PEAKY Blinders are never without enemies and already the Shelbys are up against it as they face fresh threats.
After Tommy Shelby was sent an unpleasant message by a rival gang there were some unanswered questions. Here are five of the burning queries on our lips…
4
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from episode two of Peaky Blinders season five.
1. Did Michael Gray betray Tommy Shelby?
Michael Gray’s (played by Finn Cole) loyalty was brought into question when it was revealed he had been approached my people who want Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) dead.
Polly Gray’s (Helen McCrory) son is thought to have had a conversation with members of the County Tyrone and Glasgow UVF, while aboard the SS Monroe to Belfast.
Captain Swing (Charlene McKenna) claims the young Peaky Blinders member plotted with the two groups to take down the father-of-two.
Despite his mother vouching for him, Tommy was less than convinced and believes Michael is the traitor he has been dreaming about.
4
2. What is the reason behind the crucifix killing?
The brutal murder of Bonnie Gold (Jack Rowan) raised a few questions, not least because he was tied to a cross and shot in the head.
He had been killed by the Billy Boys, as a warning to Tommy, with the ruthless gang leaving a note behind, which read: “By order of the Billy Boys”- a play on the Peaky Blinders infamous slogan.
Currently, there are no known reasons for the crucifixion killing but it was considered one of the most painful and disgraceful methods of capital punishment by the Romans.
Granted, Roman crucifixion was an ancient method of execution, which involved the victim’s hands and feet being bound and nailed to a cross.
However, in the case of poor Bonnie his hands and feet were tied to the cross and he was killed with a single bullet to the skull after a merciless beating.
4
3. Are Tommy and Lizzie Shelby going to split?
Lizzie Shelby (Natasha O’Keeffe) moved out of her shared home with Tommy and into Arthur (Paul Anderson) and Linda Shelby’s (Kate Phillips) property.
She grew tired of the businessman’s erratic ways and feared for their young daughter, Ruby.
While staying with her relatives, Lizzie confided in Linda about their marriage woes and told her Tommy has been having trouble sleeping lately.
4
4. Who is Captain Swing?
Captain Swing made her debut in episode two of series five and instantly made an impression on the Peaky Blinders.
Not only did she get her goons to hold a bullet to Michael’s head but she accused him of betraying Tommy.
In a phone call with the politician, Swing told him she was speaking from the occupied six county but gave few details after.
Swing is played by Charlene McKenna, who starred as Rose Erskine in Ripper Street and she has appeared as Mercy Boyle in Death and Nightingales.
5. Who are the Billy Boys?
The Billy Boys shot Aberama Gold (Aiden Gillen) and killed his son in episode two, as a warning to Tommy that they he must share territory.
They sang the ‘Billy Boys’ song before the murder, which the Glasgow razor gang led by Billy Fullerton used to sing.
The Glasgow razor gang were a violent group, who resided in the east end and south side of Glasgow.
They emerged in the late 1920s and 1930s and were named after their weapon of choice, it is believed.
When is Peaky Blinders season 5 next on?
Episode three of Peaky Blinders season five airs on BBC One on Sunday, September 1 at 9pm.
The first episode was shown on Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 9pm, followed by episode two on bank holiday Monday.
Netflix and BBC iPlayer have seasons one to four on their streaming service.
This year the show has been moved from its original home on BBC Two to BBC One, following its success.
