The anticipation is building for the upcoming season 6 of Peaky Blinders. Indeed, a recent teaser trailer revealed Tom Hardy's return as gang leader Alfie Solomon. Of course, with the beloved series coming to an end, there are surely many surprises that await fans.
The fifth season left off on a dramatic cliffhanger as we saw Tommy Shelby seemingly at his breaking point. From here, fans don't know what to expect the popular gangster's final go-around, but t's been a long road for them to have gotten to this point. Here is everything there is to know about the coming season 6.
The Plot: What Will Be the Focus of This Season?
Season 5 ended with Tommy in a field seemingly about to end his own life. The first episode of season 6 will pick back up at this very moment, which comes after the failed attempt to have Oswald Mosley assassinated. The implication, here, is that someone betrayed Tommy. The season is expected to reveal the culprit as well as explore other avenues relevant to the period.
In the ’30s, Tommy will face off against a new fascist foe who will surely test him in ways he’s never been tested before. According to director Anthony Byrne to Esquire,
“There’s a great female character who is new and dark. I haven’t seen anyone like her on Peaky before. She certainly gives Tommy a run for his money. She’s neither a protagonist nor an antagonist.”
This character is said to have a similar ideology to Mosley and uses it as a virus, making for a different kind of danger.
Among other things to expect, the impending Second World War will loom heavily, as well as the rise of fascism, nationalism, and racism (all of which will strike huge parallels with current global issues). In fact, The Battle of Cable Street is an event expected to occur at some point. This actual conflict saw communists and anti-fascists blocking the British Union of Fascists from attacking a predominantly Jewish community. Fighting broke out between the two parties, with the Union being beaten back. We can expect Tommy to be right in the middle of all this social turmoil.
The Cast: Who’s Returning, Who’s Not, And Who’s New
Aside from the teaser's big Alfie reveal, it's already been confirmed that Sam Claflin (Oswald Mosley), Paul Anderson (Arthur Shelby), Finn Cole (Michael Gray), Sophie Rundle (Ada Thorne), Natasha O'Keeffe (Lizzie Shelby), Harry Kirton (Finn Shelby), Packy Lee (Johnny Dogs), Daryl McCormack (Isaiah), and Emmett J. Scanlan (Billy Grade) are all returning. In terms of new casting, actors Conrad Khan and Amber Anderson have signed on, though their roles have yet to be determined. Additionally, Kate Phillips (Linda Shelby) has recently been seen on set during filming. Talking about Linda's relationship with Arthur Shelby with Digital Spy, Phillips said,
"There's definitely unfinished business there. They share a child, and Arthur would never let Linda get away with Billy, so they're tied together. I'd like to think she's going to be around, and maybe there might be some reconciliation, but also, her fury is pretty palpable by the end of episode five. It begs the question: how do you come back from trying to kill your husband?"
Annabelle Wallis may return to the series as Grace Shelby. Tommy had been seeing her ghost throughout season five, and director Byrne has said that we may be seeing more hallucinations of deceased characters throughout this outing. Anya Taylor-Joy also will continue her takeover scheming with Michael. Meanwhile, Brian Gleeson's Jimmy McCavern will continue his work with Mosley's British Union of Fascists as tensions rise into a new decade.
Saying Goodbye to Helen McCrory
Helen McCrory passed away earlier this year. The actress played Polly Gray since season 1 and was meant to do so until the end. It is currently unknown if she had filmed any scenes before her death. It is also unclear what impact her passing may have on the show. When filming had wrapped, Byrne shared an image of a clapboard with a picture of the late actress on it just a few days after the news of Hellen’s passing.
It’s not likely that Helen's role would be recast. It's possible that she may be written off for one reason or another--perhaps Polly has moved to Aberama’s land to spend the remainder of her life. Fans can rest assured that the producers will do her justice. Polly's presence will likely continue to be felt within the show as a tribute to the great actress who played her.
Is Season 6 The End of Peaky Blinders?
While season 6 will be the final season of Peaky Blinders, the story of the Shelby family will continue on the big screen. In fact, it was announced that the Peaky Blinders movie will begin production in 2023. Knight plans to write the script for the film and set it in Birmingham. He describes it as the end of the road for the series. However, characters that make it out could appear in adjacent stories later down the road. While talking of the future with BBC News, Knight said,
"I don't like the word spin-offs, but TV series inspired by and including characters from Peaky could happen."
The final season of Peaky Blinders is set to come out in early 2022. The official date is not yet known. Until then, fans should catch up on past seasons and reacquaint themselves with characters and the Peaky Blinders universe.