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Peaky Blinders

In season two of Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby expands his business to London, facing challenges from rival mafia families and political conflicts. He brings Polly's son Michael into the family circle. After being the target of an attack and blackmailed, Tommy seeks business with Alfie Solomons and faces attacks in London. In the end, Polly kills Campbell, and Tommy is kidnapped, but is saved and continues his journey.

In the third season of Peaky Blinders, Tommy marries Grace, but happiness is fleeting. During the wedding, a rivalry arises with the Changretta family. Tommy receives a code related to Archduke Romanov and becomes involved in dangerous business. After Grace is killed, Tommy seeks revenge, sending the gang into a spiral of violence. Meanwhile, he faces betrayal and threats from Father Hughes and the Economic League. After a failed plan, Tommy is hospitalized but continues to fight his enemies. The gang is pressured into blowing up a Russian train and carrying out a robbery, leading to a series of twists and turns and the arrest of the Shelby family. Tommy claims it's all part of his plan.

In season four of Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby saves his family from imminent punishment by making a deal with the British government. While managing his business alongside Lizzie, he faces a threat from Luca Changretta, leader of the rival family. With John's death and Alfie's betrayal, Tommy faces a war between gangs, but manages to turn the tide by forming an alliance with Al Capone. Tommy confronts Luca and saves Arthur, who was alive, before confronting Alfie. After a tense shootout, Tommy emerges unharmed, but Alfie is not so lucky. Tommy leaves, taking Alfie's dog with him.

In season five of Peaky Blinders, the 1929 stock market crash rocks Tommy Shelby's empire, leading the Shelby family to consider illicit business to survive. As they deal with the crisis, they confront fascist politician Mosley and face threats from the Billy Boys. Tommy wages a war of intrigue, forming dubious alliances and planning an attack on Mosley. However, his plans are thwarted by internal betrayals and a mysterious attack, pushing Tommy to the edge of sanity.

In season six of Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby faces his most challenging adversary yet: the fascist Oswald Mosley. With Polly Gray gone, the Shelby family finds itself more vulnerable than ever. After a time jump, Tommy negotiates with his cousin Michael the trafficking of opium and whiskey to the United States. While dealing with the rise of fascism and facing personal tragedies, Tommy is forced to face his own demons. The narrative skillfully intertwines psychological clashes and action, with sharp dialogues and striking performances. Polly's absence is deeply felt, leaving the Shelby family on the brink of collapse. The uncertainty about the characters' futures adds a layer of tension to the plot as the series prepares for its gripping climax.

Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy has revealed that he gifted David Bowie with one of the iconic hats worn by his character, Tommy Shelby. Murphy shared that Bowie was an admirer of the series and was a big fan of the musician himself. Bowie expressed interest in having his music in the series, sending a preview of his album Blackstar to series creator Stephen Knight shortly before his death. Knight agreed to use a track from the album in the season they were producing at the time. The song "Lazarus" was featured in the fifth episode of the third season of Peaky Blinders in 2016.

In the production of spirits in Ireland and Scotland, there are significant differences, starting with the spelling of the word: "whiskey" for Scottish, Japanese and Canadian spirits, while "whiskey" is used for Irish and American spirits. The distillation process also differs, with Irish whiskey generally being triple distilled, while Scotch is double distilled. Additionally, ingredients vary, with Scotch often using malted barley while the Irish use unmalted barley. Both mature in oak barrels, but the flavor nuances can be distinct, with Irish whiskey generally being less intense and more fruity, while scotch offers a variety of aromas depending on the region of origin.

The Shelby family, although fictional, appears to have been inspired by real members of the Peaky Blinders, such as Kevin Mooney who was the son of a gypsy family, known for his practice of constantly changing his name and involvement in activities such as land grabbing. Another member was Billy Kimber, who later formed his own gang, the Birmingham Boys, and came into conflict with the Peaky Blinders when they disputed control of horse racing. The antagonist Oswald Mosley, a real English politician with ties to Mussolini and Hitler, he founded a fascist party and had more than 50 thousand followers, known as the "men in black", who caused riots and disturbances. Mosley was arrested during World War II and, after several failed attempts to resume his political career, he died in 1980.

The name Peaky Blinders may originate from the razor blades hidden in the gang's berets, although these blades were only produced in England from 1908, while the Peaky Blinders gang supposedly operated between 1890 and 1910. Some suggest that the name it may be related to the way they approached their victims, covering their faces so that they could not be identified. Cillian Murphy, who plays Thomas Shelby, completely immersed himself in his role, even smoking thousands of cigarettes during filming, although they were herbal cigarettes, without the presence of carcinogens or nicotine, provided by the props department.

The Peaky Blinders, a gang originating in Birmingham, gained notoriety in the 1890s due to their extreme violence, including a case of murder involving a fractured skull, and the control they exercised over the Small Heath area, which was known as an extremely poor. Members of the Peaky Blinders engaged in a variety of criminal activities, such as extortion, robbery, and even murders of police officers. They influenced several personalities in the city, including corrupt politicians and police officers. However, there are no historical records confirming his alleged participation in the smuggling of weapons and goods through Birmingham's canals.