Saturday 21 September 2019

Peaky Blinders - Season 2 (2014 Created and written by Steven Knight)

Begins well by putting Tommy on the back foot: initially because unaware he's working for his nemesis Major Campbell through the IRA; secondly his incursion into the Italian-Jewish gang war in Camden ends up almost killing him - the most painfully violent scene we've had so far. (We missed taping the first episode when it was broadcast. I remember John saying "Nothing much happens in the first episode"!) The pattern seems to be emerging - put Tommy in boxes (or, more appropriately, tunnels) and see how he gets out.

It all comes to a climax at the Epsom races (though we don't even learn how Tommy's horse did) and Polly delivers the fateful blow to Campbell - a major relief.

Noah Taylor (with somewhat unconvincing accent, but plenty of menace) plays the Italian, and scene-stealer Tom Hardy the Jew. Plus we meet Polly's son Finn Cole - we think he's going to be trouble - and widow / horse trainer Charlotte Riley (who's in real life married to Hardy).



Great to see Josh O'Connor popping up again (The Durrells) - apparently great as Charles in the new The Crown. And must mention Natasha O'Keeffe as Tommy's loyal secretary.

Photographed by Simon Dennis, who went on to shoot The Limehouse Golem. All epsiodes directed by Colm McCarthy.

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