The recent teaser trailer for Peaky Blinders season 6 has left many fans wondering why Tom Hardy's Alfie Solomons returns. The short clip shows Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) walking through Solomons' old rum distillery. Alfie emerges from the shadows, and Tommy says, "Alfie, I think I may have written your final act." The Peaky Blinders season 6 trailer is short, but reveals a lot to followers of the Netflix series.
Tom Hardy's character came onto the show in season 2 as the leader of the Jewish gang in London. After forming a shaky alliance with the Peaky Blinders to oust the local Italian gang, Alfie and Tommy develop something of a friendly rival relationship that progresses over the next two seasons, wrought with betrayal. Their rivalry appears to culminate in the season 4 finale when Tommy shoots Alfie in the face following yet another double-cross, but the season 5 finale reveals that Alfie is alive, albeit heavily scarred.
The most likely reason that Tommy is seeking Alfie's help yet again in Peaky Blinders season 6 is that he is still planning to take on the fascist party leader, Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin). Despite his sordid history of betrayals, Alfie Solomons is actually the perfect person to help Tommy fight such a powerful enemy. The trailer also suggests a change for Alfie from season 5 that could make him even more useful to Tommy.
Alfie is the ideal ally to help Tommy defeat Mosley because he has provided the greatest challenge for Tommy over the years, and he has nothing to lose. Since their first alliance in Peaky Blinders season 2, Alfie has betrayed Tommy on multiple occasions, often at the most critical point in Tommy's plan. These constant double-crosses at integral points have forced Tommy to think on his feet, and have helped him become a better schemer by Peaky Blinders season 6. And although Tommy has always managed to come out on top in the past, the efficacy of Alfie's betrayals shows that his deviousness can rival Tommy's. Alfie also has terminal brain cancer, and knowing that he is a dead man walking has already caused him to be particularly bold in his last betrayal of Tommy in season 4. This could serve to Tommy's advantage, however, in season 6 if Alfie applies his nothing-to-lose attitude towards fighting the fascists.
Another key aspect of the trailer is the setting. In his season 5 appearance, Alfie has retired from the gangster life and is living peacefully in Margate. Although he still holds influence within the Jewish community, almost everyone else believes him to be dead. The Peaky Blinders season 6 trailer, however, shows him in his distillery in London, the previous headquarters of his criminal enterprise. This suggests that Alfie has come out of retirement and re-entered the gangster scene. If that's the case, then he will likely be able to bring the whole force of the Jewish gangs to bear in the fight against Mosley and the fascists.
The Peaky Blinders season 6 trailer suggests that Tom Hardy's Alfie Solomons could have a huge part to play in the final season of the series. Having become a fan favorite on the show, Hardy's appearance in season 6 will likely delight audiences, many of whom hope his character will return for the Peaky Blinders movie. However Alfie is used in the future of Peaky Blinders, his presence is sure to be as charmingly chaotic as ever.