Peaky Blinders ended (for now) with a twist-filled finale. With major spoilers, we break down how it leaves things for the follow-up feature film.
By Louisa Mellor | |
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Warning: contains spoilers for the Peaky Blinders finale ‘Lock and Key’.
Towards the end of the Peaky Blinders finale, when all the ‘black cat’ traitors had been killed or ousted from the Shelby family, the gang gathered in the woods of the recently dynamited Arrow House for a farewell banquet. Ada and Karl, Linda, Arthur, Charles, Charlie, Curly, Johnny Dogs, Duke, and housekeeper Frances… everybody but Lizzie, who’d left Tommy after he slept with Diana Mitford, and the newly disowned Finn, raised a glass to “family” as Tommy said his goodbyes. Tommy believed he was travelling to his death, but had a surprise on the way. We break that down, along with other questions fans may have after ‘Lock and Key’.
Why Was Finn Banished From the Family?
Because he failed the test set for him at Arrow House and chose his friend over his family. Ever since Arthur coerced former professional footballer Billy Grade into helping to fix matches for the Peaky Blinders, Grade has worked alongside Finn Shelby at the betting shop. Over five or so years, they became close, drinking whiskey, snorting cocaine and womanising together. Finn didn’t realise that Billy was also working as an informant, telling Peaky Blinders secrets to the IRA. After a drunken Finn let slip that the gang was going to shoot a fascist on the night of Mosley’s Bingley Hall rally, Grade phoned Lorna McKee, and the IRA stopped the assassination by killing sniper Barney Thompson, Aberama Gold and Polly Gray.
After Jack Nelson violently forced Billy Grade into becoming an informant for his operation, somehow Tommy found out (possibly because Billy was passing information to Gina Gray, whom Tommy had surveilled and was blackmailing over her adultery with Oswald Mosley). Tommy called a meeting at the Garrison in order to feed Billy false information to lure the IRA into a trap. He let Billy believe that he trusted Michael Gray, and that Arthur would be alone and vulnerable on a certain night. Billy duly passed that information to Gina, and both Michael’s plan to kill Tommy and the IRA’s plan to kill Arthur (a favour to Jack Nelson in exchange for guns) were then scuppered by Tommy’s scheming.
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At Arrow House, Duke and Isaiah lured Billy and Finn into the kitchen where they told Finn to shoot Billy for being a traitor on pain of being exiled from the family. Finn refused, and then took the gun, but aimed it at Duke, pulling the trigger on two empty chambers. Duke took the gun back from Finn and told him that Charlie had known he would try to turn on them and so told him to leave the first two chambers of the gun empty. Duke then shot Billy Grade in the head and told Finn he was no longer a member of this Shelby family, by order of the Peaky f*cking Blinders. Finn left, swearing revenge on Duke, which is sure to come up in the forthcoming Peaky Blinders feature film.
Who was the street preacher outside the Garrison Tavern?
That was a brand new character for the finale named ‘Lazarus’ – an apt biblical name relating to returning from the dead. He’s played by Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson. Lazarus was there in place of Jeremiah, who was part of the ambush on the IRA assassins.
What Will Happen in the Peaky Blinders Film?
In January 2021, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight announced that, contrary to proposed plans for seven seasons (for years he’d been saying that five was the goal, but that came and went), the TV show would finish after six and be continued by a feature film. That’s currently the plan, as we discuss in more detail here. Production on the film is currently pencilled in to start in early 2023, which means fans aren’t likely to see it until 2024 at the earliest.
Speaking to Digital Spy ahead of the season six launch, Knight confirmed that Tommy and Arthur would be a part of the film, which is rumoured to be set during WWII. The timescale makes sense, as season six took place around 1935-6, each new visit to the Shelby family tends to jump a few years, and WWII broke out in 1939.
The introduction of Conrad Khan as Duke Shelby, and his new rivalry with Finn Shelby (see above) is likely to provide plot for the film, as is the prominence of high-ranking Peaky Blinder Isaiah Jesus, the son of street preacher Jeremiah. Ada’s burgeoning political career (Tommy suggested that she run for his seat when he was facing death) could also feature, as might Stephen Graham’s new character Hayden Stagg, who was cast to great fanfare in season six, but has so far only featured in two scenes. And of course, it wouldn’t be Peaky Blinders without Tom Hardy’s seemingly unkillable Alfie Solomon.
A Caryn Mandabach production that airs on the BBC and Netflix, it’s not yet confirmed where the film will debut, but it’s likely to have a multi-platform release, with a limited cinema run plus a BBC One/BBC iPlayer and Netflix airing. We’ll bring you more information when we hear it. One mini-question we hope the film explains is…
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What did Tommy whisper to Duke at the banquet?
After Tommy raised his toast to the family and choked up telling Charles to look after Lizzie and that he wanted him to be “the best…”, he whispered something in Duke’s (newly exposed thanks to his Peaky Blinders haircut) ear. Whatever it was is bound to feature in the Peaky Blinders movie. An instruction? A request to keep Charles and Lizzie safe? A business strategy for the ‘dark’ side of the Shelby Company? More information on where the bodies are buried? Another piece of ‘tachipen’? Time will tell.
Why Dr Holford Invented the Tuberculoma Diagnosis
Unbeknownst to Tommy, a year or so into his and Oswald Mosley’s political partnership, Mosley arranged for his close friend and Nazi-sympathiser Dr Michael Holford to become Tommy’s personal physician. For three years, Holford was Tommy’s private doctor, until the time came when Mosley and pals decided that Tommy’s time was up.
Mosley, Holford, and fellow fascist Dr Helen Rutherford conspired to convince Tommy that he was dying of an incurable disease, as a way to push him towards taking his own life. After Tommy’s daughter Ruby died of Tuberculosis, they faked X-Rays and an urgent diagnosis of inoperable tuberculoma in the brain stem. Holford delivered the diagnosis and recommended Tommy seek a second opinion from Rutherford at St Thomas’ Hospital. She kept up the lie, and from episode four of season six, Tommy believed he had a maximum of 18 months to live.
Mosley and Diana’s Co-Conspirators
After making the financial arrangements to look after his family, dynamiting his house and holding a farewell banquet in the woods, Tommy went on the road alone in a wagon to prepare for death. A month in, he flipped a coin to decide whether to to shoot himself and it came up heads. He took off his wedding ring and pocket watch and left them in the wagon with photographs of Grace, Polly, John, Ruby and Lizzie and Charles, before loading a gun with a bullet engraved with his name and holding it to his head. That’s when he heard Ruby’s voice telling him to come outside. In a vision, Ruby told him that he wasn’t sick and that he needed to relight the fire.
In the cinders of his camp fire, Tommy saw a newspaper report on Oswald and Diana’s Berlin wedding. In the photograph and on the guest list? Dr Michael Holford and Dr Helen Rutherford. He realised the scam and went to confront Holford, who admitted everything. When Tommy was about to kill Holford, the bell sounded for 11 o clock – the time Armistice was declared in the First World War. He let Holford life and returned to his camp, which had been set on fire on Holford’s orders (not knowing the “f*cking gypsies” in his top field were Tommy Shelby). Tommy watched the flames, then mounted a horse and rode away.
What was the song playing over the closing credits?
That was Lisa O’Neill’s cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘All the Tired Horses’, the second Lisa O’Neill song to feature in season six after episode four’s ‘Blackbird’, and the second Bob Dylan song to close out a season of Peaky Blinders after season four ended with Richard Hawley’s cover of ‘Ballad of a Thin Man’.
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Where will Tommy go now?
Now he’s “back from under the ground”, Tommy could go straight back to Small Heath, or he could go anywhere seeing as his death has effectively been faked for him thanks to Holford’s tuberculoma scheme and the burnt wagon. Arthur knew about the diagnosis and Tommy instructed him that when it was time, he would give Arthur the wagon’s location so that he, Charlie and Curly could burn his body and “rake through the ashes for silver and gold.” Arthur and co. will be on their way to the wagon, only to find it already burnt, but with Tommy’s watch and ring among the cinders. That means if Tommy chose to, he could ride away and become somebody else entirely, forgetting his family and his past. He could work as a spy for Winston Churchill, or live an itinerant life, or go abroad with everybody thinking that Thomas Shelby OBE, MP was dead.
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Peaky Blinders season six is available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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Tags: Cillian MurphyDramaPeaky BlindersSteven KnightUK TV
Written by
Louisa Mellor|@Louisa_Mellor
Louisa Mellor is the Den of Geek UK TV Editor. She has written about TV, film and books for Den of Geek since 2010, and for…
Read more from Louisa Mellor
Greetings, enthusiasts of Peaky Blinders lore! As a seasoned observer and connoisseur of the Shelby family's intricate saga, I find it exhilarating to delve into the depths of the show's narrative. Allow me to elucidate the nuances of the Peaky Blinders finale, 'Lock and Key,' with a level of insight borne from a profound understanding of the series.
In the riveting farewell banquet at Arrow House, the culmination of betrayals and family dynamics unfolded with the expulsion of Finn Shelby. His banishment, a consequence of failing a critical test at the hands of Duke, introduces a compelling dynamic likely to play a pivotal role in the forthcoming Peaky Blinders feature film. The intricate plot involving Billy Grade, IRA secrets, and Tommy's masterful manipulation sets the stage for a riveting continuation in the cinematic realm.
The introduction of Lazarus, portrayed by Sleaford Mods' Jason Williamson, outside the Garrison Tavern adds a layer of mystery to the narrative, offering a tantalizing glimpse into potential story arcs. Moreover, the revelation of plans for the Peaky Blinders film, set to include key characters such as Tommy and Arthur during World War II, fuels anticipation among the fanbase.
The enigmatic whisper from Tommy to Duke at the banquet further stirs curiosity, leaving us to ponder its significance in the upcoming film. The intricacies of family dynamics, political aspirations, and the looming WWII backdrop provide a rich tapestry for the narrative to unfold, with characters like Ada, Isaiah Jesus, and the ever-resilient Alfie Solomon contributing to the multifaceted narrative.
The manipulation orchestrated by Oswald Mosley and Dr. Michael Holford, leading Tommy to believe in a fabricated diagnosis of an incurable disease, serves as a testament to the show's penchant for psychological intrigue. Unraveling this deception adds a layer of complexity to Tommy's character, paving the way for a compelling evolution in the film.
The closing credits, featuring Lisa O'Neill's cover of Bob Dylan's 'All the Tired Horses,' encapsulates the show's penchant for evocative musical choices. As the flames of Tommy's campfire reflect his internal turmoil, the song becomes a poignant accompaniment to the unfolding drama.
As we contemplate Tommy's future, liberated from the shackles of assumed demise, the possibilities are as vast and unpredictable as the post-war landscape. The potential for espionage, reinvention, or an entirely new life adds an extra layer of intrigue to the series' legacy.
In essence, the Peaky Blinders finale sets the stage for an enthralling cinematic continuation, weaving together family dynamics, political machinations, and the indomitable spirit of the Shelby clan. The intricate storytelling and nuanced character arcs promise a cinematic experience that will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the Peaky Blinders legacy. Stay tuned for more revelations as the journey unfolds in the highly anticipated feature film.
