I firmly believe that Peaky Blinders glorifies the character Tommy Shelby more than exploring his dark side

*Disclaimer- This article is based on the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.*

Cillian Murphy plays Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders — the man we hate to love because beneath his dapper facade of tailored jackets, buttoned waistcoats, and tapered caps, is a violent and ruthless gangster who stopped at nothing to achieve what he wanted.

While Tommy is the BBC crime drama series' antihero, fans love and worship him like a true hero. The beloved character, a ruthless gang leader who does not hesitate to eliminate his enemies, is a glorified character through and through.

The show very conveniently skips putting any moral responsibility for his actions on him and continues to glorify him, first as a decorated war hero and then as a gangster.

More on Tommy Shelby's character in Peaky Blinders in our story.

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Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders- an embodiment of limitless ambition and unchecked hunger for power

Many would argue that the BBC crime drama series did dive into its protagonist's darker side, his psyche, especially in Season 6. However, Peaky Blinders' choice to explore that dark side is smart, as in the process, it only accentuated and glorified the gangster's character.

Before I answer the how, let's have a look at Tommy Shelby's theme song in Peaky Blinders. I call it Tommy's theme song because the protagonist really owned the show (and the song), and there is no debate about that.

Nick Cave's Red Right Hand largely opened all of the show's episodes, with its protagonist walking in slow motion, a cigarette in his hand. The lyrics of this song are enough to understand the man they embody:

“He’s a ghost, he’s a god He’s a man, he’s a guru. You’re one microscopic cog In his catastrophic plan.''

Tommy's ambition for power and social mobility was toxic to the point that it became an obsession for him. While seeing the gangster blind his 'enemies' with razors, stylishly concealed in his tapered caps, was visually appealing, it had another layer of unfairness. Because, who really are these enemies he is brutally killing? Sometimes, rival gang-members just like him. So, how is Tommy different than them?

He declared himself the king of the jungle, the uncalled master of Birmingham who donned the dark crown, and others often had to pay a price even to come near the crown. In his catastrophic plan, others (often his family, too) were mere cogs.

Tommy Shelby was always riding on his high horse. He considered others, even his big brother Arthur, incompetent and kept him away from making major decisions about his family. But here, too, Peaky Blinders very cunningly portrayed this as Tommy shielding and looking out for his brother, when in reality, he had this need to always be in power.

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Peaky Blinders used Tommy's chaotic WW1 past to glorify his present

Now, coming to how the show explored his dark side, Peaky Blinders did show its protagonist's weak moments, especially how he used to have regular night terrors about his time in WW1 and in the trenches with Danny and Freddie.

But since we see a man plagued by the WW1 terrors in those moments, we fail to see his ruthlessness in the present. Peaky Blinders smartly juxtaposed Tommy's vulnerable WW1 side with his current aura to make his audience sympathise with him.

When he ruthlessly killed people on the Birmingham streets, we see a disturbed man with a chaotic past. But how can his chaotic past justify his violent present?

The time he spent in France changed him forever. He came back with this innate need for violence. Combine this with his limitless ambition and you have the gangster archetype, ready to rule the world. The darkness in his mind and his past found an outlet in the perpetual violence he unleashed on the outside world, but the show seldom pinned this violence's responsibility on its protagonist.

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It was only after Tommy's fall from Grace, i.e., Grace's death, that the viewers were provided with some clarity about his actions and how they came at a cost. The show approached a different, cleaner path for Tommy in Season 6, where he aimed to change his violent ways and become the man Grace wanted him to be.

It would be interesting to see whether the show will see this hinted transformation all the way through in the upcoming feature film, or he will return to his violent ways.

Also Read: 5 Peaky Blinders characters that deserved a better ending

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