PEAKY BLINDERS Series 2, Episode 5 Review


What does Major Campbell have planned for the Shelby’s? Read on to find out.

The official description from BBC:

Tommy is caught by surprise when his powerbase in London is obliterated. As Tommy struggles to save his family and regain the upper hand, May expresses her feelings for him, and he is paid a visit by an old friend.

Things have been building into something big over the course of Peaky Blinders second series, and as we enter the penultimate episode things just keep getting all the more intense. Despite there being some slow moments over the course of the series, the general build-up and drama throughout has constantly had me gripped. The deep elements to the series, along with the new characters have also allowed for a much fresher take, with the outcome being much more enticing.

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Things aren’t going well for the Shelby’s as Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) and Darby Santini’s (Noah Taylor) war against them commences. Not only that but the police also target Polly’s (Helen McCrory) son Michael (Finn Cole). And this is all within the first 10 minutes. The episode isn’t all blood and violence however, as Steven Knight‘s script sports some very strong developments, that are full of emotion. Most noticeable amongst these is the way that Tommy (Cillian Murphy) responds to these aforementioned events, with Major Campbell (Sam Neill) also showing his hand. The episode also sees the return of an old character, as Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis) pays a visit at Tommy’s behest. Though not adding a great deal, it was nice to see the character return, allowing a little extra tension between Tommy and Campbell.

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Despite having a wonderful cast of actors there is one that I feel hasn’t been used to their best abilities, and that’s Sam Neill. Though I’ve enjoyed the direction the series has been heading in, with the new characters adding a fresh dynamic to the series, it has been sad to see Neill’s presence fall into the background. This changes here however, with the great actor giving one of his best performances yet. As ever Cillian Murphy also gives an amazing performance, with his presence as ever being a strong influence on the events at hand. The rest of the cast also as ever gave strong performances, as though the likes of Finn Cole and Paul Anderson (Arthur) fell into the background, Tom Hardy, Helen McCrory and Charlotte Riley (May Carleton) all gave magnificent performances.

Peaky Blinders has been giving us a lot to ponder over throughout the course of this series, and it just continues to give more. Having a dramatically intense opening, and a grippingly thrilling follow-up, this penultimate episode certainly has me excited for the finale, coming highly recommended.

OUR RATING
9
  • + Intense start to a dramatic episode.
  • + Sam Neill finally being used right.
  • + Brilliant performances from all cast members.
  • - Some developments felt a little sudden.