Whether you're a die hard Peaky Blinders fan or not, you're bound to have heard the hype surrounding season five, which returns to BBC One this Sunday 27th August at 9pm. The second episode will be hitting our screens at the same time the following night (Monday 28th peakAugust), with Tommy Shelby and his family set to cause a scene in Birmingham and beyond.
What is the plot of Peaky Blinders season five?
Details of the new season have been kept under wraps but what we do know is that we’ll be following Tommy Shelby and his family as they deal with repercussions of the financial crash of 1929. While Tommy’s political career will continue to strengthen, his past will threaten his future.
What’s happened so far?
The last season of Peaky Blinders ended with Tommy Shelby becoming a Labour MP. If you can’t remember what else happened, here’s a timeline detailing the Peaky Blinders story from the very start.
1914 - 1918
The Shelby brothers (Thomas ‘Tommy’, Arthur and John) are soldiers at the First World War. While they are gone, their aunt Polly manages the Peaky Blinders and their businesses, most notably their bookmaking business.
1919
The brothers return from war to find Birmingham in chaos. Unbeknownst to his family, Tommy organises a motorcycle robbery but his men take the wrong crate and end up with BSA Munitions—hundreds of guns, rifles and pistols, owned by the State.
Chief Inspector Chester Campbell is sent to Birmingham by Winston Churchill to question the Shelby’s and Freddie Thorne (a well known communist), who are prime suspects of the robbery. Tommy strikes a deal with him—leave The Peaky Blinders alone and he'll tell him the location of the guns. Tommy also promises to keep Freddie Thorne out of the city. Grace, an undercover agent, begins working at the local pub with the aim of trying to get close to Tommy. Tommy is infatuated by Grace and asks her to work for the family.
Ada Shelby becomes pregnant with Freddie Thorne’s child and the two marry before Freddie goes into hiding. The Shelbys meet with Billy Kimber, the man in control of English racing, and strike a deal to work together against the Lees (a gypsy family), whom the Shelbys are at war. They meet again soon after, with Tommy offering Kimber full protection (by The Peaky Blinders) in exchange for 5% of his betting profits and 3 legal betting pitches at every race north of the River Severn.
After the Lees break into the Shelby’s house and plant a hand grenade, Tommy visits them to arrange a marriage between John and Esme Lee as a truce. The families then plan to go up against Kimber. Ada has the baby and Freddie comes out of hiding to see him. Grace shares this with Inspector Campbell (who arrests him), along with information about the location of the guns and the Shelbys plan to take down Kimber. Grace, who has fallen in love with Tommy (despite betraying him) then resigns.
Inspector Campbell tips off Kimber, who immediately sends his men to Birmingham. The gangs face off but it all ends when Tommy shoots Kimber. The Shelbys are now the third largest legal bookies in the country behind the Itaians (led by Darby Sabini) and the Jews (led by Alfred Solomons). Grace decides to leave town. Inspector Campell pulls a gun on her at the train station but she shoots him in the leg.
1920
Freddie dies of pestilence, Grace marries a rich banker and Inspector Campbell is promoted to Major Campbell.
1921
The Shelbys look to expand their bookies business to London. They raid The Eden Club, which is owned by Sabini, hoping the Jews will become their allies. Sabini and his gang retaliate, injuring Tommy and briefly kidnapping Ada. Alfie Solomons agrees to join forces with the Shelbys, making it clear that he’s the boss. Sabini retaliates again, killing one of Tommy’s men.
Major Campbell returns to Birmingham to plot Tommy’s downfall, forcing him to assassinate Field Marshal Henry Russell on behalf of Churchill. Tommy tracks down Polly's long lost son, Michael, and welcomes him into the family and, eventually, their gang.
Arthur goes on a cocaine binge and raids Sabini’s club for the second time, announcing to patrons that it’s under new management by order of the Peaky Blinders. Alfie and Sabini call a truce and plan to take down the Shelbys together. Alfie frames Arthur for the murder, leading to his arrest, and as a result, Tommy agrees to give Alfie 35% of his business for Arthur’s freedom. Despite entering a relationship with horse trainer May Carelton, Tommy reunites with Grace who falls pregnant with his child.
Tommy initiates a plan to take over the Sabini’s southern racecourses at Epsom Racecourse. As a way to distract Sabini’s bookmakers so the Peaky Blinders can burn their licenses, Tommy assassinates the Field Marshal with the help of his secretary, Lizzie Stark (an ex-prostitute).
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Tommy is kidnapped by Campbell’s men but is saved when one of the three would-be assassins shoots the other two in the head on behalf of Churchill who has a job for him. Elsewhere, Polly shoots Major Campbell.
1924
Tommy receives money from Churchill to kill Anton Kaledin (a Soviet spy), who Arthur shoots promptly at Tommy and Grace’s wedding. The Shelbys are at war against the Italian Changretta gang and John beats up Angel Changretta, son of gang leader Vicente Changretta, who is currently dating Lizzie Stark (John’s ex-lover). The Shelbys then burn down two of the Changretta pubs and, eventually, Angel is killed by an unknown assassin. Mr. Romanov thanks Tommy for killing Anton Kaledin by giving him a sapphire. Grace wears it to their charity ball where she is killed, likely as a result of the death of Angel. Tommy orders the death of Vicente.
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Tommy strikes a dangerous deal with Father John Hughes, however, the priest is revealed to be working as an informant to the Soviets, and Tommy becomes intent on killing him. Instead, Father Hughes’ men beat Tommy half to death.
Once recovered, Tommy and the Shelbys hatch a plan to double cross The Russians and rob their vault of Russian jewels. Alfie returns to join forces, as does the Russian Grand Duchess Tatiana. However, Alfie informs Father Hughes of the heist. Hughes kidnaps Tommy’s son, Charles, and demands the Shelbys blow up a train and give him all the Russian jewels in return for the child’s safety. The Shelbys find Charles and Micheal kills Father Hughes. The Shelbys successfully break into the Russians vault but before the family can enjoy their new fortunes, Arthur, John, Michael and Polly are arrested.
1925
John, Arthur, Michael, and Polly are released from prison. As Christmas approaches, the Shelbys each receive a black hand from Luca Changretta, a member Sicialian mafia, seeking vengeance on behalf of his family (Angel and Vicente). Despite having a rocking relationship after the arrests, Tommy tells the family they must be together while in danger but Micheal takes four bullets and John is killed by the mafia before getting to safety.
1926
Tommy and Luca agree to fight the vendetta with honour—no children, no civilians and no police. The mafia strikes again, this time catching Arthur off guard but he survives, killing two men. They follow this with a planned attack on Michael. He also survives.
Tommy strikes a deal with Aberama Gold, a gypsy hitman—protection in exchange for a boxing match between his son Bonnie, and Alfie’s nephew, Goliath. Luca forms an allegiance with Alfie, meaning they can plan an attack at the match. Arthur is shot during the boxing match and assumed dead. At his fake funeral, Vicente’s wife (and Luca’s mother) declares the vendetta won. Changretta returns to Birmingham to take control of the Shelby’s businesses but Tommy has sent Michael to New York to align with Luca’s biggest rivals and uses this as a bargaining chip. The two men battle it out before Arthur returns and kills Luca. Tommy confronts Alfie for his betrayal and kills him on a beach. Promising to be a mole for the government, Tommy becomes a Labour MP.
Will there be a Peaky Blinders season six?
A sixth season of Peaky Blinders has been confirmed. Details are yet to be revealed but rest assured your favourite gangsters will be hanging around.