Peaky Blinders: The gritty, gripping, genuinely addictive crime drama’s finale finally hits Netflix NZ

An earlier version of this article first appeared in March 2022.

REVIEW: Britain’s answer to Boardwalk Empire. A dark mirror to Downton Abbey. One of the most evocative, provocative period dramas of the past decade.

Peaky Blinders has arguably been all of these, as it has traced the trials and tribulations of a gang of Birmingham-based criminals across five seasons so far.

With its stylish cinematography, sometimes shocking violence, taut scripts, moody soundtrack (which has included more modern day tracks from the likes of Radiohead, PJ Harvey, The White Stripes and even David Bowie) and charismatic cast (Tom Hardy, Paddy Considine, Adrien Brody and our own Sam Neill are just some of those who have previously made an impact), it has attracted both an extremely loyal fanbase and new devotees whenever word of mouth finally persuades them to immerse themselves.

Their patience though, has been tested. It has been an interminable wait (especially for Kiwi fans who have had to wait almost an extra nine months for it to finally arrive on Netflix) for this sixth – and allegedly final – season to drop. But now, roughly three-and-a-half years after witnessing Tommy Shelby’s (Cillian Murphy) plan to assassinate fascist politician – and serious thorn in his side – Sir Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin) go horribly pear-shaped, New Zealand viewers (other than those who caught its brief appearance on UKTV and Sky Go last Autumn) are finally getting the chance to see whether the distraught crime boss has the will to carry on.

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Answers come immediately, with brother Arthur (Paul Anderson) taking one option out of his hands and a phone call from the IRA confirming that they were the ones who intervened the previous night because “we need to keep Mr Mosley alive”.

“We’ve also made some changes to the structure of your organisation,” the caller informs him, just as a delivery of three bodies arrives on his doorstep. To Tommy’s horror, his beloved aunt and company “treasurer” Polly (the late Helen McCrory, who died of cancer in April last year) is among them.

Then, even as they come together to commemorate her life, her son Michael (Finn Cole) publicly vows revenge, not just on those who killed her, but on the man “whose ambitions and strategies caused this” – Tommy Shelby.

Fast-forward four years to December 1933 and a now teetotal Tommy (“Since I foreswore alcohol, I’ve become a calmer and more peaceful person,” he tells a local bartender) has arrived on the French island of Miquelon, just off the coast of Canada.

America’s prohibition era is about to end, and he sees opportunities for business, especially in a place where bootlegging operations were vital to the local economy. Tommy has set up a meeting there, proposing to use the island’s existing boats and smuggling expertise to transport a new cargo for American consumption – opium. It’s the first time he’s seen Michael since Polly’s demise – and a certain degree of resentment and suspicion remains.

“You’ve been too busy to punish the people that killed her,” Michael growls. “Sometimes revenge takes time – you have to pick your moment,” Tommy replies, with just the faintest hint of a smile.

Murphy has always been one of the main reasons to watch the show (it’s hard to believe now that the more muscular Jason Statham was originally the favourite for the role). Those hypnotic, steely eyes drawing you towards him, regardless of what fiendish and deceptive acts Tommy has committed, or is plotting.

Yes, McCrory is a big loss, but the wonderful Anya Taylor-Joy’s (The Queen’s Gambit) arrival as Michael’s ambitious American wife last season could yet prove to be a masterstroke.

Peaky Blinders has always oozed menace and wrung tension out of every frame – and the season six opener is no exception.

What initially seems a massive narrative leap – and potentially tangential – quickly becomes integral to the story, setting us up for an exciting next few weeks, as Tommy has his sights on a new summit, as well as having to deal with outstanding issues from the past.

There is a definite sense from creator Stephen Knight (Taboo, Eastern Promises) of attempting to wrap things up, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of twists, turns, thrills and spills before all is said and done (which will highly likely include a big cinematic conclusion).

Even six seasons in, this is still one of the most gritty, gripping and genuinely addictive shows to come out of the UK this century.

The sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders is now available to stream on Netflix.