Peaky Blinders: Why Each Season Is The Best (& Why It’s The Worst)

Peaky Blinders is easily one of the most binge-able shows of the decade, which is surprising because not all period dramas are ideal for streaming marathons. But the BBC show created by Steven Knight puts a whole lot of effort into staying true to certain elements that makes it relevant and timeless.

The show has had five seasons so far and is about to return with a sixth season. Stakes are higher because unlike most of its other seasons, season 5 did not have a neatly wrapped up ending and fans didn’t get a sense of closure. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons list of each season of the show.

10 Season 1: Why It’s The Best

The first season of the show did a flawless job of setting the tone for the narrative, which is something the series has stuck to throughout. This is a challenge for most period dramas, especially politically-charged ones.

The first season of the show unravels right after the first World War and does a stellar job of depicting how and why the Shelby brothers return to their criminal roots after they come back from war. There’s also a nuanced mythical aspect that is introduced to define Tommy’s narrative, vis-a-vis his gypsy roots, which added a lot of intrigue to his character.

9 Season 1: Why It’s The Worst

Despite its stellar premise, the first season did have some rough edges which were eventually sanded down in the next few seasons. The relationship between the brothers, especially, seemed to have been based on a wonky dynamic, which initially confused fans.

Arthur, being the oldest Shelby brother, did not wield as much influence as Tommy and was happy with his younger brother leading the charge in the family business. The show needed to give the viewers a glimpse at their pre-war relationship to give them a better sense of their dynamic.

8 Season 2: Why It’s The Best

The second season of Peaky Blinders was just astoundingly good TV. It had everything: a brooding crime lord mending a broken heart, turf wars, political tensions, an assassination plot, and the Derby.

Tommy’s unyielding desire to legitimize his business anchors all of his maneuvers in the second season, which simplifies things for the audience and actually makes him a more wholesome and relatable working-class icon. The storyline of the second season also comes off as seasoned and organic, and there’s also quite a few adrenaline-pumping moments.

7 Season 2: Why It’s The Worst

Fans have often said that the second season took on more than it could chew and it’s actually quite true. There are only six episodes and there are certain things in the script which needed more time to breathe, like Alfie and Tommy’s working relationship – fans couldn’t figure out why exactly Alfie decide to betray Tommy with his oldest enemy.

It happened too quickly and seemed really unreasonable, especially since it involved Campbell’s men. The storyline between Grace, Tommy and May also needed a more decisive closure, especially since Tommy and Grace had just reconciled.

6 Season 3: Why It’s The Best

The third season of the show brings some crucial changes, starting with Grace’s death. Any avid fan of the show knows that his wife’s death brought about a shift in priorities in Tommy’s philosophy.

The season does a brilliant job of depicting a man and a father who’s coping with insurmountable grief and yet has to keep a clear head to save the rest of his family. The third season also does a great job of calibrating what works for the show’s favor and what doesn’t.

5 Season 3: Why It’s The Worst

The third season of the show also had the same problems as season 2 and suffered from a cluttered progression. Grace’s death was one of the most tragic things to have happened on the show, but over the next couple of episodes, the problems with the Russians and Father Hughes completely overshadowed the aftermath of her death.

It’s almost like Tommy and the Shelbys didn’t have time to process her death, even though there was a three-month gap following the death and Tommy’s injury. But the brief leap in time didn’t help the storyline and the script needed more conviction. Plus, the Russians just didn’t come across as credible threats, in comparison to Tommy’s earlier enemies.

4 Season 4: Why It’s The Best

Season 4 is by far the show’s most audacious. By 2017, the show had earned a very loyal fanbase and could take some brave liberties. Bringing in the Italian-American mobster Luca Changretta was a really bold move, especially considering how easily the storyline could have appeared forced or could have messed with the show’s vibe, culturally at least.

But season 4 did a stupendous job because it went full-throttle on the elements of drama, violence and gang wars. In many ways, the fourth season was a like a litmus test for fans to find out how it would fare in unpredictable territories.

3 Season 4: Why It’s The Worst

The biggest problem with season 4 was definitely the limited screen time allotted to Luca Changretta, and some miffed fans even quipped that Luca didn’t have to come down to Birmingham at all, and could have done the very same damage from New York.

Changretta never gets a chance to prove his mettle as a formidable adversary, despite Adrien Brody’s prolific performance. Changretta’s motive was vengeance and he needed to be a lot more involved in the undoing the Shelbys, and though it was obvious that he was the mastermind in season 4, his arc just wasn’t unraveled as thoroughly as it should have.

2 Season 5: Why It’s The Best

In season 5, the show once again takes some bold steps in unfamiliar territories, as Tommy is sworn in as the new leader of the Labour Party, and the season unravels amid the Great Depression.

The season simply had a lot of room for action and drama to go hand-in-hand, be it in politics, or in business or even in family affairs, especially now that Michael was shaping up to be a pretty important figure in the Shelby family business. Plus, Mosley makes for a terrific bad guy, especially since he’s a detour from the usual gang-led baddies the show has had for so long.

1 Season 5: Why It’s Worst

Season 5 was quite untethered to the origins of the show. While it isn’t entirely a bad move, there are certain elements that are familiar to the show’s audiences, yet in this season, the show tries too many new things at once, which takes the audiences out of their comfort zone.

It doesn’t work simply because the stakes are so much higher now, Tommy is no longer a mafia man working alone, he’s a politician and his enemies are of far greater significance. Bearing this in mind, the makers should have retained some of the fail-safe plot devices that have worked in the show’s favor so far.

About The Author