Peaky Blinders season 6 introduces a surprisingly sober Tommy Shelby, but he relapses later in the season. An on-screen relapse usually comes with disastrous consequences. However, in Tommy’s case, he consumes alcohol in moderation and his abandoned sobriety is not directly addressed. Here’s what Tommy’s relapse really means.
Alcohol has always been central to Peaky Blinders. Along with smoking, it serves as a symbol of working-class activities in the aftermath of World War 1. The Shelby brothers have different relationships with alcohol; Arthur has always been more susceptible to addiction than Tommy. In season 6, Arthur struggles with substance abuse while Tommy trades whiskey for water – at least for the first few episodes. However, despite his abstinence, Tommy eventually relapses and returns to the bottle.
In many cases, substance abuse is a narrative trick used to symbolize internal turmoil and struggle. Yet, for Tommy in Peaky Blinders, many of the stereotypical outcomes are absent. This is because Tommy’s drinking relapse is a symbol of self-acceptance, both for the role he plays in Polly’s season 6 death and for his own personal shortcomings. It is not a coincidence that Tommy’s abstinence begins immediately after Polly dies, and his return to drinking comes at a crucial point in the narrative. However, Tommy’s addiction does need to be readdressed in the Peaky Blinders movie in order to complete his character arc.
Tommy’s Abstinence Was A Self-Inflicted Punishment For Polly’s Death
Along with Tommy’s attempted suicide, Polly’s death is the key motivator behind his decision to quit drinking. By the end of Peaky Blinders season 5, Tommy is afraid of alcohol, and he finds it easier to blame its influence than to accept moral responsibility for his failings. By abstaining from his addiction in season 6, Tommy is able to distance himself from the person he was in earlier seasons.
This can be seen clearly in his repeated justifications for sobriety. Throughout Peaky Blinders season 6, Tommy is constantly berated for not drinking whiskey. “You haven’t touched your drink, Tom,” Michael accuses, to which Tommy replies, “I’ve become a better man. I now realize that whiskey is just fuel for the loud engines inside your head.” Michael’s associates then proceed to attack Tommy’s masculinity, but he is unfazed by this. Tommy deliberately separates his personas. In Peaky Blinders season 6, Tommy believes himself to be untouchable regarding his past transgressions. In his warped view, an alcohol-drinking Tommy caused Polly’s death, a crime of which sober Tommy is innocent.
Tommy’s Relapse Was A Sign He Had Forgiven Himself
By the Peaky Blinders season 6 ending, Tommy has accepted the man he is and becomes content to die. Sober, he is forced to eventually confront his failings, and in finally forgiving himself, his sobriety is no longer required as a form of punishment. It is for this reason that Tommy is able to reconcile killing Michael with the knowledge that Michael’s hatred of him is justified. Crucially, Tommy does not drown his sorrows, as he has done in the past. He sips wine in meetings, and partakes in toasts, but doesn’t down whiskies from dawn until dusk anymore.
By forgiving himself, Tommy no longer needs to blame his vice. He faces the prospect of his own death without remorse; this directly contrasts with how Tommy handles his imminent execution in season 2. Condemned to be shot by Major Campbell’s men, he screams at the sky: “Almost got f***ing everything!” In season 6, Tommy approaches death quietly, vitally preceded by a swig of whiskey. Importantly here, Tommy allows the coin to decide his fate. By tossing it under the influence of alcohol, Tommy is unable to blame whiskey for the ultimate decision he makes.
Tommy’s Relationship With Alcohol Should Be Interrogated In The Peaky Blinders Movie
At the Peaky Blinders ending, the question of Tommy’s alcoholism remains unanswered. The impact of his relapse is partially negated by the fact Tommy assumed he was dying. Given how he survives the season 6 finale and escapes the shadow of a fake terminal illness, there is room to address Tommy’s relationship with alcohol in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
While very little is known about the movie, including whether Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby will return at all, his addiction will need to be examined. The character should reconsider his sobriety alongside Arthur, who seems to have turned a corner towards the end of season 6. The way in which Peaky Blinders handles Tommy’s addiction will be essential in providing a satisfying conclusion to the story.