‘Peaky Blinders’ Recap: Season 1, Episode 4

It’s the best episode yet of the first season of Netflix’s Peaky Blinders. Everyone on all sides of the law is feeling the pressure coming from government orders to ransack the city of it’s criminals and clean up the gang waste. Tommy (Cillian Murphy) feels he has to play dirty to keep his family safe, but he doesn’t see it coming when Inspector Chester Campbell (Sam Neill) started playing dirty as well.

So what’s with the Lee family?

John Shelby, Tommy’s and Arthur’s younger brother, summons an emergency family meeting with their Aunt Polly at the Garrison. John confides in them that he’s fallen in love with Lizzie Stark, the notorious town whore, and wants their blessing to marry her. Before he’s practically laughed out of the bar, one of the kid workers for the Shelbys barges in in a panic: their headquarters have been robbed by the Lees.

After Tommy discovers one of the gang’s leaders, Erasmus Lee, set a booby trap grenade in his car (and makes it out alive), Tommy realizes he has to make a deal with them and be swift about it. Hell bent on ending the war between the two families, Tommy makes a proposition to marry off John to one of the Lee girls if they band together to ambush Kimber and his men.

Ada’s betrayal ignites another war.

After returning to Birmingham from a trip to London with Freddie, Ada discovers Freddie has been doing all of the dirty work for his Communist boss, Stanley Chapman, for free. “Who are you loyal to, Freddie?” Ada pleads before going behind his back and telling Polly about Chapman and his connection to the Russians. Polly tips off Tommy, who seeks out Inspector Campbell to make a deal: Chapman’s address for Freddie’s and Ada’s safety. Campbell agrees but threatens Tommy that if he doesn’t hand over the guns soon, he’ll have him killed along with the whole Shelby clan — including Ada’s unborn baby.

The sexiest (and scariest) job interview ever.

Tommy learns that Grace has been keeping the books in orders at the Garrison because Arthur, who now owns the bar, is incompetent when it comes to managing money. He has her walk with him after closing and the two stroll into a church, where he catches her in yet another lie. “No good Catholic girl would walk into a church and forget to make the sign of the cross,” he says. Grace claims she just wants to fit in. It may be the fact she’s so likable and attractive; with all of Tommy’s criminal background, he still can’t pick up on the fact he’s being double-crossed. Grace continues to play him like a fiddle, and now Tommy has officially signed her on as bookkeeper for the Shelbys’ brand new, and totally legal, racetrack. Grace fears that her cover has been blown, but she accepts the job, and Tommy seals his contract with a kiss.

Campbell isn’t as dumb as he looks.

Inspector Campbell raids Stanley Chapman’s home and takes him into custody, if custody counts as whipping him to death during questioning. Campbell then breaks his promise to Tommy and raids Thorne’s home just after Ada gives birth to their baby boy. Polly, furious, stalks to the bar and spits on Tommy, believing that he’s the one who had Freddie arrested. After putting a fire out on the war with the Lees, the Shelbys are now at war with themselves.

What to expect next episode:

The racetrack will be essential in moving the Blinders up in the ranks of Birmingham as well as their takedown of Kimber, with a little help from their friends, the Lees. Meanwhile, things are definitely not looking great for Freddie, who will be lucky if he ever sees his newborn again. Ada and Polly are banded together against Tommy, who they believe, danced with the wrong devil and betrayed them for Campbell’s word. Oh, and don’t forget about the IRA man Grace killed in Episode Three, because his men are coming to Birmingham to avenge his death.

 

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Photos: BBC/Netflix