Peaky Blinders: Season 4 Episode 1 Review
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might know that I tend not to love Peaky Blinders season premieres, and this episode was no exception.
Don't get me wrong, it was engaging and beautifully shot, and the acting is phenomenal. However, to me, it almost didn't feel like the same show. Seasons 1 and 2, while very dramatic, had a certain lightness about them. In contrast, season three was almost uniformly bleak and joyless. It gave us some great and dramatic moments, but it also robbed us of some of the more touching moments that made seasons 1 and 2 so enjoyable. So far, season 4 seems to be following in the vein of season 3.
First of all, it's absolutely heartbreaking to see the Shelbys at odds, each isolated in their own mansion, battling his or her own demons. They're not even really Peaky Blinders anymore. None of them wear the signature PB hat, which seems to have major symbolic importance. Now, if I were Polly, John, and Arthur, I probably would struggle to forgive Tommy too.
Watching the four of them prepare to hang was completely horrifying. Even though I knew that they probably weren't going to die (hey, there's a lot of show left), I felt their panic and fear. Of course, Tommy managed to save them in typical Tommy fashion, but almost dying while Tommy (the person who got them involved with Section D and the Russians) sat safely at home is a hard pill to swallow. So, like I said, I get why they can't forgive Tommy. However, on the other hand, half of them would probably be dead if it wasn't for Tommy and the rest of them would have never made it out of Small Heath. Tommy's ruthless intelligence and ability to plan is the only reason the family has made it as far as it has, so, quite possibly, Tommy deserves some forgiveness.
I want to talk more about Tommy in a minute, but, first, I think we need to address the elephant in the room. Is John dead? He seemed pretty dead to me. I don't think you can get sprayed by bullets from a machine gun and live. Like, if he's dead, I can NOT believe they killed him. I mean, John is the brother (next to Finn) who receives the least amount of screen time, but he didn't deserve to go out like that. Plus, we were just starting to learn more about his character. I do think that really good shows sometimes need to kill off main characters, but I was surprised that they chose to kill John and to kill him at that moment.
On another John-related note, I love that his and Esme's house is comfortably untidy. There's like random junk in their yard and crooked pictures on their walls. It feels much more like a home than Tommy's uber-tidy mansion. I also love it when John comes into the room with like ten guns and belts of ammunition. He's like a boy scout: prepared for anything.
Okay, NOW we have to talk about Tommy.
Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.
He is so ICE cold in this episode. Like, Antarctica might be warmer. Tommy has always been kind of frosty, but I have never seen him this COLD. I mean, wow. I gotta give it to Cillian Murphy, he acted his heart out in this episode, and the result was FAN-TASTIC.
The scene where he killed the assassin the "butcher room" (I don't know what else to call it) was a masterpiece of violence. He's not wearing a razor blade in his hat anymore, but he's still got the knack.
On another note, I gotta comment on Tommy's new LEWK. He's killing it with those hipster glasses. They give him kind of a super villain vibe. Also, for the first time, I'm noticing a little bit of grey in his hair, which kind of adds to his aura of seriousness and unreadability. I love it.
Speaking of people who are killing it with fashion, I have to tip my hat to Ada. She looked GREAT in this episode. I'm here for the hair, the lipstick, and the fur coat. She gives me movie star vibes. Snaps for Ada.
Okay, NOW let's talk about Polly. I am VERY, very concerned about her. To see someone who has been such a pillar of strength go to pieces is really hard to watch. I hope that Michael and Ada can help her through the hard times.
I also have to mention Jessie Eden. If she doesn't sleep with Tommy by the end of this season, I'll eat my hat! (JK, I don't have a hat). Seriously though, I'm 90% sure she's in this show to be a love interest for Tommy. Maybe she can help him reconnect with his working class roots or something like that. In any case, I love a woman who can call Tommy out on his BS. SLAY QUEEN!
Okay, now that I've touched on all our heroes, let's chat about the plot. So, the Mafia is coming for the PBs. Now, that's what I call a twist. Last season I was pretty bored by all the plot machinations, but if this season is going to be the PBs versus the Italians, I'm here for it. Sure, it's outlandish and over the top, but that's what I like about the PBs. Anyway, I wait in eager anticipation for Tommy to get the band back together to go after the Mafia. That is the kind of quality DRAMA I signed up for.
On another note, I like Tommy leaving out whiskey for Santa and then drinking it himself. That's a Christmas tradition I haven't seen before.
Rating: 7/10
Don't get me wrong, it was engaging and beautifully shot, and the acting is phenomenal. However, to me, it almost didn't feel like the same show. Seasons 1 and 2, while very dramatic, had a certain lightness about them. In contrast, season three was almost uniformly bleak and joyless. It gave us some great and dramatic moments, but it also robbed us of some of the more touching moments that made seasons 1 and 2 so enjoyable. So far, season 4 seems to be following in the vein of season 3.
First of all, it's absolutely heartbreaking to see the Shelbys at odds, each isolated in their own mansion, battling his or her own demons. They're not even really Peaky Blinders anymore. None of them wear the signature PB hat, which seems to have major symbolic importance. Now, if I were Polly, John, and Arthur, I probably would struggle to forgive Tommy too.
Watching the four of them prepare to hang was completely horrifying. Even though I knew that they probably weren't going to die (hey, there's a lot of show left), I felt their panic and fear. Of course, Tommy managed to save them in typical Tommy fashion, but almost dying while Tommy (the person who got them involved with Section D and the Russians) sat safely at home is a hard pill to swallow. So, like I said, I get why they can't forgive Tommy. However, on the other hand, half of them would probably be dead if it wasn't for Tommy and the rest of them would have never made it out of Small Heath. Tommy's ruthless intelligence and ability to plan is the only reason the family has made it as far as it has, so, quite possibly, Tommy deserves some forgiveness.
I want to talk more about Tommy in a minute, but, first, I think we need to address the elephant in the room. Is John dead? He seemed pretty dead to me. I don't think you can get sprayed by bullets from a machine gun and live. Like, if he's dead, I can NOT believe they killed him. I mean, John is the brother (next to Finn) who receives the least amount of screen time, but he didn't deserve to go out like that. Plus, we were just starting to learn more about his character. I do think that really good shows sometimes need to kill off main characters, but I was surprised that they chose to kill John and to kill him at that moment.
On another John-related note, I love that his and Esme's house is comfortably untidy. There's like random junk in their yard and crooked pictures on their walls. It feels much more like a home than Tommy's uber-tidy mansion. I also love it when John comes into the room with like ten guns and belts of ammunition. He's like a boy scout: prepared for anything.
Okay, NOW we have to talk about Tommy.
Tommy, Tommy, Tommy.
He is so ICE cold in this episode. Like, Antarctica might be warmer. Tommy has always been kind of frosty, but I have never seen him this COLD. I mean, wow. I gotta give it to Cillian Murphy, he acted his heart out in this episode, and the result was FAN-TASTIC.
The scene where he killed the assassin the "butcher room" (I don't know what else to call it) was a masterpiece of violence. He's not wearing a razor blade in his hat anymore, but he's still got the knack.
On another note, I gotta comment on Tommy's new LEWK. He's killing it with those hipster glasses. They give him kind of a super villain vibe. Also, for the first time, I'm noticing a little bit of grey in his hair, which kind of adds to his aura of seriousness and unreadability. I love it.
 |
| Those glasses though. |
Speaking of people who are killing it with fashion, I have to tip my hat to Ada. She looked GREAT in this episode. I'm here for the hair, the lipstick, and the fur coat. She gives me movie star vibes. Snaps for Ada.
Okay, NOW let's talk about Polly. I am VERY, very concerned about her. To see someone who has been such a pillar of strength go to pieces is really hard to watch. I hope that Michael and Ada can help her through the hard times.
I also have to mention Jessie Eden. If she doesn't sleep with Tommy by the end of this season, I'll eat my hat! (JK, I don't have a hat). Seriously though, I'm 90% sure she's in this show to be a love interest for Tommy. Maybe she can help him reconnect with his working class roots or something like that. In any case, I love a woman who can call Tommy out on his BS. SLAY QUEEN!
Okay, now that I've touched on all our heroes, let's chat about the plot. So, the Mafia is coming for the PBs. Now, that's what I call a twist. Last season I was pretty bored by all the plot machinations, but if this season is going to be the PBs versus the Italians, I'm here for it. Sure, it's outlandish and over the top, but that's what I like about the PBs. Anyway, I wait in eager anticipation for Tommy to get the band back together to go after the Mafia. That is the kind of quality DRAMA I signed up for.
On another note, I like Tommy leaving out whiskey for Santa and then drinking it himself. That's a Christmas tradition I haven't seen before.
Rating: 7/10
Comments
Post a Comment