So the Shelby clan mostly survived their run-in with mob boss Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody) on the last season of BBC‘s Peaky Blinders. But that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing in the upcoming installment of the family crime drama. After all, as we saw very clearly in the wrap-up of the fourth season, rest and relaxation doesn’t agree with Tommy Shelby. So what does Peaky Blinders season 5 have in store for the Shelby clan and its loyal fans? We’re breaking down everything we know right now.
Peaky Blinders season 5 plot
We don’t have concrete details about what Peaky Blinders season 5 will hold in terms of obstacles for the family but we have a good idea of where it’s going. We saw that Tommy’s mental health is still very much an issue, especially when (as Arthur put it) “no-one wants to kill us.” Even having that phrase as part of the dialogue seems like asking for trouble for the family no?
In the meantime, Tommy has thrown himself into a side project: infiltrating the Communist Party. The foray earned him the ability to run as a Labour MP in the Birmingham South constituency, an election he won handily. So instead of taking time off, he’s doing exactly the opposite and expanding his sphere of influence. “I think [becoming a Member of Parliament], that’s just Tommy expanding his empire – his ambition is to have power in a lot of areas and that’s just another extension of his power,” Paul Anderson (Arthur Shelby) told Digital Spy.
“One thing’s for sure – Arthur ain’t gonna be no politician! And I very much doubt Tommy will be, really,” the actor added. So maybe expect Tommy to abuse his power as a politician. (But you were probably already expecting that anyway.)
We do know that the show will pick up after the 1929 stock market crash and that Tommy will have to make a decision with huge implications for not just his family, thanks to an official but brief season description:
Series five of Steven Knight’s crime family saga finds the world thrown into turmoil by the financial crash of 1929. Opportunity and misfortune are everywhere. When Tommy Shelby MP (Cillian Murphy) is approached by a charismatic politician with a bold vision for Britain, he realises that his response will affect not just his family’s future but that of the entire nation.
Show creator Steven Knight has said about Peaky Blinders season 5 that “the story of the Peaky Blinders and of the Shelby family gets woven into the political fabric of Britain and Europe as the 1920s end and the thirties begin.” But, as always, there will be a particular focus on Tommy, who will face “the darkest force he has ever faced.” So much for that break.
Peaky Blinders season 5 cast
As you know from the wrap up of Peaky Blinders season 4, most of the Shelby clan are continuing into Peaky Blinders season 5 unscathed despite the mob war. That means you’ll be seeing Tommy (Cillian Murphy), Arthur (Paul Anderson), Aunt Polly (Helen McCrory), Ada Shelby (Sophie Rundle) and Linda Shelby (Kate Phillips). Add to that lineup Lizzie Stark (Natasha O’Keeffe) and Aberama and Bonnie Gold (Aidan Gillen and Jack Rowan, respectively). If you noticed someone missing that’s because season 4 saw the loss of John Shelby, played by Joe Cole.
There were rumors swirling around whether we’d see an appearance of Al Capone in Peaky Blinders season 5, but Knight says that’s not happening. “There’s not gonna be any Al Capone. There isn’t, there really isn’t,” he confirmed. But he did add some exciting news: “Series five will have a lot of (big-name guest stars), I think.”
Peaky Blinders season 5 trailer
There’s no official Peaky Blinders season 5 trailer yet, but we’ll update this article as soon as one is released. The newest installment started filming just a few days ago on October 4, 2018, so they’ll need time to shoot and edit anything that would appear in a trailer. Stay tuned.
Peaky Blinders season 5 release date
As you probably suspect from that shooting date, it’s going to be a bit of a wait before we see Peaky Blinders season 5. They’ve already announced that we’ll see it sometime in 2019, but if their schedule from last season holds, the season won’t be ready to release until the summer. That might not be when we see it, though.
The fourth season of the series kicked off in November of 2017, which means they might hold onto the episodes until fall even if they’re ready in spring 2019. We’ll keep you updated and refresh this story with any news we hear about a more concrete release date. Keep in mind, though, that this schedule is for its release in the UK on BBC. We’d have to wait even longer to see the series popped into our Netflix queues.
