Cillian Murphy’s most complex performance to date is his Oscar-winning turn in Oppenheimer, but that role can’t compete with Tommy Shelby in terms of charisma and menace. Murphy leads Peaky Blinders as the leader of a half-Irish/half-gypsy crime family in early 20th-century Birmingham. His fight for power sees him taking on coppers, rival gangs, and even the IRA. The Peaky Blinders’ story intersects with British history, as Tommy deals with developments like the Great Depression and the rise of fascism.
He’s a damaged, layered character, capable of great cruelty as well as surprising kindness. He inhabits a dangerous world but still lives by his own moral code, even if he frequently falls short of it. Murphy plays the role with style and sangfroid, placing Tommy Shelby up there with Don Draper and Tony Soprano as one of TV’s all-time great leading men. He’s joined by a stellar cast of supporting characters, all of whom are realized through series creator Steven Knight’s fantastic writing. Over the course of six gripping seasons, the best Peaky Blinders episodes kept audiences on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens next.
15 Season 1, Episode 1
Directed by Otto Bathurst
Image via BBC
The episode that started it all, Peaky Blinders’ pilot may not be among the greatest series debuts of all time, but it still manages to introduce many of the defining elements of the hit crime show. Establishing Tommy Shelby’s ambition, even from his humble beginnings, it sees the Birmingham gangster hatch a scheme involving stolen guns being sought after by the law. All the while, his plan to start fixing horse races divides the family, while his sister’s involvement with a communist threatens to cause trouble.
Its underlying focus on the PTSD suffered by the WWI veterans is an intriguing element the show explores immediately, while the arrival of Tommy’s love interest, Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis), sparked another enticing subplot right away. Thriving with its balance of slick style and pulsating drama, Peaky Blinders starts strong off the back of its pilot episode. – Ryan Heffernan
14 “The Duel” (Season 4, Episode 5)
Directed by David Caffrey
Image via BBC
Season 4 of Peaky Blinders is a favorite among many fans for its intense, action-packed story involving the Changrettas, its emphasis on style, and its exploration of Tommy as a cunning strategist. The penultimate episode, “The Duel,” features all of the above, opening with Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody) and Tommy Shelby fighting in the streets. Michael Gray (Finn Cole) is sent to live with the gypsies for protection, Changretta approaches Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) to strike a deal, while Tommy’s political aspirations come at a cost when Ada is interrogated about her past communist sympathies.
Every single moment of the episode is loaded with immediate drama and the looming tension of drastic consequences. However, it also works to beautifully set up the season finale and the ultimate showdown between Tommy Shelby and Luca Changretta. Willing to coast on Hardy’s eccentric and infectiously fun performance as Alfie Solomons, “The Duel” is a riveting highlight of the series that stands as one of the best episodes of Peaky Blinders. – Ryan Heffernan
13 Season 2, Episode 5
Directed by Colm McCarthy
Image via BBC
A decisively dark episode that consolidates Inspector Campbell (Sam Neill) as one of the series’ greatest villains, the penultimate episode of Season 2 sends Tommy Shelby on a chaotic journey to protect his family. With Arthur (Paul Anderson) and Michael arrested and his operating base in London closed down, Tommy meets with Campbell, who uses his loved ones to pressure him into going through with the planned assassination. Polly has sex with Campbell to secure Michael’s release, though it is insinuated that the inspector had Michael raped while locked up.
The episode is comfortable advancing with a measured and tempered pace, focusing on Cillian Murphy and Helen McCrory’s strong performances as their characters are thrust into impossible circumstances. Setting up what would be a rewarding season finale, it managed to deliver on its necessary plot work while taking the series to some bleak places that make it one of the more intriguing episodes of Season 2. – Ryan Heffernan
12 “The Loop” (Season 5, Episode 4)
Directed by Anthony Byrne
Image via BBC
Season 5 of Peaky Blinders presents a dark and confronting turn for the series, with Tommy Shelby’s political affiliations seeing him cross paths with the rising influx of fascism in 1920s England. The season’s fourth episode, “The Loop,” brings that element to the forefront as Tommy is forced to invite Oswald Mosely (Sam Claflin) to Lizzie’s (Natasha O’Keeffe) birthday celebrations. While the two squabble over philosophy and extortionate information, an unwelcome guest crashes the party with violent consequences.
“The Loop” relishes in Tommy’s angst and lingering guilt over Grace’s death, leading him to fear the impact his own moral corruption will have on the growing family around him. Contrasting that, Polly and Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen) become engaged. However, the episode is best remembered for Tommy and Mosley’s verbal sparring, with their war of words packing as much punch as the gunfights and violent brawls the series so frequently portrays. – Ryan Heffernan
11 Season 3, Episode 2
Directed by Tim Mielants
Image via BBC
One of the more calamitous episodes of Peaky Blinders for the Shelbys, the second installment of Season 3 sees Tommy meet with Father Hughes (Paddy Considine) where he learns the grave extent of his mission to aid in the downfall of communist enemies in Soviet Georgia. The rising tensions between the Shelbys and the Changrettas leads to tragedy at a charity event when Grace is gunned down in an attempted hit on Tommy.
The elevated responsibilities that Tommy faces through his new connections is one thing, but the fallout with the Changrettas resulting in Grace’s death establishes that the stakes have risen with the Peaky Blinders moving up in the world of crime. Violent, stylistic, and loaded with conniving characters and mounting pressure on Tommy, Season 3’s second entry is one of the best Peaky Blinders episodes as it exhibits everything that made the series such a hit. – Ryan Heffernan
10 Season 1, Episode 5
Directed by Tom Harper
Image via Netflix
The penultimate episode of the first season is a bruising one. Ada (Sophie Rundle), feeling betrayed by Tommy, distances herself from the family. Arthur Shelby Sr. (Tommy Flanagan), who left the family ten years ago, returns to town, only to dupe Arthur. Grace, now in love with Tommy, makes a deal with Inspector Campbell to reveal the location of the guns in exchange for leaving Tommy and the Shelbys alone, but Campbell soon reneges on it.
The second-to-last episode of a season had set the stage for the finale, leaving viewers eager for more. Following a shaky fourth episode, this fifth installment achieves this goal admirably, setting up high anticipation for the upcoming final episode. Specifically, it weaves together several intricate plotlines neatly, while ratcheting up the tension throughout. It’s also visceral, with hard-hitting moments of violence, like when Tommy brawls with IRA representative Byrne (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor). As always, the mayhem is captured with gorgeous cinematography.
9 “Black Day” (Season 6, Episode 1)
Directed by Anthony Byrne
Image via Netflix
Season 6 picks up swiftly where Season 5 left off, as the aftershocks of Polly’s death ripple over the characters. Tommy is more hollow than ever, yet he persists, like a machine with an unwavering drive. His belief that “every catastrophe is also an opportunity” becomes the thesis statement for the season to come. Michael (Finaly Lewis J. Cole), meanwhile, vows revenge, teeing up their eventual confrontation.
The highlight of the episode is the opening sequence at a frigid bar on the island of Miquelon. A few patrons harass a quiet Tommy, leading him to slash one of their faces and frighten the rest into submission. It’s like something out of the meanest Western movie. Visually, it’s striking too, with the thick fog and looming shadows making everything look ethereal. It’s almost as if Tommy is in limbo, and his decisions in the following episodes will decide whether he stays dead or returns to the world of the living.
8 “Heathens” (Season 4, Episode 2)
Directed by David Caffrey
Image via Netflix
Season 4, Episode 1 ended on a shocking unresolved cliffhanger, with Michael and Jon gunned down by the Sicilian mafia. This episode reveals that Michael survived but John (Joe Cole) is dead. This is the most devastating death of a major character since Grace was shot in Season 3. Sophisticated writing and terrific performances add to the impact, as the family members all respond to this loss in their own ways.
Esme (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) is shattered and inconsolable, while Polly’s grief manifests in bitterness, and Arthur expresses his sorrow through tears and aggression. In contrast, Tommy internalizes his anguish, channeling it into his vendetta against the Americans. Each performance feels authentic and intense. On a lighter note, the episode is notable for introducing Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen), the charming, roguish gypsy who goes on to play a larger role in later seasons. He’s equal parts charming and deadly, and Gillen is always a treat to watch in the part.
7 Season 1, Episode 6
Directed by Tom Harper
Image via Netflix
The conclusion of the first season is an hour of confrontations. Tommy organizes the Peaky Blinders and the Lees to confront Billy Kimber’s (Charlie Creed-Miles) men at the tracks, but they are ambushed at home, catching them off guard and outnumbered – that is, until Freddie (Iddo Goldberg) tips the scales by bringing out a machine gun. Similarly, Campbell opens up to Grace and is infuriated by her rejection. He becomes murderous, resulting in yet another suspenseful, ambiguous closing scene.
It’s a sleek, meticulously crafted finale that showcases the series’ strong pacing and three-dimensional characters. Rarely does an ending episode manage to strike all the right chords, bringing a satisfying conclusion to every character’s arc. In particular, writer Steven Knight is great at making twists in characters’ behavior both surprising but then utterly inevitable in hindsight. Campbell’s gradual revelation as a sinner just as bad as the criminals he pursues is the finest example.
6 “Mr. Jones” (Season 5, Episode 6)
Directed by Tim Mielants
Image via Netflix
Season 5 was all about Tommy’s efforts to thwart Oswald Mosley, the fascist politician and would-be Prime Minister. It builds up to his attempt to assassinate the man, though it ends in disaster and chaos. This season saw Tommy acting according to moral principles, but this brought him little success. After his plans collapse, his mental state deteriorates, and the episode ends with him alone in a field, haunted by Grace’s apparition, his gun to his temple. It’s a horrifying final image.
This is arguably Tommy’s darkest hour. Betrayal, loss, and isolation weigh heavily on him, with no clear victory in sight. The deaths of previous seasons cloud his mind, and his adversaries, notably Mosley, remain intact. He’s surrounded by obstacles in a way that he never really has been before. More than that, his will to fight seemed to be almost extinguished. It makes his journey in Season 6 all the more satisfying.
5 “Lock and Key” (Season 6, Episode 6)
Directed by Anthony Byrne
Image via Netflix
The show’s final episode was all about shocking reversals. Tommy kills Michael before vanishing into the hills, convinced that he will soon die. However, a visit from Ruby’s spirit reveals a shocking twist: Tommy’s doctor is pictured with Mosley and Diana (Amber Anderson) on their wedding day, indicating a false diagnosis. Enraged, Tommy sets out to confront him but ultimately chooses peace over vengeance. Returning to witness his remaining possessions burn, Tommy rides away, leaving this saga behind.
So many epic TV shows conclude with the death of their protagonist, so it was refreshing to see Tommy live to fight another day. The final shot, in particular, is masterful. The camera looks out from his burning death caravan as Tommy rides off on a white, almost celestial, horse. It symbolizes his rebirth, as he heads back boldly to his family, and to life. It recalls the iconic door frame shot of The Searchers, conveying so much without a word.
4 “The Noose” (Season 4, Episode 1)
Directed by David Caffrey
Image via Netflix
The fourth season opens with Arthur, John, Michael, and Polly moments away from execution for their crimes. Tommy’s reprieve arrives just in time to spare them, but it doesn’t erase the animosity Michael and Polly feel towards him. A year later, the Peaky Blinders are scattered and distant from each other. This vulnerability is exploited by the villainous Luca Changretta, a gangster from America with a score to settle.
The climax is the surprise hit on John. He’s gunned down in seconds, and the Peaky Blinders’ air of invulnerability is shattered. It’s one of the series’ most impactful scenes, precisely because it came out of the blue. The episode has thus far lulled the viewer into a false sense of security with various comedic scenes, like Arthur’s poignant interaction with a goose on Christmas Eve. The calm is swept away, and we are placed square in the midst of the driving drama of the season.
3 “The Company” (Season 4, Episode 6)
Directed by David Caffrey
Image via Netflix
After the heartache of Season 4, it was great to see the Peaky Blinders end up on top. Tommy accepts an offer to end the vendetta if he relinquishes all his assets to Changretta. They meet, where Tommy reveals that he has dispatched Michael to the United States to negotiate with American mafiosi and has turned Changretta’s own men against him. Suddenly, Arthur, who had faked his death to ensnare Changretta, enters the distillery and shoots Changretta dead.
Arthur’s arc in this episode is thus the inverse of John’s tragic one in the first episode. Ambitious, accomplished, and exuding confidence, the episode fires on all cylinders, from the acting and writing to the sumptuous visuals. It makes for one of Tommy’s most hardcore victories, where he marshals wits and guts to take down a far stronger foe. It’s moments like these that place Tommy Shelby in the pantheon of all-time great TV characters.
2 Season 3, Episode 6
Directed by Tim Mielants
Image via Netflix
This season finale is bittersweet. It sees Michael officially becoming a true Shelby by killing one of Alfie’s (Tom Hardy) associates, while Tommy completes a tunnel and raids the Russian’s vault, stealing numerous jewels. Returning home, Tommy divides the remaining loot among his associates but then announces the police’s arrival, leading to the arrest of the other Peaky Blinders. It’s the first event to create a major crack in his relationship with Michael, with consequences that are fully felt only in Season 6.
One of Tommy’s key missions in this season was his attempt to leave his hardscrabble origins behind and enter high society, possibly even going fully legitimate as well with his business. However, he has a great monologue where he says that the upper crust will never accept people like him. Instead of seeking their approval, he reaffirms his own identity, with all its flaws and edges. He’s not a lord or gentleman. He’s a crime boss, and he’s willing to act like it.
1 Season 2, Episode 6
Directed by Colm McCarthy
Image via Netflix
The finale of the second season unfolds on Derby Day, where chaos reigns due to the arrival of the king and the presence of both cops and gangsters. There, Tommy unexpectedly encounters Grace, who reveals she’s carrying his child. Meanwhile, his plan to use Lizzie (Natasha O’Keeffe) as bait goes awry, and she is assaulted. Polly takes her vengeance upon Campbell, and Tommy is later abducted by three members of the Ulster Volunteers. Rather than killing him, however, they give him a mission.
The episode features scenes of intense action alongside quieter, more introspective moments. The most memorable is the one where Tommy faces imminent death. Having achieved his goals, he meets his execution with a blend of courage and remorse. Rather than raging against the dying of the light, he resignedly smokes what he believes to be his final cigarette. We’re just as surprised as he is when one of his would-be executioners is killed in his stead. Once more, Tommy Shelby must face life head-on.
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