I've had a couple people point out that the Russian business was more to do with his involvement with Churchill, so yes, it wasn't necessarily the greatest example of personal ambition, it was rather a great example of how Tommy's loyalty was tested as he conducted business. I would say though that Tommy's involvement with Churchill is a result of his ambition in seasons 1 and 2, after doing things like keeping the guns and trying to cut a deal for an export license. Cheers.
Tommy is a plotter and a schemer, who operates by making plans and staying three moves ahead of everyone else, but ultimately he's very much aimless. He wants power, but he doesn't really know why, he wants Grace, but he doesn't really have an idea of what their family would look like in the future. He can't bring himself to completely abandon or betray his family, but at the same time he can't seem to help himself from alienating them. A lot of his issues in season 4 seem to stem from his inability to decide who he wants to be: Romantic hero, or greedy tyrant, and it leads him into making an uncharacteristically rash decision that has massive consequences.
Yes! He is able to do basically everything he wants, but he doesn't know what he wants or why. He can buy himself lots of things, can force his way up through the ranks of society. But he can't buy things to satisfy his emotional needs.
It’s like Tommy’s ambition for the business is because he knows that after the war he doesn’t have the energy or capacity to show compassion or his admiration to all his family so the only way he can show that is through money and success, so not only does his success give him loyalty, power over the country that once controlled him but it also serves as a way for him to maintain connections with a family he can’t truly connect with, like the business is the only thing that’s keeping them together and Tommy will do anything to keep it going.
Great idea, he was a completely different person before the war based off what we hear but we never see it. Really hope something like that could pop up
Definitely, I think it would even imbue more depth than there already is in Tommy's character. And would also emphasize the enormity of the after effects of war in his pysche, especially with the main crux of the recent season Tommy's descent into an unnerved and crazed state.
This was a great analysis. For me, right from the start, the theme " no rest for the wicked" stuck out most to me. No matter how hard the Shelby's try to become legit, they are constantly entangled in their past evils. Those who live by the sword die by the sword.
Vicki Sant'Anna I think they ruined her character she had so much more to her which made her dislike her parents on. But May was done SO DIRTY she had the potential to be everything to Tommy after Grace and it was wasted
@@matty8399 yeah i was actually glad grace died,i didnt like her after the end of season 1 and I think they shouldve left her character where it was and let the series go on.But it was fun to watch tommy start going insane over her death and see the slow decline
Good analysis. But Tommy was forced to do the Russian business actually and though it seems the creator is somehow using Grace's death as a tool to torture Tommy but the portrayal of grief is outstanding and when he nearly lost his son! The last two episodes of season 3, Cillian's performance is so good that I can't criticize about anything related to that season actually 😁
Thank you Jaita :) and yes the Russian business was definitely not one of my strongest examples, however it is something that truly showcases this test of loyalty with his family the best. Also, I will say that his work with the Russian business can be seen as derivative of his personal ambition, as he became involved with Churchill through his actions in seasons 1 and 2 (keeping the stolen guns, getting a deal for the export license etc.). Also I absolutely agree, Cillian portrayed the distraught of losing his son brilliantly!
Id definitely like to explore the idea that they put forthc that ambition is a coping mechanism for trauma because it makes the internal external and 'easier' to handle. Tommys addiction to opium isn't the only thing he does to cope with war, the war he fights in the streets helps him keep his mind out of the trenches and "keep the shovels from knocking". Its a really powerful concept i havent seen explored in a show before, least of all this way.
i think ultimately Tommy seeks something to occupy him with, to silence his mind and numb his traumatized past he used to do drugs to be able to sleep at night, and when he talked to Danny Whizbang in his bedroom, he mentioned that he can still hear the sound from the tunnels and the battlefield in one episode when he finally takes some time off work and go play golf, he can't concentrate and even startled at the sound of a gunshot nearby, he then proceeded to jump into the slope as if it were the trenches in my opinion, Tommy does all this just because he can, not necessarily for any grandeur reason or anything
I've enjoyed your commentary because it's reframed the show in a way I hadn't thought of before (loyalty vs ambition). I think a major theme that is missed here that is a constant in the show is the struggle to overcome the class you were born into. As someone from North America, this theme didn't immediately jump out at me, but class divisions within the UK are still prevalent and Peaky Blinders S03 explores this quite extensively. Examples include: the tensions between Grace's upper class family and the Shelbys, to the living with no rules Tatiana (top class), to the maid listening to Tatiana not to Tommy, to the big speech Tommy gives at the end regarding how the upper classes are no better than they are. It occurs throughout every season as well.
The class division is very relevant to where I live, especially towards s3 end when Tommy says no matter how rich you get they(meaning upper class) would never truly include you because of from where you come.
The dislike for Grace's family was more to do with the majority of them being *cavalry* soldiers, who took ages to arrive and help *Tommy,* and his men during the war.
@@fictionlover9983 The class division is very relevant in my city, the *6th biggest city in the UK* by both area and population, by the people who live here, and the media in general. My city, like most cities, is officially made up of many *towns, villages, hamlets* and *neighbourhoods.* I'm not talking about unrelated *towns, villages, hamlets* and *neighbourhoods,* outside of the cities border either, which make up unofficial, nonsense *"city"* populations like *metropolitan areas, urban areas/built-up areas/conurbations, primary urban areas, city regions/combined authorities/larger urban zones, localities/urban sub-divisions/county boroughs* etc, I'm talking about places *officially within the cities border.* I celebrate every single *town, village, hamlet* and *neighbourhood* of my *city,* however the majority of people who live in the posher and richer areas of the city to the North-West, try to pretend they're independent. They seem to be embarrassed of the city where they're from, which is not helped by the media constantly putting the city down, the mapmakers ignoring the city, and practically every tourism website on the internet ignoring the city too. The majority of *Wikipedia* articles, news articles in general, the local tourism website, and even the council website, refer to those places as being *"near the city"* or *"on the outskirts of the city,"* rather than *"part of the city."* It's no coincidence that the majority of councillors live in those *towns, villages, hamlets* and *neighbourhoods* to the North-West of the city, or even in nearby towns and cities, as they're also embarrassed to admit where they're actually from. I've even seen neighbourhoods less than *2 miles* from the city centre, in a city which is *227 miles squared,* being referred to in the media as *"near the city"* or *"on the outskirts of the city."* How hard is it for them to look at a map showing the cities borders? I also seem to know more facts about the city, its tourist attractions, its filming locations, and its celebrities, than the *local newspapers,* the *council,* the *tourism website,* and the *city of film* team. There's still 100's of the cities *films, TV shows and filming locations* missing from the *film website,* which I will not be revealing to the *city of film* team, until I can afford to start blog, and publish them first. I've only revealed a few of the most famous ones which they had forgotten about, even though those film and TV productions were primarily filmed in the city. One of them they've added this year, and claimed it was broadcast this year, yet as someone who has watched the entire show this year, those episodes which featured my cities locations were not broadcast this year, they were broadcast 7 years ago in 2013. It's clear they must have had a comment from a random member of the public pointing the locations out to them, so rather than asking for the episode number, they've just assumed those locations appeared in the most recent series. Whenever the local newspaper writes a story about the *cities celebrities,* they always mention the same 40 odd people again and again, yet we have 1000's, a lot of which are even bigger celebrities than the ones they mention on a regular basis. After one of those stories in 2013, where they listed celebrities who were apparently *"famous fans"* of the cities football team, I emailed them some bigger names of celebrities who were actually fans of the club, as some of the ones they mentioned do not support the club at all, or have no interest in football. The next time they wrote a story about our *"famous fans"* a couple of years later, they remembered what I said and listed actual fans of the football club, which now included *Hollywood actors.* However it's clear they have forgotten again, as I've just seen a story on our *celebrity football fans* from 2016, and other stories from later dates, which mention the same, small name celebrities, a few of which are not fans of the club. It's almost as if they can't be bothered to do their job properly, by doing things like emailing the agents of the big name celebrities to get a response, and would rather just message whichever celebrities reply on social media, or live locally. There's also another story I've just noticed from this year, about the cities music chart toppers, but as usual it's the same faces, with only one name I didn't already know about from 1968. We have more recent, and way more chart toppers than the 10 mentioned, and many many more famous *singers, rappers, deejays, composers, musicians, music producers, bands* etc in general who haven't topped the charts, but are more famous and have worked with bigger names.
Tommy didn’t make sergeant major, I think he was a corporal; however he uses the military ranks to maintain order in his enterprise, and since he is the main head of his empire, everyone called him sergeant major
I always thought Michael seemed shady. I kept expecting him to be an agent for Churchhill or another gang. I never fully trusted him as a family member. I think this was due to the actor's choices, not the writers.
from what i've seen from your very good videos, my point of view is very simple. i've got c-ptsd, and i kind of can recognise the language and the aim tommy has. welll, simply put, tommy wants to die. he just can't make the decision, he tries all the time but doesn't succeed. his intelligence is another problem, he can't just give up because every risky plan he makes succeeds. his IQ also doesn't let him go where he wants, as everything is pointless for him but he lives constantly new experiences. that's why he says in some times "i'll continue until i find a guy, i can't beat'. if left unchallenged, the illness will get him, so he constantly moves.
Albeit yes, probably not one of the best examples I had for “ambition”, as he was dragged into it, but the business does ultimately test his loyalty with his family. You could possibly even say that his involvement with Churchill is a derivative of his ambition to grow his empire from seasons 1 and 2 anyway (cutting a deal to get an export license etc.).
Solid video, glad I found your channel. Production quality is great btw, I feel like that's rare with "smaller" channels. Anyway, you more than earned my "like" and subscription.
When it comes to ambition in certain characters I think Steven Knight really dropped the ball with Michael, it was going so well and had me so invested but in season five I was really disappointed. I understand that there was scheduling issues and we couldn’t see much of his story post-season four but Michael just became so unlikeable and I felt it was unjustified considering how screwed over he was in season four. I feel like Michael has no drive anymore, other than being a little shit.
I agree. In s4, i still liked him.(i mean he had always been my favourite, after ada)I feel like if i were him, i would too have done what my mom told me to do. He said it himself, that he didnt choose not to tell thomas, he just chose his mother over him. But then in s5 they totally destroyed him.
I just keep coming back to this video! I must have watched it like a thousand times, but it's so so soooo good!! Please do more videos analyzing Tommy maybe through seasons 4 & 5 as well or analyzing other aspects of him? Thanks so much! 💜
Ouch, that ending! Fantastic work, as ever. I really liked the way you framed Tommy - Before the War and After the War - highlighting his ideas of loyalty and family. As to the point of Tommy needing to keep everyone "in their place", you really see it more in season four, where he drags Arthur down further, he ropes Finn properly into the gang, he pushes Michael into more of a victim/pawn, he starts seeing Lizzie in a sexual way again, and when Polly gives him more of a challenge than anyone else, he uses John's death and her connections to Luca to turn her into a sort of double agent. Season Five really pushes the trauma buttons again (the land mines in the field, Grace's influence, Arthur's breakdown). Seconding the vote for you to check out Billions! There's so much character richness in it, and I'd be curious to see what you make of a character like Chuck Rhoades (played by Paul Giamatti). Axe (Damian Lewis) gets a lot of attention, but Chuck is a lot more nuanced and more evil, in some senses.
Depression is only misplaced energy if you have enough drive, determination and willpower it can be squashed, it makes it easier if you have a target in mind. Why be depressed when you can make them depressed.
This is how all Empires are made . My father used to run a less than legal business to say the least and it cost his family peace of mind . I’m still dealing with childhood trauma and ptsd but I believe it made me the ambitious person I am today . I don’t seek goals because they’re good but because they secure my future life and I’ll crush my opposition should they stand in my way .
Explore Kaneki. This character, He goes through 7/8 character changes through out the story ! The character development of his is amazing, from his childhood to him becoming the king ! His character envelopes through out the story by 6/7 times
Seconded. Some of the best character development I have ever read. So many little things, so much symbolism, so many literary references. Wonderful character
He's really good with what I've seen that explain different aspects that make up the life of thomas shelby.seen a couple and left feeling time well spent.
Hello, first of all, I absolutely love your videos analysis of characters, mostly when it's Peaky Blinders characters :) This way, I was wondering if you had heard the audio "poems" Steven Knight wrote for both Tommy and Alfie, and are performed by both their actors (Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy). These audio poems are absolutely mind blowing and give you a really good new look at other sides of these characters, adding a very interesting depth to them. Tommy's poem is called "The Ballad of Tommy Shelby", and is personally my new favorite thing ever. Cillian's voice is just so husky and deep and it gives you chills listening to it, plus the absolutely amazingly written text by Steven Knight. It's simply BRILLIANT. Honestly, Cillian is such a good actor! You can practically picture Tommy talking you as you listen to it. It's beautiful. Alfie's one is called "The Gospel of Alfie Solomons", and is also bloody brilliant and let's just say: Tom Hardy. That's it. Tom Hardy. Wow. So it'd be amazing if you did a video analyzing these two audio poems regarding the characters!! I'll leave you the official link to them both here: www.peakyblinders.tv/ Enjoy! Thanks!
Just watched series 5 ,Thomas is losing his Family members one by one and Last episode tells the story that he is not a man of great successful plan In season 6 if he wants to come back last option is he should kill the Grace once again.
I watched this video a year ago and didn’t appreciate it until now; I am studying English literature. I definitely think this will help; it’s widens my view of how ambilivent people’s motives can be. You look at why which effectively answers the question. Thanks for the video; it was insightful and well structured.
i liked the previous one for how well you talked about Tommy (even though is only about the first season), i also liked this one better for including the rest of the characters. I hope you can make another one after you watch season 5.
Although upon further inspection, your videos on Peaky Blinders get you the majority of your views and reactions. You are basically the only guy talking about this show. And if you would like... I cant stress this enough, I have watched and rewatched this entire show more than 30 times. I can suggest countless ideas if you'd like to make like a denser longer video
I like how Tommy as a character is treading in no man's land - he's calm and collected, manipulative and scheming and some might say borderline psychotic which would paint him as the antagonist; however, as you pointed out he does a great many conflicting things for the sake of his family, his name and legacy, as testimony to surviving his trauma and succeeding through sheer grit, tenacity and intelligence above all (which would paint him as the protagonist). However, as a result of this conflict on both sides - he is neither. I think that his story is an ingenious allegory to the duality of humans portraying that : abundance of success doesn't not mean the lack flaws and a soiled character; mislaying your moral compass does not mean you are absent any redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Amen about trauma, when pushed over their is no turning back but to transform because of this. I know trauma all too well from childhood to adulthood it seems like its the only thing that gets results for me and those who caused it though have contributed to a creation of a worst/better me depending how you look at it will get what's coming. Don't do unto others what you dont want others to do unto you. Because you don't know that person you caused trauma to is hell bent on bringing it back to you tenfold. Revenge may be pointless for the moralist out there but those whos innocence and morals have been corroded because of the trauma find it very fulfilling.
Peaky Blinders reminds me a lot of "The Buddenbrooks" from Thomas Mann. It is about the decline of a weathly german family. The boss of the family shares the same name with Tommy (Thomas) his brother Christian is like Arthur. They have a little sister who marries and lives more or less outside the family. There is a lot about business and also marriage because of business. And Thomas son Hanno is like Charlie. Both start to have a difficult relationship with their fathers. I wonder if the producers had some influence from the novel? Please make mor PB videos. They are really interessting
I feel like Tommy's character arc reached a crucial point in season 5. At the beginning we saw him being an almost noble antihero, but by season five he did his business, because he felt, that he would go insane otherwise. In his ambition, at one point he even agrees with Moseley about him being the man, for whom no rules should apply. Obviously, Moseley is very similar to Tommy, but, being a sociopathic power-hungry guy that he is, he crossed even more lines. Even Tommy feels responsible to take him down because of that. *Spoilers* I hope Tommy's failure and his arc in this season will lead into his atonement. Thing about antiheroes like Tommy is that audince really wants them to redeem themselves. Sometimes the showrunners show, that it cant happen, like with Walter White, and sometimes they show progress, like in the recent season of Bojack Horseman. In real life it is hard for people to change. Still, even if it is obvious, or clichéd, i feel that there is a lot of hope for Shelby family.
And actually i wonder, if the next season could make a comment on the archetype antihero, that we see in Tommy. I mean, he has been romanticised throughout the show, although in season five we see criticism brought down on him by the people he trusts the most. If he were to change, it could.expand that criticism, so that he could become more than a classical *good on the inside, bad on the outside* guy trope.
You should watch The Terror. Can't tell for second season but first is amazing. And from personal experience i recommend not to google anything about it and just watch. If you not bored after 1 episode (45 min) it is worth it to keep your self away from any description's, trailer's and review's, because it may ruin the suspense. You may keep away from this one as well :D Each season tell separate story but they all related with one theme. I'll talk only about first one, because this is the only one I'd seen so far. It shows how people deal with stressful and extreme situation (not the theme of the show but this is what i'm usually focusing on). And normal people are breaking under tough circumstances. Only those who arrived already mentally broken are doing relatively ok. It's kinda disturbing to watch how reasonable people change under the pressure. Sometimes i don't get motivation of some secondary characters. Maybe it's because of series format and we just don't get enough time to get in mind of every acting hero. Or it's just me who is stupid and can't read people :D "Spoilers" here Also it was a revelation for me when mystical part of series had confirmed. But you would know that from the beginning if you just google it before watching. But it's more interesting that way.
Hope you find some characters, and story in generally, interesting and make some great content of it. Also i'm hoping you didn't forget about Taboo series. Can't wait for your opinion on James character
Nope I didn’t forget! I really appreciate the recommendations! I have a lot of different shows and content to consume now :) I’ll try to get to Taboo first and then The Terror. I’ll come back to your comment when I’ve gotten a glimpse more of what The Terror is like!
Yessssss..... The Terror is amazing and one of my new favorites. Menzies is fantastic and always, and Jared Harris is one of my new favorite actors after it 😍😍😍 Goodsir's story alone fulfilled me massively and making sure to not dig any deeper than what I knew until I finished it made it all so much better.
I’m still so sad that Grace died! I adored Grace, she really seemed to be Tommy’s dangerous and devious intellectual equal. Her death was so pointless...but I guess that was the point, wasn’t it? Tommy’s entire life is steeped in pointless violence and senseless, gruesome death. Grace’s murder seemed to really destroy Tommy, to the point where he basically becomes a monster.
Great essay about Peaky Blinders! Cheers mate! haha but i do agree with "Ngoc Lam" Maybe a little zoom out (just a bit) like a medium shot (or a wider lens 18-20 mm maybe)?, just for a establishing shot of you talking to us "the viewers" other than that, everything is great! keep going and enjoy your day or night!
Thank you Andrés! I will definitely take the feedback :) I originally wanted to keep the framing similar to my This Is Us video, but I accidentally zoomed to far in. I have a lens that goes to about 18mm (currently using a 50mm) but my camera’s sensor crops it and so the effective zoom is further than it is. Got to figure that one out as I keep making more videos.
You're videos are great, but they feel too quiet and that feels uncomfortable, especially when we get to hear the feedback from the mic. I think you should add music in order to combat this effect and awkwardness and improve video quality slightly, otherwise I'd say u have some of the best edited videos I've seen for content of this type
WE Watch maybe like the different kinds of characters that can be found in comedies and stories and how certain movies either subvert them or make them unique
WE Watch that’s awesome! I won’t lie and pretend the idea doesn’t have selfish reasoning because I’m writing a comedy script and your videos have helped a lot in my overall process of writing! Keep up the good work!
In the end, I hope I am able to help all writers in some way. When I hear I have somehow helped make people’s writing better it really means a lot. So no worries on being selfish at all
Tommy shelby at the core is a selfish man. He done many crimes to get the status he has for his own gain. He will kill a man, ordered a man killed, blackmail, snitch, play both sides, Conniving for a seemingly worthless end. Which in turn has a tragic reaction. He disregards what’s best for the family at every glance. Countlessly putting them in difficult positions yet claiming it’s best for the family. He’s done this in the name power, status, glory but yet he deemed it nothing. He’s a man who’s running on borrowed time, yet his ambitions are fruitless. He says he has no limitations but he is indeed just a man. And he will meet his end due what his hands have done.
I’ll keep your feedback in mind Ngoc :) I think I may have accidentally had it a bit too close this time. I tried to keep the same framing as in my This Is Us video, but it was hard to tell at the time.
WE Watch no, keep it the way it is. The intensity is important. It pulls are attention. It draws the audience. The cut scenes are necessary and enough to balance out your narrative. It’s just right my friend.
Any particular reason? Let me know your thoughts! The shift to this format helps me with RUclips content id and helps me put videos out faster, but I’m still experimenting.
Why not just watch and enjoy the show rather than pondering on irrelevant shit like character analysis that will be of no use to you nor anyone who listens to them
Ah might be the noise reduction that’s the problem. I’ll stop doing that. But I still want to completely cut out humming/background noise in general. Would you recommend upgrading to a better microphone as a fix? Or something else?
Thank you Nicholas! Glad to know. I’ll still try to see if there is a fix, but if the issue is minor I’ll just keep on until I can upgrade my hardware/software.
I've had a couple people point out that the Russian business was more to do with his involvement with Churchill, so yes, it wasn't necessarily the greatest example of personal ambition, it was rather a great example of how Tommy's loyalty was tested as he conducted business. I would say though that Tommy's involvement with Churchill is a result of his ambition in seasons 1 and 2, after doing things like keeping the guns and trying to cut a deal for an export license. Cheers.
Tommy is a plotter and a schemer, who operates by making plans and staying three moves ahead of everyone else, but ultimately he's very much aimless. He wants power, but he doesn't really know why, he wants Grace, but he doesn't really have an idea of what their family would look like in the future. He can't bring himself to completely abandon or betray his family, but at the same time he can't seem to help himself from alienating them. A lot of his issues in season 4 seem to stem from his inability to decide who he wants to be: Romantic hero, or greedy tyrant, and it leads him into making an uncharacteristically rash decision that has massive consequences.
ThejollyFrenchman i havent watched season 4 in a while, what rash decision are you talking about?
Tristan Harris Spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen it yet:
He gets Lizzie pregnant while trying to relive his memories of him with his sweetheart.
Yes! He is able to do basically everything he wants, but he doesn't know what he wants or why.
He can buy himself lots of things, can force his way up through the ranks of society. But he can't buy things to satisfy his emotional needs.
ThejollyFrenchman been waiting for this comment!
Why do I want to say a version of Scrooge that told the ghosts to go fuck themselves and is now going to a fate worse than what was shown
"You can change what you do, but you can't change what you want"
- Tommy Shelby
It’s like Tommy’s ambition for the business is because he knows that after the war he doesn’t have the energy or capacity to show compassion or his admiration to all his family so the only way he can show that is through money and success, so not only does his success give him loyalty, power over the country that once controlled him but it also serves as a way for him to maintain connections with a family he can’t truly connect with, like the business is the only thing that’s keeping them together and Tommy will do anything to keep it going.
We need a pre war Thomas scene in the next season
Great idea, he was a completely different person before the war based off what we hear but we never see it. Really hope something like that could pop up
Definitely, I think it would even imbue more depth than there already is in Tommy's character. And would also emphasize the enormity of the after effects of war in his pysche, especially with the main crux of the recent season Tommy's descent into an unnerved and crazed state.
From practical point of view, the deaging of cillian murphy would be very difficult
Anabolic Jesus They wouldn’t need much pre aging if at all, there isn’t that many years between the war and when the show takes place
Josh Williams 14 years is pretty long man
This was a great analysis. For me, right from the start, the theme " no rest for the wicked" stuck out most to me. No matter how hard the Shelby's try to become legit, they are constantly entangled in their past evils. Those who live by the sword die by the sword.
Grace's death it was unforgivable.
Vicki Sant'Anna is it bad I was happy? I genuinely couldn’t stand her.
Vicki Sant'Anna I think they ruined her character she had so much more to her which made her dislike her parents on. But May was done SO DIRTY she had the potential to be everything to Tommy after Grace and it was wasted
@@matty8399 I couldn't stand Grace either.
@@matty8399 yeah i was actually glad grace died,i didnt like her after the end of season 1 and I think they shouldve left her character where it was and let the series go on.But it was fun to watch tommy start going insane over her death and see the slow decline
Probably is what ultimately pushes him to more business in season 4 and 5
Cigarates are bad kids. Say no to Necotine,
Say yes to bashing old baddies with a metal hat, I mean what.
Hahahaha! Always say yes to bashing old baddies with a metal hat
sigerets*
nick oh teen*
Good analysis. But Tommy was forced to do the Russian business actually and though it seems the creator is somehow using Grace's death as a tool to torture Tommy but the portrayal of grief is outstanding and when he nearly lost his son! The last two episodes of season 3, Cillian's performance is so good that I can't criticize about anything related to that season actually 😁
Thank you Jaita :) and yes the Russian business was definitely not one of my strongest examples, however it is something that truly showcases this test of loyalty with his family the best. Also, I will say that his work with the Russian business can be seen as derivative of his personal ambition, as he became involved with Churchill through his actions in seasons 1 and 2 (keeping the stolen guns, getting a deal for the export license etc.).
Also I absolutely agree, Cillian portrayed the distraught of losing his son brilliantly!
Id definitely like to explore the idea that they put forthc that ambition is a coping mechanism for trauma because it makes the internal external and 'easier' to handle. Tommys addiction to opium isn't the only thing he does to cope with war, the war he fights in the streets helps him keep his mind out of the trenches and "keep the shovels from knocking". Its a really powerful concept i havent seen explored in a show before, least of all this way.
The main ideas and themes you talk about get even more exaggerated in season 4 and 5
Get outta here you conniving asshat.
i think ultimately Tommy seeks something to occupy him with, to silence his mind and numb his traumatized past
he used to do drugs to be able to sleep at night, and when he talked to Danny Whizbang in his bedroom, he mentioned that he can still hear the sound from the tunnels and the battlefield
in one episode when he finally takes some time off work and go play golf, he can't concentrate and even startled at the sound of a gunshot nearby, he then proceeded to jump into the slope as if it were the trenches
in my opinion, Tommy does all this just because he can, not necessarily for any grandeur reason or anything
He is trying to forget about his past he is keeping his mind busy to forget every single painful thing that happened to him
I've enjoyed your commentary because it's reframed the show in a way I hadn't thought of before (loyalty vs ambition). I think a major theme that is missed here that is a constant in the show is the struggle to overcome the class you were born into. As someone from North America, this theme didn't immediately jump out at me, but class divisions within the UK are still prevalent and Peaky Blinders S03 explores this quite extensively. Examples include: the tensions between Grace's upper class family and the Shelbys, to the living with no rules Tatiana (top class), to the maid listening to Tatiana not to Tommy, to the big speech Tommy gives at the end regarding how the upper classes are no better than they are. It occurs throughout every season as well.
The class division is very relevant to where I live, especially towards s3 end when Tommy says no matter how rich you get they(meaning upper class) would never truly include you because of from where you come.
The dislike for Grace's family was more to do with the majority of them being *cavalry* soldiers, who took ages to arrive and help *Tommy,* and his men during the war.
@@danielgardecki1046 This doesn't affect my main point. Class struggles are a huge on-going theme.
@@fictionlover9983 The class division is very relevant in my city, the *6th biggest city in the UK* by both area and population, by the people who live here, and the media in general.
My city, like most cities, is officially made up of many *towns, villages, hamlets* and *neighbourhoods.*
I'm not talking about unrelated *towns, villages, hamlets* and *neighbourhoods,* outside of the cities border either, which make up unofficial, nonsense *"city"* populations like *metropolitan areas, urban areas/built-up areas/conurbations, primary urban areas, city regions/combined authorities/larger urban zones, localities/urban sub-divisions/county boroughs* etc, I'm talking about places *officially within the cities border.*
I celebrate every single *town, village, hamlet* and *neighbourhood* of my *city,* however the majority of people who live in the posher and richer areas of the city to the North-West, try to pretend they're independent. They seem to be embarrassed of the city where they're from, which is not helped by the media constantly putting the city down, the mapmakers ignoring the city, and practically every tourism website on the internet ignoring the city too.
The majority of *Wikipedia* articles, news articles in general, the local tourism website, and even the council website, refer to those places as being *"near the city"* or *"on the outskirts of the city,"* rather than *"part of the city."*
It's no coincidence that the majority of councillors live in those *towns, villages, hamlets* and *neighbourhoods* to the North-West of the city, or even in nearby towns and cities, as they're also embarrassed to admit where they're actually from.
I've even seen neighbourhoods less than *2 miles* from the city centre, in a city which is *227 miles squared,* being referred to in the media as *"near the city"* or *"on the outskirts of the city."*
How hard is it for them to look at a map showing the cities borders?
I also seem to know more facts about the city, its tourist attractions, its filming locations, and its celebrities, than the *local newspapers,* the *council,* the *tourism website,* and the *city of film* team.
There's still 100's of the cities *films, TV shows and filming locations* missing from the *film website,* which I will not be revealing to the *city of film* team, until I can afford to start blog, and publish them first. I've only revealed a few of the most famous ones which they had forgotten about, even though those film and TV productions were primarily filmed in the city. One of them they've added this year, and claimed it was broadcast this year, yet as someone who has watched the entire show this year, those episodes which featured my cities locations were not broadcast this year, they were broadcast 7 years ago in 2013. It's clear they must have had a comment from a random member of the public pointing the locations out to them, so rather than asking for the episode number, they've just assumed those locations appeared in the most recent series.
Whenever the local newspaper writes a story about the *cities celebrities,* they always mention the same 40 odd people again and again, yet we have 1000's, a lot of which are even bigger celebrities than the ones they mention on a regular basis. After one of those stories in 2013, where they listed celebrities who were apparently *"famous fans"* of the cities football team, I emailed them some bigger names of celebrities who were actually fans of the club, as some of the ones they mentioned do not support the club at all, or have no interest in football. The next time they wrote a story about our *"famous fans"* a couple of years later, they remembered what I said and listed actual fans of the football club, which now included *Hollywood actors.* However it's clear they have forgotten again, as I've just seen a story on our *celebrity football fans* from 2016, and other stories from later dates, which mention the same, small name celebrities, a few of which are not fans of the club. It's almost as if they can't be bothered to do their job properly, by doing things like emailing the agents of the big name celebrities to get a response, and would rather just message whichever celebrities reply on social media, or live locally. There's also another story I've just noticed from this year, about the cities music chart toppers, but as usual it's the same faces, with only one name I didn't already know about from 1968. We have more recent, and way more chart toppers than the 10 mentioned, and many many more famous *singers, rappers, deejays, composers, musicians, music producers, bands* etc in general who haven't topped the charts, but are more famous and have worked with bigger names.
Tommy didn’t make sergeant major, I think he was a corporal; however he uses the military ranks to maintain order in his enterprise, and since he is the main head of his empire, everyone called him sergeant major
No he won seargent major, referenced s3e4
Watch episode 4 of season 3 dude they mention it
I always thought Michael seemed shady. I kept expecting him to be an agent for Churchhill or another gang. I never fully trusted him as a family member. I think this was due to the actor's choices, not the writers.
I’ve been under the impression this would hopefully be addressed in season 6
2.6k subscribers? CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED!
from what i've seen from your very good videos, my point of view is very simple. i've got c-ptsd, and i kind of can recognise the language and the aim tommy has.
welll, simply put, tommy wants to die. he just can't make the decision, he tries all the time but doesn't succeed. his intelligence is another problem, he can't
just give up because every risky plan he makes succeeds. his IQ also doesn't let him go where he wants, as everything is pointless for him but he lives constantly
new experiences. that's why he says in some times "i'll continue until i find a guy, i can't beat'. if left unchallenged, the illness will get him, so he constantly moves.
Wherever Tommy goes, we go!
The Russian business was more to do with his deal with Churchill
Albeit yes, probably not one of the best examples I had for “ambition”, as he was dragged into it, but the business does ultimately test his loyalty with his family. You could possibly even say that his involvement with Churchill is a derivative of his ambition to grow his empire from seasons 1 and 2 anyway (cutting a deal to get an export license etc.).
WE Watch yes there’s a lot of grey area in the show that’s hard to judge. It’s what makes it good
Could we get a video about Arthur fookin Shelby?
_"This is who I am. And this, is all I can give you, for what you give me, for your hearts and your souls"_
Absolutely love these videos about Peaky Blinders. Great job!
Awesome video. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who digs that deep on this show. So many layers. And development
Solid video, glad I found your channel.
Production quality is great btw, I feel like that's rare with "smaller" channels. Anyway, you more than earned my "like" and subscription.
Please analyze Tommy’s mindset and frame of mind in the last season. From paranoia to suicidal thoughts.
When it comes to ambition in certain characters I think Steven Knight really dropped the ball with Michael, it was going so well and had me so invested but in season five I was really disappointed.
I understand that there was scheduling issues and we couldn’t see much of his story post-season four but Michael just became so unlikeable and I felt it was unjustified considering how screwed over he was in season four.
I feel like Michael has no drive anymore, other than being a little shit.
I agree. In s4, i still liked him.(i mean he had always been my favourite, after ada)I feel like if i were him, i would too have done what my mom told me to do. He said it himself, that he didnt choose not to tell thomas, he just chose his mother over him. But then in s5 they totally destroyed him.
I just keep coming back to this video! I must have watched it like a thousand times, but it's so so soooo good!! Please do more videos analyzing Tommy maybe through seasons 4 & 5 as well or analyzing other aspects of him? Thanks so much! 💜
Ouch, that ending! Fantastic work, as ever. I really liked the way you framed Tommy - Before the War and After the War - highlighting his ideas of loyalty and family. As to the point of Tommy needing to keep everyone "in their place", you really see it more in season four, where he drags Arthur down further, he ropes Finn properly into the gang, he pushes Michael into more of a victim/pawn, he starts seeing Lizzie in a sexual way again, and when Polly gives him more of a challenge than anyone else, he uses John's death and her connections to Luca to turn her into a sort of double agent. Season Five really pushes the trauma buttons again (the land mines in the field, Grace's influence, Arthur's breakdown).
Seconding the vote for you to check out Billions! There's so much character richness in it, and I'd be curious to see what you make of a character like Chuck Rhoades (played by Paul Giamatti). Axe (Damian Lewis) gets a lot of attention, but Chuck is a lot more nuanced and more evil, in some senses.
Ambition and trauma meet to make depression trust me
Depression is only misplaced energy if you have enough drive, determination and willpower it can be squashed, it makes it easier if you have a target in mind. Why be depressed when you can make them depressed.
This is how all Empires are made . My father used to run a less than legal business to say the least and it cost his family peace of mind . I’m still dealing with childhood trauma and ptsd but I believe it made me the ambitious person I am today . I don’t seek goals because they’re good but because they secure my future life and I’ll crush my opposition should they stand in my way .
If anyone is interested, look up what it was like to actually be a clay kicker in WW1. I can’t imagine coming back from that sane.
Explore Kaneki. This character, He goes through 7/8 character changes through out the story ! The character development of his is amazing, from his childhood to him becoming the king ! His character envelopes through out the story by 6/7 times
Seconded. Some of the best character development I have ever read. So many little things, so much symbolism, so many literary references. Wonderful character
He's really good with what I've seen that explain different aspects that make up the life of thomas shelby.seen a couple and left feeling time well spent.
This is why this show is pure gold
I bought matches to light my cigs after watching all the seasons of peaky blinders lol
Pająki Demka [konto nieaktywne] Dang the industrial revolution was lit
Mathew they taste better when lit with matches
Hello, first of all, I absolutely love your videos analysis of characters, mostly when it's Peaky Blinders characters :) This way, I was wondering if you had heard the audio "poems" Steven Knight wrote for both Tommy and Alfie, and are performed by both their actors (Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy). These audio poems are absolutely mind blowing and give you a really good new look at other sides of these characters, adding a very interesting depth to them.
Tommy's poem is called "The Ballad of Tommy Shelby", and is personally my new favorite thing ever. Cillian's voice is just so husky and deep and it gives you chills listening to it, plus the absolutely amazingly written text by Steven Knight. It's simply BRILLIANT. Honestly, Cillian is such a good actor! You can practically picture Tommy talking you as you listen to it. It's beautiful.
Alfie's one is called "The Gospel of Alfie Solomons", and is also bloody brilliant and let's just say: Tom Hardy. That's it. Tom Hardy. Wow.
So it'd be amazing if you did a video analyzing these two audio poems regarding the characters!! I'll leave you the official link to them both here:
www.peakyblinders.tv/
Enjoy! Thanks!
More peaky content please
Just watched series 5 ,Thomas is losing his Family members one by one and Last episode tells the story that he is not a man of great successful plan
In season 6 if he wants to come back last option is he should kill the Grace once again.
Perhaps that’s what he will do at the start of season 6, he will turn the gun from himself to grace and shoot her ghost instead
I watched this video a year ago and didn’t appreciate it until now; I am studying English literature. I definitely think this will help; it’s widens my view of how ambilivent people’s motives can be. You look at why which effectively answers the question. Thanks for the video; it was insightful and well structured.
i liked the previous one for how well you talked about Tommy (even though is only about the first season), i also liked this one better for including the rest of the characters.
I hope you can make another one after you watch season 5.
Although upon further inspection, your videos on Peaky Blinders get you the majority of your views and reactions. You are basically the only guy talking about this show. And if you would like... I cant stress this enough, I have watched and rewatched this entire show more than 30 times. I can suggest countless ideas if you'd like to make like a denser longer video
Amazing analysis, very underrated. Would really like to see a video on Alfie Solomons or Aberama Gold.
I'd love to see a video essay that examines Michael Pitts portrayal of James Darmody in Boardwalk Empire.
Deep as heck. Great job
I like how Tommy as a character is treading in no man's land - he's calm and collected, manipulative and scheming and some might say borderline psychotic which would paint him as the antagonist; however, as you pointed out he does a great many conflicting things for the sake of his family, his name and legacy, as testimony to surviving his trauma and succeeding through sheer grit, tenacity and intelligence above all (which would paint him as the protagonist). However, as a result of this conflict on both sides - he is neither. I think that his story is an ingenious allegory to the duality of humans portraying that : abundance of success doesn't not mean the lack flaws and a soiled character; mislaying your moral compass does not mean you are absent any redeeming qualities whatsoever.
it was interesting! Thanks! maybe will do something about "Billions", there strong characters too.
Thank you! I will add Billions to my watchlist!
Indeed
Look forward to seeing more from this channel
Amen about trauma, when pushed over their is no turning back but to transform because of this. I know trauma all too well from childhood to adulthood it seems like its the only thing that gets results for me and those who caused it though have contributed to a creation of a worst/better me depending how you look at it will get what's coming. Don't do unto others what you dont want others to do unto you. Because you don't know that person you caused trauma to is hell bent on bringing it back to you tenfold. Revenge may be pointless for the moralist out there but those whos innocence and morals have been corroded because of the trauma find it very fulfilling.
Peaky Blinders reminds me a lot of "The Buddenbrooks" from Thomas Mann. It is about the decline of a weathly german family. The boss of the family shares the same name with Tommy (Thomas) his brother Christian is like Arthur. They have a little sister who marries and lives more or less outside the family. There is a lot about business and also marriage because of business. And Thomas son Hanno is like Charlie. Both start to have a difficult relationship with their fathers. I wonder if the producers had some influence from the novel?
Please make mor PB videos. They are really interessting
I disagree, he flipped after the cavalry mocked him at the war. The war changed him. Not the attack by the police
This is an amazing analysis!! I really like your perspective, you sum up the main themes so perfectly
Keep grinding!
Thank you so much for this video ! It was very interesting and helpful. :) Keep up the good work !
I could watch 1,001 Peaky Blinders videos so keep it up! Love you stuff subbed
You are very good! I enjoy your reactions. Additionally you are very articulate.
I feel like Tommy's character arc reached a crucial point in season 5. At the beginning we saw him being an almost noble antihero, but by season five he did his business, because he felt, that he would go insane otherwise. In his ambition, at one point he even agrees with Moseley about him being the man, for whom no rules should apply. Obviously, Moseley is very similar to Tommy, but, being a sociopathic power-hungry guy that he is, he crossed even more lines. Even Tommy feels responsible to take him down because of that.
*Spoilers*
I hope Tommy's failure and his arc in this season will lead into his atonement. Thing about antiheroes like Tommy is that audince really wants them to redeem themselves. Sometimes the showrunners show, that it cant happen, like with Walter White, and sometimes they show progress, like in the recent season of Bojack Horseman. In real life it is hard for people to change. Still, even if it is obvious, or clichéd, i feel that there is a lot of hope for Shelby family.
And actually i wonder, if the next season could make a comment on the archetype antihero, that we see in Tommy. I mean, he has been romanticised throughout the show, although in season five we see criticism brought down on him by the people he trusts the most. If he were to change, it could.expand that criticism, so that he could become more than a classical *good on the inside, bad on the outside* guy trope.
Can you do “Power” James st Patrick
You should watch The Terror. Can't tell for second season but first is amazing. And from personal experience i recommend not to google anything about it and just watch. If you not bored after 1 episode (45 min) it is worth it to keep your self away from any description's, trailer's and review's, because it may ruin the suspense.
You may keep away from this one as well :D
Each season tell separate story but they all related with one theme.
I'll talk only about first one, because this is the only one I'd seen so far.
It shows how people deal with stressful and extreme situation (not the theme of the show but this is what i'm usually focusing on). And normal people are breaking under tough circumstances. Only those who arrived already mentally broken are doing relatively ok. It's kinda disturbing to watch how reasonable people change under the pressure.
Sometimes i don't get motivation of some secondary characters. Maybe it's because of series format and we just don't get enough time to get in mind of every acting hero. Or it's just me who is stupid and can't read people :D
"Spoilers" here
Also it was a revelation for me when mystical part of series had confirmed. But you would know that from the beginning if you just google it before watching. But it's more interesting that way.
Hope you find some characters, and story in generally, interesting and make some great content of it.
Also i'm hoping you didn't forget about Taboo series. Can't wait for your opinion on James character
Nope I didn’t forget! I really appreciate the recommendations! I have a lot of different shows and content to consume now :) I’ll try to get to Taboo first and then The Terror. I’ll come back to your comment when I’ve gotten a glimpse more of what The Terror is like!
Yessssss..... The Terror is amazing and one of my new favorites. Menzies is fantastic and always, and Jared Harris is one of my new favorite actors after it 😍😍😍 Goodsir's story alone fulfilled me massively and making sure to not dig any deeper than what I knew until I finished it made it all so much better.
Awesome stuff dude
thank you... informative and open minded and cool
I’m still so sad that Grace died! I adored Grace, she really seemed to be Tommy’s dangerous and devious intellectual equal. Her death was so pointless...but I guess that was the point, wasn’t it? Tommy’s entire life is steeped in pointless violence and senseless, gruesome death. Grace’s murder seemed to really destroy Tommy, to the point where he basically becomes a monster.
Man you deserve more than 6k subs
Great essay about Peaky Blinders! Cheers mate! haha but i do agree with "Ngoc Lam" Maybe a little zoom out (just a bit) like a medium shot (or a wider lens 18-20 mm maybe)?, just for a establishing shot of you talking to us "the viewers" other than that, everything is great! keep going and enjoy your day or night!
Thank you Andrés! I will definitely take the feedback :) I originally wanted to keep the framing similar to my This Is Us video, but I accidentally zoomed to far in. I have a lens that goes to about 18mm (currently using a 50mm) but my camera’s sensor crops it and so the effective zoom is further than it is. Got to figure that one out as I keep making more videos.
We learn more about Tommy pre war in season 4-5 . Make a vid about that
Was waiting for this vid!
I’m happy to have finally gotten it out! Didn’t want to keep you waiting for much longer :)
Suggestion: Guts from Berserk (manga)
please make a video about seasons 4&5 once you have finished them.
Well done mate!
I love Tommy shelby but pls make a video about Alfie Solomon and Arthur shelby
You're videos are great, but they feel too quiet and that feels uncomfortable, especially when we get to hear the feedback from the mic. I think you should add music in order to combat this effect and awkwardness and improve video quality slightly, otherwise I'd say u have some of the best edited videos I've seen for content of this type
You know what i would love to see, how tommy shelby was prior to the war 🤷♂️
Great, keep on ...
Make a vid on arthurs anger pls
Tommy is literally the Devil lol
You made my day!!
Have you ever considered writing an essay on comedy? I think you’d kill it!
I haven’t considered it yet! Any recommendations? :)
WE Watch maybe like the different kinds of characters that can be found in comedies and stories and how certain movies either subvert them or make them unique
For sure! I’ll add your suggestions to my list :)
WE Watch that’s awesome! I won’t lie and pretend the idea doesn’t have selfish reasoning because I’m writing a comedy script and your videos have helped a lot in my overall process of writing! Keep up the good work!
In the end, I hope I am able to help all writers in some way. When I hear I have somehow helped make people’s writing better it really means a lot. So no worries on being selfish at all
Well done :)
Break down of the New Joker???????
Can you break down the main character from the show Power!
If tommy hear all this, he'll get even worse trauma than he got from the war
Tommy shelby at the core is a selfish man. He done many crimes to get the status he has for his own gain. He will kill a man, ordered a man killed, blackmail, snitch, play both sides, Conniving for a seemingly worthless end. Which in turn has a tragic reaction. He disregards what’s best for the family at every glance. Countlessly putting them in difficult positions yet claiming it’s best for the family. He’s done this in the name power, status, glory but yet he deemed it nothing. He’s a man who’s running on borrowed time, yet his ambitions are fruitless. He says he has no limitations but he is indeed just a man. And he will meet his end due what his hands have done.
Maybe zoom out abit
Youre too close and its a bit intense
Ngoc Lam really I didn’t think it was too close
I’ll keep your feedback in mind Ngoc :)
I think I may have accidentally had it a bit too close this time. I tried to keep the same framing as in my This Is Us video, but it was hard to tell at the time.
I like it intense.
WE Watch no, keep it the way it is. The intensity is important. It pulls are attention. It draws the audience. The cut scenes are necessary and enough to balance out your narrative. It’s just right my friend.
Pulls “our” attention. Lol
By order of the Peaky fookin Blinders. Btw Arthur is muh fav idc if he is dumb af.
How do you only have 5k followers ???
is that ada at 9:42?
do aberama gold
Before I watch does this vid have any spoilers for season 5?
No spoilers for season 5! Only covers up to season 3.
This nigga lookin like lord voldemort
i like the other format more
Any particular reason? Let me know your thoughts! The shift to this format helps me with RUclips content id and helps me put videos out faster, but I’m still experimenting.
No ''i'm not god '' not yet ,_thomas shelby
👍 👏
Do you want some feedback my dude?
Of course, constructive feedback is always welcome :)
Your channel has been shut down by the order of the fokin peaky blinders.
Roses are red, think about that. Ptsd is v real, I know.
Why not just watch and enjoy the show rather than pondering on irrelevant shit like character analysis that will be of no use to you nor anyone who listens to them
Dude fix your mic
Just need to confirm, is it the hissing noise when I speak? Been trying to play around with the settings, but I might just need a new mic...
It sounds like you may have a noise reduction effect, with the volume turned up - it cuts to silence every time you go silent
Ah might be the noise reduction that’s the problem. I’ll stop doing that. But I still want to completely cut out humming/background noise in general. Would you recommend upgrading to a better microphone as a fix? Or something else?
Thank you Nicholas! Glad to know. I’ll still try to see if there is a fix, but if the issue is minor I’ll just keep on until I can upgrade my hardware/software.