Character Analysis Peaky Blinders Season Two

Peaky Blinders Character Analysis Season Two. 

*Read Season's one analysis here        *spoiler alert: discusses plot throughout season two

Season two takes us deeper into of the gang world of 1920's Birmingham.  It takes us farther down the alleyways of corruption, higher into wealthy estates and flashy nightclubs, and finally squeezes us under pressure at the Epsom Derby.  Our characters face extreme trials of spirit, the rival gangs are more advanced, Thomas's ambition is mightier than ever, and the remaining Shelby members are scrambling to keep up.  In every direction Thomas looks he faces a new obstacle but he keeps driving towards some destination that only he knows.  It's as if in season 2 he is building a complex trap that he's putting himself in, giving himself such a narrow chance of survival that he makes preparations for failure.  Why does he insist on doing this to himself?  Maybe because he knows he can do it, that he can succeed, and without this path he'd be lost.  Maybe he wishes for death and figures he'll see how far he can get before the inevitable happens.

Where is Thomas Shelby now?

Two years later we see Thomas Shelby has moved up in his world.  He is buying real estate and finding ways to "diversify his portfolio".  He has a rich big office, a fleet of cars, and is looking to expand to London and beyond. He is doing well although his enemies are deadlier and less predictable.  He is more likely to endanger those around him and he finds himself forced to kill.  On the continuum of morality Thomas is sliding further towards the darker end if only for his unstoppable ambition.  He won't be satisfied and his drive is taking him farther away from those he loves. The family has expressed reservations about expansion. All the new success doesn't seem to be bringing him any happiness because we never see him smile. The momentum of the steam engine Tommy built is speeding up and he's beginning to feel the pressure to stay ahead. Tommy has put his war agonies behind him and it seems he's determined to forget about Grace. He is as loyal to his family as always, finding ways to take care of them without telling them the extent of his dangerous dealings.


May Carleton (Charlotte Riley)
I have to admit that I wasn't quite ready to let go of the romance between Thomas and Grace that was built up during season one so I was a little prejudiced against May when she arrived on scene.

May gives Thomas a chance to finally put memories of Grace to rest and he wants that.  She has influence and money but she is bored with her world and desperate.  A war widow, she takes her horse training seriously and wants Tommy to see her value in the racing arena.  She is kind to Thomas, but how much of that kindness is genuine or a means to an end?  May is a fighter and will switch tactics when she finds that one doesn't work.  She'll go from independent to vulnerable in a matter of seconds searching for the aspect that will have the affect she desires.  It's clear she doesn't give up easily and is used to getting what she wants.

Tommy and May
May's social status is somewhat intimidating but our confident hero is up to the challenge.  Thomas isn't one to miss an opportunity and May is definitely that.  At her estate as he reads the report she prepared about Grace's Secret he seems nervous and so does she.  Neither is sure how to behave.  When she starts crying it breaks the tension.  That's when Tommy comes to the decision to stay the night with her.  It seems as if he almost feels sorry for her but perhaps this is the chance he was already wanting to take.  Either way, it's a welcome distraction from Grace.  May is intelligent and lonely, but she hasn't faced the same difficulties in life that Tommy and Grace have and she underestimates his complexity.

When she confronts Grace, true to her word that she will fight for him, she unwittingly shows that she doesn't truly understand Tommy.  She asks Grace "For love, Thomas Shelby?"  Trying to make Grace think she has a better understanding of Tommy and that all he cares about is business.  But this isn't Thomas, he proves her wrong by his shout up to god up in the sky, declaring his love for a woman.  Tommy loves strongly.  May wants to put him in a role,  evidenced earlier when she asks him to "Kindly behave like a gangster again."  What she doesn't realize is that Tommy never really "acts" like a gangster and that's the last thing he would want to do.  All along he's been striving to make his business legitimate and he loathes the darker side of his life even as he knows it's necessary.

Tommy and Grace
Tommy is struggling with his feelings about Grace. He burns her letter but then names his horse after her.  Naming the horse after Grace is significant because it's at a time where another woman has entered the picture and this other woman is going to be directly involved with that said horse.  It could be he's not quite ready to let go of Grace.  Even after Tommy has stayed over with May he still can't stop himself from ringing Grace at the hotel in London.  He agrees to meet her and why would he agree to

that?  He has to see her again if only to prove to himself that he doesn't need her anymore.  But does he prove that to himself?  No.  He wants to see her again.  Grace is no longer a vision of innocence, perhaps looking more true now to her real character.  She is more refined, wealthily dressed, her face made up, yet she seems more fragile than the strong operative she was in season one.  Now without a purpose, she doesn't have the role she once played to give her backbone.  She wants to impress Tommy, that is for sure.  Their meeting is somewhat confusing.  He is outright hostile towards her and she is hurt.  Acting like an Ass, he refuses to meet her eyes and doesn't offer her a drink.  Is he really trying to scare her away, or is he hoping he'll force her to contradict him and admit that she still cares.  "...Because you don't love me anymore" He is putting words in her mouth possibly to show her he doesn't trust her.  His eyes shine as he turns around with the drink and says "It's good to see you Grace."   Grace's smile of relief when his manner changes and he asks her if she likes Chaplin tells us how vulnerable she felt.  Later, her fingers touching his face, she asks if he has someone and he doesn't answer because he's not willing to tell her and not wanting to lie.  Finally, he admits he has a race horse when she persists the question and it is at this moment he lets go of May, he wants Grace.  When they make love it contrasts from the desperate act of loneliness that was between him and May.  It is intimate and loving as they are looking into each others eyes.  Tommy wants to see her again, even after she's told him she's trying for a baby with her husband, and he dares Grace to tell her husband the truth.

When it comes to love Tommy is genuine.  He doesn't want to keep things going with May after he reunites with Grace and he tells May the truth.  He tries to brake it off as kindly as possible telling May to forget about men like him.  May isn't willing to let him off the hook easily, he is her prize after all.  She's angry but tells him it would be alright for him to stay even after what he has just told her. She tells him she is going to win him, and maybe she will, but here Tommy doesn't kiss her back. 

Meanwhile Aunt Polly is Loosing it.

Poor Aunt Polly, Her internal heartbreak from having lost her children is coming to the surface and she is in real pain.  Haunted by dreams of her Daughter, she's intent on finding out if she is still alive and to have news of her son. The dreams are making he miserable and her state of mind doesn't escape the notice of her family around her.  Her usual pulled together look is now a little disheveled and she lashes out in anger

at those close by.  Thomas, being his usual observant and controlling self takes the initiative to get her a nice house and offers to help her find her children. This means everything to her.  Learning of her daughter's death almost brings her to the edge but the hope of having her son back in her life takes over.  She becomes frenzied with the need to see her son. Recklessly drinking and behaving embarrassingly she has only one thing in her mind, her son.  It's ironic that this beautiful, sharply dressed, confident woman is at her worst when she finally gets to see her son, Michael Gray.  Standing in her doorway, clean cut and handsome, he looks on as she arrives home early in the morning, hung over, hair all over the place and clothes a mess. Our dear Polly should have gotten a chance to make a better first impression, but isn't that life for you?  Never the less, she is overcome with bliss at finally getting to see him and it seems he's back for good.  Now she is faced with the challenge of keeping Michael safe in her deadly world. Torn between not wanting to loose him and sheilding him from gang life she becomes lovingly over protective. 

Michael Gray (Finn Cole)

Michael arrives just in time.  Right of way he comes across as confident, stubborn, and bright.  The
Shelbys are interesting and refreshing to this young man who can't stand his small safe life any longer.  He is kind to Aunt Polly and very observant of the family dynamics.  Refusing to be scared off he puts himself in positions of usefulness where ever he can.  He is similar to Thomas in his ambition and presence of mind. Truly, the Shelbys do need him.  His obvious intelligence and lack of vice make him an ideal man for Thomas to groom.  Tommy needs sharp people around him that can keep a cool head and as we have seen Thomas doesn't waste an opportunity when presented, so I predict in season 3 Michael will play a more prominent role in Peaky Blinder business and, while facing the usual moral delimmas of the game, will come out as a major player.  Michael is likable enough, however his treatment of Aunt Polly when she finds out how she got him out of jail is sad.  It show's how young he really is and how much he doesn't know about the strength of his mother. 

Arthur battle with himself heats up.

Arthur hates feeling powerless and turns to fighting.  He admits he is an animal, out of control.

Thomas needs him though. As Aunt Polly so observably pointed out, Arthur is a dangerous tool, a mad dog being used by his brother to do the dirty work. Really, where would Tommy be without Arthur?  It says something about Thomas that he's willing to push Arthur further towards the edge of sanity.  He warns Arthur to only use coke only on special occasions but Thomas is too observant to really believe his warning will make any difference. Arthur really is an uncontrollable beast, yet he has moments where he makes an effort to be a better man by emulating Thomas. When threatened by the mother of the boy he killed his actions parallel the way tommy acted towards him.  He tries to remain calm, takes the bullets from her gun and offers her a drink. This is Arthur trying, searching for new patterns of behavior.  Temptation is everywhere however and he is undiciplined. Arthur is still fiercely loyal, openly admiring his brothers skill at getting him released from a sentence of death. 

Tommy and Inspector Campbell's conflict escalates bringing harm to Polly. 

Campbell is downright evil at this point. He lies, threatens and has men murdered. Thomas is still ahead

of him, however, boldly contacting Churchill directly, he knows how to manipulate the circumstances to get the most of every play.  He knows Grace is a weakness of Campbell's and he deviously uses it to drive the point of his blade deep into what is left of Campbell's heart. Flaunting Grace in Campbell's face he declares, "she loves me, she loooves me, and all you got was a bullet." Campbell couldn't get any lower then when he abuses Polly, trapping her in the worst way imaginable. Tommy Stares Campbell in the eyes as he says which ever one of them ends up dead will end up in hell.  It's this statement that is at the heart of the matter, Campbell has lost his soul to darkness (I wonder if this is a nod to Joseph Campbell) and no matter who wins the battle between them, both are lost.

Epsom

At the races Tommy is absorbed with all the moves being made around him and he really thinks he might not survive the day.  So, when he goes to May what we see is a goodbye in case he doesn't make it.  He doesn't want May to find him because of the danger, he wants her to stay put, insisting he'll find her and maybe he means it.  He acts caring towards her here, kissing her.  Grace finds him at the absolutely worst possible time and he is quite shocked when she tells him she's pregnant.  He really can't handle this right then for obvious reasons.  In the middle of acting out his complex plan, here she is telling him she loves him and pregnant with his child.  Everything stops for that second, the music returns to the music of Thomas and Grace, he has to aknowledge her love and quickly the moment passes, back to the plan. What a plan it is. He's given himself such a minuscle window to do the hit and so much is depending on his players.  Remind yourself, he did this to himself.  He set this stage.  One last drink with his adversary and he's off and running and we love to see him run.  Shit, he's failed Lizzie and that guy was pretty hard to kill and he's almost made it but here comes the "Red hand."  Its important to note that none of Tommy's players fail him, they all do their part, they love and trust him and he's the one that has come short.  Thankfully, his forethought saves him though;  by boldly reaching out to Churchill he gained an unexpected ally.  Preparing to be gunned down, he says "so close... and there's a woman , whom I love, and I got so close." Cillian Murphy was awesome during this scene shouting out in frustration, his emotions were visibly intense.  Thomas Shelby walks away from death, back to his life with an expression of strong determination.   At Epsom the most satisfying moment came when Polly put her gun on Inspector Campbell's heart and pulls the trigger.  Steven knight allowed us that victory but left us with a big teaser. "I'm planning on getting married." 

Hints are given but it's left open enough that we can't know for sure who Thomas Shelby will marry.  It will depend on the story Steven Knight wants to give us.  One where Thomas stays true to himself or one where our hero turns away from his own heart.  Does Steven want to tell a story where the characters can achieve happiness or will they always fall short of that goal?  Thomas looked death in the face and thought of his love of a woman and it has to be Grace.  If he stays true to his character he will marry her because family is most important to him, he will want his child and when it comes to love he has been true up to this point.  Anyway, It's hard to imagine him really loving May. Even so, he could still decide to go against his nature and marry her for the opportunities she brings to the table. I personally hope he stays true to his heart.  The question for season 3 then becomes what happens when May doesn't get her way?  Who does she become?  Maybe she will become Tommy's new adversary, the space is open now that Aunt Polly finished off Inspector Campbell.

-Kendra

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