Peaky Blinders is a British crime drama set in post-World War I Birmingham, England. The story follows the Shelby family, led by the ambitious and cunning Thomas Shelby, who runs the Peaky Blinders gang. The gang is known for sewing razor blades into the peaks of their caps and for their growing influence in the criminal underworld. After returning from the war, Thomas is determined to expand his family’s power and turn their small-time bookmaking operation into a national empire.
Throughout the series, Thomas faces opposition from rival gangs, the law, and political forces. His intelligence and ruthlessness help him outmaneuver many enemies, but his ambitions often put him at odds with his family and test his personal relationships. Inspector Chester Campbell is initially sent by Winston Churchill to bring law and order to Birmingham and becomes one of Thomas’s main adversaries. As the series progresses, the Shelbys climb the ranks of British society, getting involved in politics, business, and international intrigue, but their rise comes with a heavy cost.
Themes of loyalty, trauma, class struggle, and power run through the show, as well as the long-lasting impact of war on the characters. The series is known for its stylish cinematography, sharp dialogue, and dark, atmospheric tone. Across its six seasons, Peaky Blinders explores how ambition and violence shape both personal destinies and the world around them, culminating in a tense and emotional final season where past choices come back to haunt the Shelbys.
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 1 – Summary
In Peaky Blinders Season 1, the story begins in 1919 Birmingham, just after World War I. Thomas Shelby, a decorated war hero, returns home and begins to assert control over his family’s gang, the Peaky Blinders. The gang runs a small bookmaking operation and is trying to expand its influence in the city.
Tommy is more ambitious than his older brother Arthur, who nominally leads the gang, and he starts making bold moves to grow their power, including the accidental theft of a shipment of guns meant for the British government.
This theft brings them into the crosshairs of Inspector Chester Campbell, a tough and determined Belfast cop sent by Winston Churchill to retrieve the weapons and clean up crime and corruption in Birmingham.
While Campbell tries to restore order, Tommy uses the guns as leverage and begins manipulating both sides to strengthen his position. At the same time, a mysterious new barmaid named Grace Burgess joins the Garrison pub, secretly working as an undercover agent for Campbell. She gets close to Tommy, but as she falls for him, her loyalties begin to blur.
Tommy also deals with rival gangs, including the Lee family and the Italian mafia led by Billy Kimber, a powerful racecourse owner. He uses cunning and force to form an alliance with Kimber, ensuring the Peaky Blinders become his official bookies, thereby securing legitimacy and expanding their influence.
As Season 1 progresses, tensions rise between Tommy and Campbell, and Grace’s deception puts her in a dangerous position. The season ends in a climactic confrontation involving betrayal, a gang war, and a shocking moment between Grace and Tommy that sets the stage for the complications and power struggles of the next season.
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 1 – Trailer
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 2 – Summary
In Peaky Blinders Season 2, the story picks up two years after the events of the first season, with the Shelby family expanding their operations beyond Birmingham. Tommy Shelby sets his sights on London, aiming to take control of the city’s lucrative betting markets. This brings the Peaky Blinders into direct conflict with the Italian Sabini gang, led by Darby Sabini, who controls much of London’s racetracks and has strong connections with corrupt law enforcement.
Tommy also becomes entangled with a powerful figure named Major Campbell, who has been promoted and now works for the British government. Campbell manipulates Tommy into carrying out a dangerous assassination for the crown, threatening the lives of his family if he refuses. Meanwhile, Grace has disappeared from Tommy’s life, and he struggles with his feelings for her while starting a new relationship with a wealthy and influential woman, May Carleton.
As Tommy attempts to grow his business, he recruits new allies, including the ruthless Jewish gangster Alfie Solomons, whose unpredictability makes him both a valuable partner and a dangerous wildcard. Tensions with the Sabini gang escalate into violent confrontations, and the stakes continue to rise as Tommy becomes increasingly consumed by his ambition and the pressure from both criminals and the government.
The season builds toward a dramatic finale in which Tommy must complete the assassination he was ordered to carry out, even as he tries to protect his family and hold his empire together. The final episode ends with a near-death experience for Tommy, orchestrated by those in power, but he survives, realizing just how deep and dangerous the game he’s playing has become.
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 2 – Trailer
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 3 – Summary
In Peaky Blinders Season 3, the story resumes with Thomas Shelby at the peak of his power, now a respected businessman and married to Grace Burgess. Their wedding opens the season, but the celebrations are short-lived. Tommy is quickly drawn into a complex web of international intrigue when a secretive organization called the Economic League, made up of powerful political and business elites, coerces him into working for them under the threat of harming his family.
Tommy is tasked with managing illicit activities for the League, including the movement of arms and laundering money through the Shelby Company. As he tries to maintain control, he finds himself pulled deeper into dangerous political plots involving Russian aristocrats who have fled to England after the Bolshevik revolution. He becomes entangled with Duchess Tatiana Petrovna and is manipulated into planning a high-stakes robbery involving Russian jewels, which the League wants to use to fund anti-communist activities.
Meanwhile, Arthur and John struggle with the growing distance between them and Tommy, as his decisions become increasingly secretive and morally questionable. Polly faces her own challenges as she reconnects with her long-lost son, Michael, who begins to take a more active role in the business. The season grows darker as the emotional toll of the family’s criminal empire becomes more visible, especially after a shocking tragedy strikes—Grace is assassinated at a charity event, leaving Tommy emotionally shattered and more vengeful than ever.
In the final episodes, Tommy carefully orchestrates a plan to turn the tables on the Economic League, but the cost is high. He hands over key allies to the authorities in a calculated betrayal that secures his family’s future while burning several bridges. The season ends with Tommy sitting alone, hollowed out by grief and betrayal, as he is forced to question whether his rise to power has been worth the sacrifices.
Peaky Blinder – TV Series – Season 3 – Trailer
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 4 – Summary
In Peaky Blinders Season 4, the Shelby family is deeply fractured after Tommy’s betrayal at the end of the previous season, which led to the arrest of his relatives. The season opens with the family members preparing for execution, but at the last moment, Tommy pulls strings and secures their release.
Despite being saved, the trust within the family is badly damaged. Their unity is further tested when a new and deadly enemy emerges—Luca Changretta, a ruthless Italian-American mobster seeking revenge for the death of his father and brother, killed by the Shelbys in previous conflicts.
Luca comes to Birmingham with a group of Sicilian assassins and begins a calculated campaign to wipe out the Shelby family. His vendetta forces Tommy to bring the fractured family back together. He calls Arthur, John, Polly, and Michael back into the fold to face the growing threat. However, internal tensions remain, especially between Tommy and Polly, who still resents him for nearly getting them all killed. The violence escalates quickly, and John is murdered early in the season, shocking the family and raising the stakes.
As the Shelbys go to war with Changretta, Tommy uses all of his cunning, forging temporary alliances with old foes like Alfie Solomons and bribing politicians and law enforcement. Polly plays a dangerous double game with Luca, pretending to betray her family while feeding him false information. Meanwhile, Arthur wrestles with his demons, and Michael’s ambitions begin to clash with Tommy’s leadership.
The season culminates in a brutal final showdown. Tommy lures Luca into a trap with the help of Alfie, and Arthur, presumed dead by Luca’s gang, returns to kill him. After defeating Changretta, Tommy consolidates his power once again. The season ends with Tommy entering a new chapter—not just as a gangster, but as a Member of Parliament, stepping into the world of legitimate politics while still haunted by the cost of his rise.
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 5 – Summary
In Peaky Blinders Season 5, the story picks up in 1929, during the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash, which causes massive financial strain on the Shelby Company. Tommy Shelby, now a Member of Parliament, is trying to balance his criminal empire with his growing political responsibilities. The economic collapse hits the family hard, forcing Tommy to take riskier decisions to maintain power and influence.
As the political landscape in Britain begins to shift, Tommy is approached by Oswald Mosley, a rising fascist leader who wants to use Tommy’s influence to further his own movement. Mosley is charismatic but dangerous, and Tommy quickly realizes that aligning with him could have catastrophic consequences. While pretending to cooperate, Tommy secretly begins plotting Mosley’s downfall. At the same time, Tommy is haunted by visions of his late wife Grace, and his mental health begins to deteriorate under the pressure of leadership, guilt, and isolation.
Within the family, tensions continue to grow. Michael Gray proposes taking the business in a new direction focused on the United States, but Tommy doesn’t trust his ambition. This sparks a power struggle, especially as Michael’s wife Gina, an outsider with her own agenda, pushes him to take control. Arthur, meanwhile, battles with addiction and rage, while Polly becomes increasingly disillusioned with Tommy’s decisions.
The season builds toward a grand assassination plot in which Tommy plans to kill Mosley during a public rally. He assembles a team and meticulously prepares for the moment, but the plan is foiled at the last second by an unknown betrayer. The failure leaves Tommy devastated and questioning everyone around him. The season ends with Tommy alone in a field at dawn, overwhelmed by grief and paranoia, with a gun to his head, on the edge of breaking completely.
Peaky Blinders – TV Series – Season 6 – Summary
The sixth season of Peaky Blinders opens with Tommy Shelby grappling with the consequences of his failed assassination attempt on Oswald Mosley. Haunted by visions of his late wife, Grace, he struggles with guilt and deteriorating mental health. Meanwhile, the Shelby family faces new threats as fascism rises in 1930s Britain. Mosley’s influence grows, and Tommy must navigate political treachery while keeping his empire intact.
Polly’s absence is deeply felt after the actress Helen McCrory’s passing, both on and off screen. The Shelbys mourn her loss, and her character’s death leaves a void in the family’s leadership. Tommy’s isolation deepens as he distances himself from those closest to him, including Arthur and Lizzie. His self-destructive tendencies escalate, leading to reckless decisions.
A new enemy emerges in the form of Jack Nelson, a ruthless American gangster with ties to Mosley. Tommy forms an uneasy alliance with him, but betrayal looms. Meanwhile, Ada takes on a more prominent role, stepping into Polly’s shoes as the family’s moral compass. Michael, now estranged from the Shelbys, plots revenge from America, setting the stage for a brutal confrontation.
As Tommy’s health declines due to a terminal illness, he becomes more determined to secure his family’s future. He manipulates events to ensure his son, Duke, inherits a legitimate business. The season builds toward a climactic showdown, with Tommy orchestrating one final, explosive act of vengeance. The finale leaves his fate ambiguous, hinting at either redemption or a tragic end.
The season blends intense drama, political intrigue, and the Shelbys’ signature brutality. Cillian Murphy’s performance as Tommy remains gripping, capturing his character’s unraveling psyche. The story sets the stage for the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, which will conclude the saga.
