Peaky Blinders Season 6 Review: A Disappointing 'Finale'

Agreed… the finale was weak. Very disappointed.

Episode 3 is the best episode of the show

While watching season 6 I have to skip some scene because it’s so fucking boring. It’s just grief, death, sickness blah blah blah. Where is the peaky blinder? Barely see in the action. Billy got killed and caught but how? what? Duke just went in and take the company and Finn went out. Ending with the shit that stuck at the horse’s butt that tommy ridin is not an ending.

I dunno… I’m conflicted. I actually liked the slower pacing and the more arthouse elements of season six. And I didn’t mind the more minor elements making up the majority of things.

But I do agree that I wanted more cat-and-mouse between Michael, Tommy, Mosley, and the IRA. But hopefully we get more Mosley cat-and-mouse in the movie.

As for why Tommy didn’t kill the doc… I think it was genuine aversion to wanting to kill more. The whole season (and series) has been littered with characters getting tired of killing. I think it finally caught up.

And yeah, the lack of Billy Boys was weird to me. You don’t introduce something and then forget about it.

I don't think you got it all. Theres so many rich stuff (like you say) that obviously went by you.

Found it silly how many times they hit you over the head with the detail that Tom stopped drinking.
Swear for like 2-3 episodes, Tom wouldn't go a scene without mentioning it - it was very odd and dumb.

Felt like the way they wrote Finn was also a massive shame.
Out of anyone, he GREW up throughout the show - and should've grown into his role a lot better than what he was written to do.
Essentially being the next down from John, he should've been given a much better character arc. Especially if Arthur was taking a backseat, someone needed to fill the sidekick's shoes.
But no, they just replaced him suddenly with Tom's newly discovered son who we know basically nothing about, and who was introduced abruptly out of nowhere.
Also felt like there was a weird disconnect between Finn and Isaiah. The pair of them basically grew up together, yet neither of them really shared any chemistry or friendship.

„Strong“ women push the men to the sidelines. This season was weak! Good, that there won’t be season 7. they would have started race swapping and inserted a trans Charakter to appeal even more to „modern audiences“

Interesting ideas. I felt that the IRA lady was completely out of her depth and aghast at the fascist, antisemitism in Uncle Jack, Mosley and Diana. She seemed horrified ar Diana and Hitler eating breakfast while they forced a group of Jews to eat grass. Of course, anyone should be absolutely horrified regardless of race, religion etc. But it highlighted just how evil the fascists were, and how far they'd go. I took it as she had gotten in way over her head. Was surprised that 4 years went by and Tommy hadn't hunted her down for the deathbed Polly though.

It was Arthur who removed the bullets from the gun and saved Tommy. It wasn't Lizzie, she did the opposite, she threw the bullets at him and told him to try again, for me that was disgusting and I hated her a lot, I hated her before. And it's one of the things I didn't like about S6 because they focused a lot on Tommy and Lizzie and their horrible marriage and had much more interesting themes and characters. Like Ada, Arthut, even Duke, Finn I was expecting a big revenge from Michael, it was very disappointing.

When this show was at its peak I really liked "the ladies", their social interactions and their subplots, but as the show went on I grew to really dislike Linda especially but also Lizzie to a certain extent. The actress is incredible but much like Anya Taylor-Joy, the writers didn't give her much to do in this season.

My main problems with Season 6 were:
1. Too much time spent on the sick daughter subplot

2. Michael and Mosely were both very weak villains and wasted in this season.

3. Way too many overdubs of Polly's prophecy.

4. Duke and Billy were both great but introduced way too late.

5. I wanted more Anya Taylor-Joy

What I found most irritating was the fact the Grace was nowhere to be found in the whole season. Tommy was constantly trying to talk to her in season 5, because he either needed comfort or advice, and then when he’s under even more need of comfort and advice in season 6, she just disappears from the show.

Why they always ruin the end😢
Rip GOT
Rip PB

Waiting for Stranger things finale.. Much hopes for it

Tbh season 4 was best and sesson 5 had the best ending
Season 6 totally killed the momentum

I would have looked past this if they would have made a season 7 or the movie. But Cillian Murphy said he's happy with the finale and I think it's more of an excuse to just not come back and play the same character. He's probably tired of being Thomas Shelby and wants to expand out a bit.

Laughable, as soon as I saw Michael’s entrance on the boat I laughed so hard and then turned it off. It was so cringe

Very fair take on season 6.

It was a pile of dog shit

For me it was disappointing bc I wanted it to be more of a political angle. In the past seasons Tommy had dealt with foes that gradually got bigger and bigger, until finally, he has found someone far greater then him in skills(Mosely) and man-power (fascist movement) I was hoping to see elements of nazis and other fascists (I don't know if anyone can explain this to me but if you look at the OST of series 6 it has a painting of adolf hitler, I don't know if it was imply he would make a cameo) I was expecting so much, in my opinion season 5 lead up with a villain who Tommy couldn't read or keep up was the greatest lead up to a possibly fantastic ending. I wanted to see Fascist clash, and political disorder and tommy realising that not all his foes could be rationally deal with and some were truly evil(this was implied heavily with him seeing Mosely's speeches, the realisation of horror he isn't dealing with no longer a typical gangster or power hungry cop but a real political evil) Mosely to me was the perfect Ideal Evil. It was a waste of so much potential
Edit:
Wrote this before watching, totally agree with you, if the movie was to be the confrontation with the fascist movement, it should have being Michael and Tommy's antagonism

I totally didn’t understand how Alfie Solomon’s was there at the end? Like, how?!

I was so frustrated with this season. I’m very glad to hear they are going to do a movie and this is not necessarily how they are going to end this really great show. Cillian Murphy is so great, but even he couldn’t contend with the writing just being so lacking. I felt like it was such a waste to leave Michael in prison and Arthur in his addiction. And then just to kill Michael. I felt like it just disrespectful to their relationship and growth that they have had throughout the show. And the lack of discussion about so many key things while they wasted a whole episode with Emse. I really howled my way through this season at its terribleness, to see them not even resolve things with Mosley and Uncle Jack. I’m going to watch the movie, but I’m not hopeful after this season because it really felt like they were trying to stretch out the story with nothing i wanted to see.

You expressed everything I was thinking after finishing the season 😅

I love the cinematography and longer takes of the last two seasons. But the antagonist and story in general was weak. The final twist about Tommy's tuberculoma was dumb af for me. Surely he would have vetted the doctor of him and his family better?

Personally, I found this season (also a bit last season, but especially this one) quite gloomy. It is of course a drama series, but I missed the comradery between the group. In this season, I mostly felt something was missing because Polly was gone (something that the creators of the show couldn't do anything about, of course, and they probably did the best they could with what they had) but I missed her character. Hellen brought so much personality, it didn't feel the same without her. I also liked Arthur a little less this time. He's been running drunk in the background all season and did not do much (except for the end, when he shoots members of the IRA to get revenge). It wasn't a bad season, but it's my least favorite so far.

way too many montages with sad music with the main characters suffering you feel nothing after the 5th time

For me, the main issue was Tommy felt like a completely different character. I'm all about characters evolving etc, but even just his dialogue felt off... He used to be a man who didn't waste words and everyone had so much weight, but in this season his dialogue felt a bit wet? I didn't get the sense of a character I know dealing with an internal struggle or evolution, it just felt like BAM, here's a character who's now mincing his words and keeps explaining his mental state and exposition etc...

His character was really interesting to watch and try to figure out before. Also, his son being shoe horned in felt hollow and why is his caravan on the doctors hill or a hill in the doctor vicinity?... And '11th hour... peace.' Nah, don't buy it. And switching the car bombs also felt super cheap.

Very well summarized great job.I also think the director tried to portray what this kind of life ultimately leads to. A lot of their family members dead , Tommy married to a prostitute and suicidal,arthur alone and a drug addict polly and michael dead ,ada just going around unhappy.
Betrayal cant trust no one and constantly living in fear .
So as much as it is exciting to see the rise and the thriving of this life i think the director tried to also display the ugly.

I really hated the ira lady's acting

If only helen didn't die or they used another actor for her :((
Rip helen but this szn coulda been much better if she was here

Rumor has it Michael is still in prison

Arthur took the bullets out

Hey idk if you’ll see this, but why do you think that this season had such messy plot and pacing compared to the previous amazing season 5? I guess that Helen’s unprecedented death did have an affect but besides that, it’s so surprising that a show like this managed to have this weak of a season.

They should change the name for the show for season 6 to Thomas Shelby's shitty life because the Peaky Blinders was barely an afterthought in season 6. What made this show good was Thomas Shelby's badass personality, the fantastic supporting characters, a good intimidating villain that you don't want to mess with and a riveting plot line that builds and crescendos into an intense climax in the season finale. What we got instead in season 6 was a choppy plot that had random elements thrown in with every episode and absolutely butchered the supporting characters. Arthur is literally a useless drunk in every episode offering absolutely nothing to the show. Ada is confined to a handful of scenes when she could've been utilized so much more. Michael, who is supposed to be Thomas sworn enemy is in the first two episodes and then gets locked up and not seen until the ending. What is that? They give a brief foreshadow of the Thomas and Michael ultimate showdown and then literally throws Michael out of the show until they showdown. Zero buildup and it just felt forced at the end. I have no idea what they wanted to do with Lizzie. She is angry at Thomas one scene and then the next she is supportive of him and then she is back at shouting at Thomas the next. She is sad and angry that Thomas doesn't show more emotion or spend more family time the whole season. Yes we got the point, we don't need to be reminded of how she feels 2 times every episode. And I can't believe I have to say this but we needed more Peaky Blinders in this show. More of the schemes and antics they normally pull. Instead we just get Thomas grieving and battling his inner demons every single goddam episode. I don't even know who the villain is this season. Is it Michael, Mosley, Jack Nelson, or Thomas' inner demons? I honestly think it's the inner demons. Also what the hell happened to the Billy Boys from season 5. Such a potent threat the previous season just disappered. Such a waste of good villain material went down the drain. Same couldve been said about Mosley. A true devil in season 5 reduced to a barely featured rude dinner guest cameo in season 6. All in all, the worst season of the whole series by far and such a disappointing end to a great show.

Couldnt have said it better myself 🔥

Arthur's character didn't change, Tommy killed Michael and he chose to die as a friend of the fascists....bad writing

Well done

This season gets a freebie because of the unexpected passing of a major player.

the worst season of the show by far.

What I really didn't like was the convenience with which tommy just gets to know that doc was faking it. Seen that same convenience in really bad movies before

Facts

too many villains, that's the problem. just like the amazing spider man 2.

As much as I hate when they do this, they should have just recast Polly. She was literally one of the two main characters and if they really did have to change everything so much because of the actresses passing, they should have just recast her. Would have felt off but at least the show would have went in the direction it was supposed to.

I felt like this season focused too much on the more boring side characters.... I feel like Lizzie (Tom's wife) for example is a great side character, but her character isn't complicated enough that it would deserve to get as much screen time as it did in S6. Now she was just the säd character crying the whole season. I didn't feel the new bad guy, John Morgan was charismatic enough after the long line of top-tier baddies this series has had.

And don't even get me started with Duke. One of the reasons I have always loved PB is that all its characters were there for a reason and they all had meaningful problems, challenges and relationships with others. Uncharacteristically for the series Duke just spawned in like "hey I'm your son lmao" and started bossing everyone around. I just denied his existence when he was on the screen. I felt like season 6's dropping quality was first seen in his character.

All this felt even worse when you still had og all-star characters like Ada, Arthur and Michael alive. Now they all got shelved for the entire season so they can fast track some new guy (Duke) randomly in the series right after the loss of a daughter (Ruby) and focus on filler content.

Oh, and I felt like Mosley didn't evolve at all in S6. I loved him in S5, and his rise through the ranks of UK's and Nazi politics and as a true threat to Thomas in multiple ways (politics, business, ethnicity, relationships) with a charismatic actor that portrayed him well made him the star of S5. But in S6 I felt like he was shelved as "the Nazi guy" who just barked "Jews bad". His development in S6 was to get married and meet Hitler off-screen. Although his wife was a great character, I felt like she stole his limelight just a little bit too much.

Hmmmm..... the final season of Peaky Blinders has 'Jack Nelson' as an antagonist.

The finale season of Breaking Bad has 'Jack Welker' as an antagonist.

And they are both given the nickname of 'Uncle Jack'.

Bravo Steve?

the seasons ranked from worst to best imo:

6) Season 6
5) Season 3
4) Season 1
3) Season 5
2) Season 4
1) Season 2

I thought the first episode was great, and the finale was okay (though the doctor revelation and gunfight with the IRA was amazing), but everything else.... disappointingly bland.

My man Michael literally sat in prison for the whole season and as soon as he was released, he got shot dead. His struggle with Tommy should have been the main focus of the season, not introducing a new weak villain (Nelson) and having Tommy run around the Gypsy countryside with Esme looking for a cure for his daughter.

Plus, Finn's disillusionment with the gang felt really out of place and hamfisted, alongside the introduction of Tommy's lost son.

But the biggest missed opportunity imo was the presence of the Billy Boys and Jimmy Mccavern as the antagonists. They were a great dark reflection of the Peaky Blinders and had earned their villainy through murdering Bonnie. Jimmy still had beef to settle with Arthur.

I think the death of Helen McCrory is what causes Knight to rewrite season 6 in the manner he did. You could expect that Polly's arc would have been about avenging Aberama and dealing with the fact that her son was now a threat. Instead, a whole host of new plotlines and characters had to be manufactured.

Though, I will say I like how Tommy's arc played out. In an ironic twist, his enemies attempts to make him doubt his own mortality actually molded him into a 'better' man, which will be interesting to see play out in the movie.

I agree 100000000% percent, there were so many people attacking me for thinking that way, thank god there’s someone else out there, although I would say apart from the acting everything was wrong in this season