Peaky Blinders S6 Ep2 Review

Peaky Blinders episode 2 has a lot more going on then the first one. In this episode we see that Thomas Shelby is trying to play all sides by introducing Jack Nelson's Boston Gang to the fascist elite's. We usually see Thomas get his way when negotiating, but this time the power is not in his hands. He has to rely on the Boston gang to make the right decision that will please both the IRA and the interests of the British government. Thomas's daughter Ruby plays a big role in this episode, and she seems to be ill. But we keep on getting reminders from Polly in Thomas's head that someone has put a curse on the Shelby family. I believe this last season will have quite a few paranormal events, and we will delve deeper into the Gypsy culture. When we see Thomas Shelby outside of the hospital, we see that he throws up. I believe this is due to the head injury he suffered in season 3.

We welcome back a fan favorite which is Alfie Solomons played by Tom Hardy. We did get a shot of him at the end of season 5 when we all thought he was dead, after getting shot in the head at the end of season 4. We see the damage the shot did to the left side of his face, which is badly disfigured. Arthur is still in a bad place after Linda left him. He has turned to drinking and drugs, and no one can seem to be able to help him. I do feel sorry for the character because throughout he has really tried to change and be a better person. But substance abuse and his anger problems have prevented him from making real and permanent change.

The thing that everyone will be talking about after watching the episode is the grey man. As Thomas Shelby's PTSD gets worse, he starts to have episodes where his mind takes him back to the war. We get a flashback to the scene we see in season one in the tunnel, when he is fighting off someone. When he has this episode he is in his office rolling around on the floor. After Grace dies we see his PTSD and opium addiction get worse throughout the show. He has never recovered from the death of Grace and I believe he has tried to get himself into situations where it is nearly impossible to escape, so he can feel alive again. The grey man represents someone who is trying to take his throne and kill him. We have not yet got a indication who the grey man might be, but the most likely candidates are Michael or Mosley. I don't think it will be either one because it is too obvious, it will be someone who we will least suspect. My hunch is that it will be Thomas Shelby's youngest brother Finn. I know we have only seen a few shots of him in the first episode, but it would be a real shock to the audience and make the finale something special.

Right at the end after Thomas Shelby's daughter Ruby is not getting any better, he goes to the phone and asks for Esme Shelby-Lee, who is the widow of John Shelby. We have not seen Esme since the death of John. For some reason Thomas thinks Esme can help Ruby and maybe lift the curse that was put on the Shelby family.

Verdict - 9/10

There was a lot more going on in this episode, and we see how many balls Thomas Shelby is trying to juggle. I can't wait for the next episode to air, to see how events transpire and how Thomas Shelby is going to get out of this.