"Peaky Blinders Season 3" Enter the Morally Gray

 

    To address the title of this article, I have to preface by saying that I don't think that the Peaky Blinders gang is actually one filled with saints, I mean they are British gangsters, and one does not exactly crawl out of poverty by being the nicest bloke on the block. However, in my eyes, the most notable change was Thomas Shelby's transition into someone who put family first, to someone who was willing to gamble them away. Like, you can't seriously tell me that by the end of season 3, people were rooting for the Shelby's other than the fact that they were technically the "lesser evil" when compared to the economic league.

    In fact, dare I say it, I'm starting to feel shades of Breaking Bad when watching Peaky Blinders and I don't make this comparison lightly. It's sort of how in Breaking Bad, fans root for Walter not because he is someone who uplifts his family, but rather because its entertaining to watch his slow descent into becoming one of the largest drug kingpins in the world. Like, I think Tommy is an absolute asshole for what he puts his family through, considering everything he does for his son, but I'd be damned if it wasn't interesting.

    However, I do think there are some flaws this season, and frankly I don't think I was that excited for the new Russian subplot introduced in this season. I mean they're basically just used as a way for Tommy to interact with the Economic League, and frankly I don't actually remember much of what they do, other than weird sex orgies. Like, I appreciated that this show never shied away from magic, always looking to incorporate some of the Shelby's gypsy origins, but at the same time cursed jewels and weird Russian ghost rituals just feel out of place and more like filler.

    Luckily, the other antagonists this season, the Economic League, were much more interesting and while they were a bit secretive for my tastes, its finally starting to feel like the show is becoming as ambitious as it promised at the end of season one, rather than continuing with the petty gang squabbles of the past two seasons. Particularly, I loved how this season ended, with Tommy finally letting go of his I love my family act, and with a new dynamic to explore, as the family finally stops obeying him like a bunch of lapdogs.

Final Score:75/100

    Personally, I think I enjoyed this season over season two, as I think the show finally found a way to make sure that it was more ambitious, and it also felt ambitious. While Mr. Churchill and Tommy have yet to meet, I have a sneaking suspicion that the big cliffhanger from season two will finally be resolved. While some of the plotlines felt forgettable, the tread into morally gray waters is a natural progression for a show that has impressed me every step of the way.

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