Peaky Blinders is back but in bitter-sweet fashion. Gone is series’ matriarch and fan favorite, Helen McCrory, after losing a tragic hard-fought battle with Cancer in April of 2021.
Since Helen’s tragic passing, fans were left wondering how the much-beloved series would pay homage to the time-honored actress. Now, in the wake of Season 6’s highly-anticipated premiere, we finally have our answer .
After nearly two whole years, ‘Peaky Blinders’ has finally returned for its sixth and final season.
The pinnacle episode of Season 5 debuted on September 22nd, 2019 . Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, filming for the much-beloved series had to be put on hold.
The premiere episode of Season 6 saw many a familiar face return — with one glaring omission.
Gone forever from the streets of Birmingham is Helen McCrory, who played the series’ matriarch, Aunt Polly. In April of 2021, Helen lost a hard-fought cancer battle at the age of 52.
With plenty of time to brace for the inevitability, fans knew that Aunt Polly would be written out of the story.
But up until now, many were unsure as to how it would all play out. Now, in the wake of Season 6’s debut episode, titled ” Black Day ,” we now have our answer.
The start of Season 6 finds Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) standing in a field —the same as he was in Season 5’s finale.
Holding the muzzle of the weapon against his head, the tension culminates in the click of a trigger and the realization that Tommy is holding an empty gun.
Tommy’s wife, Lizzie, soon joins him and reveals that his brother, Arthur, had emptied the bullets — fearing the worst.
Tommy slunks back up to the house in a pit of despair and utter defeat. Once he makes his way inside, the phone starts ringing; on the line is the touted IRA member, Captain Swing.
As Tommy and Swing talk, an unknown vehicle pulls up to the house.
Captain Swing takes full credit for the botched assassination attempt on Oswald Moseley’s life. She then precedes to inform Tommy that her men are delivering the bodies of those lost in the crossfire.
The first was the body of Aberama Gold, the second was Tommy’s war pal, Barney, and the third — was Aunt Polly.
it becomes abundantly clear that Aunt Polly was killed in order to send a message. “We’ve made changes to the structure of your organization,” she begins to say.
“You’ve had a crutch to lean on, we kicked away that crutch. From now on it’ll be us you lean on,” Swing explains.
To add insult to injury, Swing makes a point of telling Tommy that Polly’s death came as a direct result of his failure to comprehend his own limitations.
In order to honor Polly’s Romany-gypsy lineage, the Shelby clan gather for a memorial.
What follows next is a three-minute-long moment of silence, wherein a carriage is set aflame. Inside the burning wreckage are Polly’s photographs, as well as a painting.
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Series star, Cillian Murphy, explained to ‘Empire Magazine’ that Aunt Polly was always meant to be a part of the final season.
“What I always feel sad about is that we were about to shoot and then the pandemic happened and we had to stop,” Cillian said .
“It’s a huge loss; it’s hard to comprehend it. Because she was the matriarch of the whole thing. As the character, but just also as her personality.”
Although Helen’s body is no longer with us, her spirit and legacy will forever live on. As to how the Shelbys plan to enact their vengeance and avenge the loss of their beloved matriarch — only time will tell.
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