Thomas Shelby is often complimented to be a tall glass of water. But ever depicted drinking one? Nope — His go-to drink to hydrate himself has always been whiskey, on a bad day as well as good.
Whiskey is a marker for the Peaky Blinders as sharp as the blades on their hats. So it is quite surprising that in season 6, we find that Tommy has given up the drink for good. Why on Earth has he turned into a teetotaler?
In Peaky Blinders S6 Ep 1, Tommy reveals he’s given up alcohol and has been sober for four years. Since he wants to expand his business empire, being sober will keep him more level-headed and physically stronger for this next step.
Is Tommy really sober, and why exactly? Let’s have a look at the episode as a whole and check how his new resolve fits in.
Tommy Shelby’s Sobriety In S6 Explained
Ordering a glass of water shouldn’t be surprising. But after a long wait, the last thing Peaky Blinders’ fans expected was to see a changed Tommy Shelby sipping on some good H2O. (Can I just say how much I love it this reformation?)
Tommy has always been intimidating, great with schemes and one to reckon with during fights. But his brown opium and alcohol use has always stepped in the wrong places, leading to some really bad consequences.
Season 5’s denouement was quite a downer (which continues into S6’s introduction) — He loses it and tries to kill himself. But not only does he fail to do that, but his miscalculations have also led to the deaths of his dear ones including Polly.
This perhaps serves as a waking call for Tommy: If he really wants to expand his business, really do it right, he has to have a clear head about it. Tommy himself says that,
“Whiskey is just fuel for the loud engines inside your head.”
Thomas Shelby
It’s why when the people at the pub force him to drink alcohol and upon his refusal get into a fight, Tommy is not just stronger and swifter in combat, but he’s also calmer and resolves the situation in the best possible way.
Tommy is offered alcohol in quite a few scenes this episode and each refusal has strengthened the notion that he hasn’t been faking it. He indeed has been sober and vows to continue being so.
This move is also symbolic because we find out that he’s on the Gallic island, Miquelon, that ferries bootleg whiskey to Boston. But with the prohibition ending, their business stands to lose.
As Tommy puts it, Miquelon forgoing alcohol is a new beginning, one that he mirrors with sobriety. However, unlike Miquelon, I hope Tommy doesn’t find his new demise in opium.
About Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, England, the series follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family and their leader Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) in the direct aftermath of the First World War.
The fictional family is loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name, active in the city from the 1890s to the early 20th century. It stars Cillian Murphy, Sam Claflin, Aidan Gillen, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Finn Cole, and Tom Hardy
Peaky Blinders season 6, which is also its last, will premiere on February 27 on BBC One.
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