This Cosmo Jarvis role in Peaky Blinders definitely deserved more screen time (& it almost went unnoticed)

Led by Irish actor Cillian Murphy, the BBC crime drama series Peaky Blinders has featured many exceptional talents over its six seasons. The drama series included the acting chops of talents like Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, the late Helen McCrory, and many more actors.

However, very few might remember Shōgun fame actor Cosmo Jarvis, who also appeared in a small role in Peaky Blinders Season 5. Jarvis, who gained recognition from his breakthrough role as John Blackthorne in the FX series, is also known for Persuasion and Lady Macbeth.

However, before his breakthrough role, Jarvis also appeared in a small part in the BBC series, although his contribution largely went unnoticed. Jarvis played the role of Barney, a sniper in the army under Tommy.

In Season 5, Tommy broke him out of prison for Oswald Mosley's assassination. However, the plan went haywire, and Barney was instead killed in the aftermath of their failed assassination.

More on Cosmo Jarvis' character in Peaky Blinders in our story.

Cosmo Jarvis' character was plagued by the war horrors in Peaky Blinders

While Jarvis was not a famous name then, his character Barney, introduced in Peaky Blinders Season 5, stood out, despite the limited screen time. Barney's character further developed on the war PTSD that Steven Knight wanted to capture in his crime series.

While Tommy managed to mask his war trauma, Barney was more visibly affected by it. When we first see his character in Season 5, he is confined to a mental institution, following an unspecified crime. The 1920s society did not recognize war PTSD as an ailment, and therefore deemed Barney insane.

After Tommy and the Peaky Blinders broke Barney out of prison, we realise the vulnerabilities of his character. As Tommy had earlier described, Barney was a dangerous sniper in the army who never missed a shot. However, the man depicted in Season 5 was haunted by the horrors of the war.

He had episodes of screaming and heard voices in his head, and could only be calmed down by Tommy, as he still saw him as his commanding officer. This change, from what Tommy described to what Barney eventually became, portrayed the war horrors and how they transformed a man for the worse.

Barney was an intriguing character and deserved more screen time in Peaky Blinders

Despite his limited screen time, Barney was an intriguing character in Peaky Blinders, and it was heartbreaking to see him finally gain his freedom only to die shortly afterwards.

In a heartbreaking scene, when Tommy visits him in the prison cell, we see the harrowing conditions he lives in. A dark prison cell with no sunlight or any connection to the outside world, Barney lived in total isolation.

Seeing his critical condition, Tommy first offers him a cyanide pill so that Barney could kill himself and free himself from his mind prison. However, Barney refuses the pill, saying:

"one day things might change."

The fact that Barney had faith that things would change for the better for him in Peaky Blinders made his death even more tragic. Even in difficult times, Barney had an optimistic outlook on life, and his character deserved more screen time to right the wrongs he has endured so far.

In an interview with The Guardian, Knight even expressed his regret at writing off Jarvis' character so early:

"[He's] just brilliant and I really wish I’d kept him alive now."

Seeing his loyalty towards Tommy, Barney would have made a great addition in the upcoming feature film, but his character died in the show itself.

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Also Read: Top 5 Peaky Blinders villains (best to worst), ranked

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