TV Show Review - Peaky Blinders (Season 4)

Season: 4
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2017
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, Natasha O’Keefe, Packy Lee, Finn Cole, Kate Phillips

Description: The Shelby family reunites and has to face yet another enemy: the Italian-American Luca Changretta.

Review: Season 4 of “Peaky Blinders” is mostly centered on the return of the Shelby family. Th return of old behavior and the return of friends and foes.
At the start of the season, the family is completely torn apart. The consequences of season 3 are present and traumatic. When each of the members of the Shelby family receive a card, it’s cleat they are in great danger. This threat brings the family closer together again. One of their own gets killed in the process, which make vengeance a big drive to overrule all the differences between the family members.
The danger comes in the form of Luca Changretta, the son of the man Arthur once killed. Changretta is out for revenge and he is a worthy opponent that you don’t want to mess with. And he gives other enemies a chance to get back at the Shelby family as well. For instance, Alfie Solomons. His organization is key in the battle between Changretta and the Peaky Blinders.
The other danger is the upcoming communist movement. Tommy Shelby has to work extra hard to prevent his factories from falling due to the strike. And union woman Jessie Eden is a strong opponent in all this.
The cat and mouse game between Changretta and Shelby delivers us some old fashion spectacle and tension. Arthur falls back into his old role and no challenge is too big. His religious wife Linda is dragged into the Shelby world even more. And Polly beats an emotional breakdown to serve her family the way she does best.
There are a few critical notes. The fact that Tommy Shelby solves everything with sex, whenever a woman enters the screen. And in this season it gives him a new challenge. Luca Changretta’s character is really good, but Adrien Brody is sometimes a bit too much and Changretta becomes more of a gimmick than an actual character.
Especially towards the end of the season, “Peaky Blinders” reaches its old level. Straight forwards, violent and a strong plot. And the acting is, as always, fantastic.