Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy Come Together for Amazing Fourth Season

The Peaky Blinders Series recently released its fourth season on BBC 1 and Netflix. Series fans have been eagerly waiting for the return of the Shelby brothers and their ban of gypsy gangsters for a little over two years. This season was by far a fan favorite and a personal favorite of mine because of the intensity of the characters and the situations that they get themselves into.

The Peaky Blinders never fails to capture an audience because of the versatility of the characters and the unexpected surprises that come with each and every episode. In the past Peaky Blinders has tackled moments in English history and done so in a true and honest way. The Peaky Blinders gives a realistic and gritty look at the effects of the first World War on the soldiers returning home and the aftermath of the war on the government and the English public. It does little to glamourize PTSD or how families struggled during the 1920s in a post war England. However, they do show the depth of families and how people, the Shelby’s especially, made their way past all of the common struggles and became the Peaky Blinders.

This season focuses on the Shelby brothers taking on the Italian Mafia. This is different from past seasons because the focus is not on local gangs or people who “got in their way.” It explored different sides to characters we may have overlooked as an audience and gave us new perspectives on old characters we have all learned to love. It gives us, the audience, something to look forward to because it is always fun to learn more about the characters that you’ve grown so attached to.

The show uses incredible visuals like the British country side and the glamorous and gritty city streets of London and Birmingham. In some ways in feels as if you are truly there and are living in the early 1900s. The show also highlights the characters and the actors who play them and this season they outdid themselves by diving even deeper into their characters.

What other Netflix shows lack is made up for in the Peaky Blinders. There is an obvious dedication from the actors themselves and you almost forget that they are playing a role. Cillian Murphy who plays Tommy Shelby, who some would call the main character, completely transforms himself into the leader of this notorious gang.

Cillian Murphy has always been one of my favorite actors purely because he is so versatile when it comes to the roles he chooses to play and how he plays them. In the past he has played a transgender woman, a killer and is known for his role in the Batman series as the Scarecrow.

He takes each role seriously and takes the time to research and understand the period, the characters values and goals and how this character fits into the sequence of events and dynamics. Many of the actors In Peaky Blinders are the same way because each person is taking the time to bring their character to life.

Tom Hardy, who is introduced in season two, is the comic relief that is needed in such an intense and dramatic program. He fits a stereotype but then moves to break down all the guidelines for that stereotype. He is a highlight this season by breaking up intense scenes or adding to the tension with dark and dry humor.

In his most recent film, Dunkirk, he plays a selfless pilot who gives himself up to save soldiers trying to escape to safety. In that role and in his previous roles there is often less dry humor and he is taken more seriously and is not the comedic break he is in peaky blinders. He is also incredibly skilled with accents which makes all his characters believable and different from one another.

The question, however, is how will next season beat this one? What will The Shelby brothers do next that will keep us on the edge of our seats and keep up coming back for more? Now the Tommy Shelby has moved up in the government ranks there are endless possibilities to what he can do and who he will face off next. The Peaky Blinders series continues to take unexpected turns and lead audiences into new and exciting situations that they wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. BBC1 has created a show that is original and completely its own.

Many American shows follow the same predictable story lines and veer more towards theatrical dramatics rather than subtle and implied ones. It contains more glamour than Peaky Blinders, which has very little glamour. However, they make up for the lack of glamour with versatility and original plot lines and true and historic events.  Downton Abby is similar when it comes to the details on the set and the quality of acting but Peaky Blinders has a more gritty and interesting plot line that is based on breaking the societal rules. Downton Abby played it safe and The Peaky Blinders is constantly taking risks and pushing boundaries on what will happen next.