Peaky Blinders Season 1
Overview
Peaky Blinders Season 1 is the first season of the historical crime drama set in Birmingham, England, in 1919, in the aftermath of World War I. The series follows the Shelby family, a Romani-Irish crime family who run a gang known as the "Peaky Blinders," named for their practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their caps. The series stars Cillian Murphy as Thomas "Tommy" Shelby, the ambitious, cunning, and haunted head of the family. Tommy served as a tunneler in the war and has been traumatized by his experiences. He has nightmares, he suffers from what we would now call PTSD, and he uses his strategic mind to build the family's criminal empire. The family includes: Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), Tommy's older brother, a violent, unstable man who struggles with his conscience; John Shelby (Joe Cole), Tommy's younger brother, a hot-headed, loyal soldier; Polly Gray (Helen McCrory), the family's aunt, the matriarch, and the financial genius behind the operation; Finn Shelby (Harry Kirton), the youngest brother, who is eager to prove himself; and Ada Shelby (Sophie Rundle), Tommy's sister, a politically active young woman who falls in love with an IRA man. The first season follows the Shelbys as they try to expand their influence by moving into the world of horse racing, betting, and gunrunning. They come into conflict with the Irish Republican Army, the Birmingham police led by Inspector Campbell (Sam Neill), and the British government, which is represented by Winston Churchill himself. The season also introduces Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis), a barmaid who is actually an undercover agent sent by Campbell to infiltrate the Shelby family. Tommy falls in love with her, unaware of her true identity.
