I've been a huge fan of Peaky Blinders ever since it's initial outing in 2013 for a multitude of reasons. It's period setting in the 1910s and 1920s of Birmingham following a gangster family through the excitement of their daily perils, as well as their need for wanting better for themselves was one of the reasons it captivated me. The show is incredibly well written and looks incredible which is likely the reason that it's managed to attract a steller cast in Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory and Sam Neill, not to mention their recurring cast which includes Tom Hardy who is a joy to watch, even if we're watching him watch pain dry. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two series of the BBC show but during the first episode of the third run I almost lost interest. Almost.
One of the central storylines in the series is the relationship between Tommy Shelby (Murphy) and Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis). In the first series Grace was an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating the organisation and against all odds (even though it was still quite predictable) she managed to pierce Tommy's guarded heart and they fell in love. The relationship was rocky at best because of their differing morals but eventually, with the aid of an unplanned pregnancy, the two found their way back together with most of the events of the first episode of series three taking place at their wedding.
I have faith in the show but a lot of television series seem to lose their way when they finally allow the hero to get his heroine. What do they do afterwards? Have them go through marital issues and end up having an on/off relationship? Have them play house? This is what I was worried about when watching the episode, the relationship is a plot point in the show but I don't want the show to revolve around the two of them and their issues. They seem to have started an intriguing arc with Winston Churchill (Richard McCabe) in the closing of series two and I was looking forward to them exploring that, and see if Tommy is under his thumb or he's resisting. I also didn't want the character of Grace to be completely watered down and have her stay at home with the child as Tommy runs amok. So I guess I don't quite know what I want.
These fears were put at ease by the ending of the episode, although the episode revolved around the twosomes wedding it wasn't completely blissful as there was no break in the gangster drama. There was a wedding crasher that learned that you probably shouldn't crash a Shelby wedding, an unsanctioned fight club between the Shelby clan and Grace's family and even more information regarding the Shelby's dealings with Churchill came to light. I was wrong to doubt it, by the closing of the episode all I wanted to do was fast forward to next week so I could watch the next episode. I also realised I was daft to believe that Grace would be watered down because she was a spy, she is a master manipulator and it seems like she's going to be giving Polly (McCrory) a run for her money.
Although I was initially apprehensive at the start of the episode Peaky Blinders blew that away completely within the hour and it was also nice to see a glimpse of Birmingham in the closing moments. Although they have risen through the ranks and live a more plush lifestyle we'll still see them where they are at their best, running their town. Hopefully they'll be having a Billy Kimber style stand off with Churchill at some point wiith Arthur having a breakdown in the middle of it. So much of what I want needs to happen as well as the writers shocking me as they've done on a regular basis. I need to next episode. And then some.
Related Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment