy in the middle of the introductory part of the final series. Peaky Blinders“I became a better man.”

That is debatable. On the one hand, Tommy gave up drinking, became at least outwardly a calmer, more sensible man than he would have been at the wellness center and breathed a little consciously. On the other hand, there is still a strong hand with a folding blade. If anything, firing whiskey brought Tommy clarity of mind, which elevated his ability to play 3D chess with a number of dangerous opponents to the level of George Smiley.

The first part of the latest series of gangster drama from Birmingham went to great lengths to reveal who these dangerous opponents are. The show has always been western at heart, so it’s important to find out who – if Tommy Shelby is a rude antihero – are his opponents?

The sixth series begins with the typical Peaky time jump, four years onwards until 1933 and the end of the ban. We land on the island of Miquelon, a French territory in Newfoundland, where the illicit whiskey trade has stopped and Tommy wants to replace one illegal activity with another, opium. This brings him into conflict with Michael (Finn Cole), who lives and works with Americans on whose lawn Tommy wants to park his tanks. He also places it against Gina’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) uncle Jack Nelson, Mr. Big from the East Coast. And so it looks again like Series Six is ​​a story about Tommy climbing to another league, battling the big boys and realizing his limitations.

You don’t have to be a Western connoisseur to see Peaky Blinders follow a well-established narrative. You cheer for Tommy Shelby, even though you’re horrified at the things he does, and that dissonance creates tension. There’s even a scene here where Tommy steps into a shady lounge bar and everyone falls silent. Try to watch this without whistling Ennio Morricone.