I wanted to correct myself publicly in this video, as a couple people have pointed out: I stated the Lees were the problem, when in fact they were the solution to Tommy dealing with Billy Kimber. Otherwise it would be uncharacteristic of Tommy to go to war with the Lees. Regardless my point of Tommy thinking things ahead is still true in this case!
If you contrast Tommy's actions when confronted with the loss of face of picking up Kimber's coin to his violent start at the slightest provocation with the Lee's, it's obvious he was looking for the excuse to start the war with Lees.
The real beauty in how his character was written is that he is outstandingly intelligent, but he isn't a sociopath like so many other ultra smart characters. It is refreshing.
Uhm...except Tommy actually has some sociopathic tendencies tho: - Able to stay eerily calm -Constant manipulation and lying - Lack of shame for actions -Intimidating behavior - Only cares about a very small group of people. - Went trough a traumatic experience (ww1) in the past. - unable to function in normal society (he always tends to go back to his criminal behaviour) -power obsessed -prone to violence - Comes over as “cold blooded” He is not a complete sociopath but he definitely shows symptoms. Most likely as a result of ptsd.
Johnny Silverhand What I love about peaky blinders is how they are able to create suspense even though no one is pulling a gun. Suspense trough dialogue, if you like.
@@manuj2868 exactly. Which is why I don't get why people are knocking down Season 5 for that, saying there wasn't as much action as the past seasons. Imo Season 5 did so well in making your heart race and getting you at the edge of your seat with just the mere intense exchange of dialogues between the characters.
My mom also pointed out how Tommy always talks in a calm low voice. Everyone else will freak out and yell when stressed or panicked, but with his soft speaking, the characters and we the audience will listen closely to hear what he has to say
@@WEWatch Exactly! And I also noticed that Tommy always keeps strong eye contact, doesn't matter if he is speaking or someone else is speaking to him, trying to scare him, blackmailing him, threatening him.. Even when his plans didn't go right or he fucked up, he always keep his eye contact strong. ( sorry for my english its not my mother tongue)
This makes the scene where he lashes out at Alfie in S3 so interesting. He loses control briefly and Alfie snaps him back, "So, what, they took your boy, did they, yeah? They've got your boy? And what fucking line am I supposed to have crossed?! How many fathers, right? How many sons, yeah, have you cut, killed, murdered? Fucking butchered -- innocent and guilty. Just sent them straight to fucking hell, ain't ya?! Just like me! You fucking stand there - you judging me?! Stand there and talk to me about crossing some FUCKING LINE?! If you pull that trigger, right, you pull that trigger for a fucking honourable reason. Like an honourable man, not like some fucking civilian that does not understand the wicked way of our world, mate." He then goes back to his calm, haunting voice.
He does yell when he’s telling his brothers “no fucking fighting” to each one. Then he jumps and almost punches a waiter who sort of bumps into him. I think it’s a wedding.
@@Vandyno "i pushed his face up against a train and shoved a 6 inch nail up his fookin nose, it was fookin biblical mate" i died when i hear this lmaoo
@Chase Jordan people are blind when it comes to love. Arthur makes sense that he'd fall for almost any woman i think that would give him the time of day, hes been a tortured soul so a touch of affection probably goes a long way with him. micheal is definitely dumb, and i've disliked that kid for a while now.
For me, one of the most compelling scenes (season 2, episode 6) is Tommy’s reaction in the field where he faces a no-win situation. One can feel his whole being shudder under the weight. I’ll leave it at that so as not to spoil it for those who’ve not watched it.
The way Tommy tells Arthur "I think Arthur. That's what i do." It's just always gives me goosebumps. So simple but it perfectly reflects his character beautifully. Ughh, the writing in this show is boner inducing i swear.
Great vid, although I always took it that he purposely started the fight with the Lee's to instigate a feud which he could then use to leverage with Billy Kimber (with the bullet) who he knew was already at war with them, otherwise the whole "are you laughing at my brother" bit seems a bit out of character as he normally keeps such a cool head and tends to avoid pointless conflicts
Thank you! Yes you're absolutely right. It's better to think of it your way because it definitely is more in line with Tommy's character and how he thinks steps ahead of everyone else. The problem was really how to take advantage of Billy Kimber, and thus he started the fight with the Lees uncharacteristically.
@@MrShiro82 I can assure u it wasn't. When asked who was the leader Arthur says he's the oldest, which kimber laughs at and says "clearly". Then john says it
Actually Tommy has the brain John is the heart and Arthur is the muscle. I've read that abt the series over and over again. But tbh all three of them have heart muscle and brain just in different ways.
The writers did an excellent job in writing Tommy, they have his coldness set and his intelligence compared to other characters is impeccable. The casting directors chose very well, too, Cillian knows exactlyyyy how to be Tommy. His tones, his stares and his whole demeanour is all very good.
I wouldn't describe Tommy as "ice cold" at all. He came back from the war an incredibly damaged person like many of his comrades'. His good and bad sides are constantly at war with one another but Tommy is certainly not an innately evil person or "ice cold" as the narrator put it.
I think it’s more that Tommy /seems/ ice cold. He puts up a front for everyone and remains calm when they need it, even if on the inside he’s feeling just as much, if not, more than them.
what i liked the most about the interaction between the two brothers, arthur and tommy, is the fact that they are so different from , yet compliment each other so well, tommy is happy with by appearance letting arthur look like the leader, since tommy himself doesnt care for attention, while orchestrating everything like a mastermind from behind the scenes, while being the actual leader. Arthur respects that and doesn't go against since he knows his brother doesnt want to be in the spotlight while, himself, basically being the "commander" of the organisation with his extroverted way of acting.
Every scene with Tommy in it is my favourite. The reasons you give of why he is an amazing character are exactly what I told people why they should watch it. No one else could act Tommy like Cillian. He IS Tommy. I don’t want Peaky Blinders to end. Love it. Thank you. Great video.
hands down tommy is almost the best character ever. manly charisma, no bullshit, adaptive demon. sometimes i feel bad for arthur because you can see that he struggles from ww1 and depression.
I also love seeing how he learns and develops. From the Russians he learns the need to crush your enemies, but as he grows he also realises the need for peace and cost of war. Every level up he goes, from bookie to businessman to MP, he gains wider experience and learns more about how things really work, even though at the start we are led to believe he has nothing left to learn. He comes across as absolutely arrogant, in fact he is incredibly humble. He mimics what he learns at every level, and tries it out, he even repeats phrases he hears from people, and figures out that nothing is true absolutely. Someone old, wise, rich, learned and cynical could give Tommy a peice of wisdom and Tommy would apply it, and there would be examples of it working and not working, and so no one one truth is absolute. That's why he plays socialism and the odd fellows, Moseley and the Left, he plays the working man's champion so long as he can stay in with the establishment, precisely because he doesn't know.
My favorite other than Thomas is John. Favorite scene: When Mr. Changratta tricks him into a meeting. Favorite quote: "I'm not a traitor to my class, I am just an extreme example of what the working man can achieve." Great video.
By far the character depth is what I love about this show & as a writer myself I'm going to come to this video time & time again for the reminder of contrasting and complex characters. His brothers are brutal in their own ways, yet weaker outwardly, where as Tommy shows his weakness in his isolation. In his dreams. And that's also a contrast of the internal & external landscapes adding contrast. Fucking amazing. Made me fall in love with peaky blinders again.
Thank you! I’m so happy I could be of help with your writing. Of course any writing advice should be taken with a grain of salt, because in the end it’s your story and only you know how you want to write it. Good luck with your future projects :)
You did a great study about Tommy. I loved the way you took us from the start. The part of ambition and loyalty is what makes Tommy different from a normal person. Thanks for the video
Love the video, Peaky Blinders is definitely one of the most underrated shows, season 4 is one of the best seasons of any show I've ever seen. I cant wait for season five, which according to most of the actors, is even better then 4. Please come out with another once you finish the series.
Thanks! I will try. BBC seems to crack down on a lot of UA-cam videos that have Peaky Blinders content, so I’ll have to be cautious and work around it.
i think the crux of Tommy's compelling character is found in this fact: he gave his life to the 'king's army' & all that came after that was 'free'' to risk. this echo's within us our own struggle to 'beat the odds' to win
I honestly can't believe how this video has just blown up! We're almost at 100 likes and 2000 views. Just wow. Thank you so much everyone! To all my new viewers and subscribers, this truly means a lot. Edit: Almost 10,000 views and 400 likes! I couldn't imagine this video getting here just a few months ago. I am beyond words right now. Thank you all so so much!
Anybody ever read the book series "Artemis Fowl"? It was a kid's series, so it could be excused for some poor choices, but that one bugged me for this. The main character, Artemis Fowl, was a young criminal genius, but he never actually came across as smart. Sure, they'd talk about how he could compose symphonies, build supercomputers, hack banks, outsmart trained professionals and whatnot, but during the actual happenings of the book he didn't actually come across as smart and that was the biggest weakness of the whole thing.
What? I read it around 15 years ago so probably forgot a lot but I remember him being very similar to thomas? In the end you finally understand his plan and so on.
Damn nice, usually TV show/movie always tell that the character is smart or genius but never show which infuriates me to no end so this is a good change of pace
Seriously this was a great video. I don't understand why you don't have many views or subs. Keep up the good work! You'll get there! (Could you maybe make another analysis on Peaked Blinders once you've finished the series? Finished season 4 today everything was great!)
literally one of the best, if not The best, tv charcters of all time, its so interesting just to study Tommy to see how he will approach conflict, this works so well with characters like Arthur because he explodes, making tommy look even better!
Cillian Murphy as Tommy is one of my favorite casts of all time. His genius is perfectly displayed. This show does so many things right, but it’s ability to create multidimensional characters who are insanely relatable is quite extraordinary. To be honest though, I think my favorite character of the show might just be Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons. Despite his relatively minimal screen time, Hardy absolutely nails every scene he’s in and sometimes even steals the show. Plus his intellect is one of the few that comes close, if not parallels Tommy’s. And the writers do a fantastic job displaying Alfie’s charisma and wisdom. Having both of these giants on the screen together though is just pure cinematic bliss.
They have a grudging mutual respect for each other! So they are equals in that way ..also great buddies off camera and have made 4 movies together. The scenes between the two are brilliant and great fun. But it's Cillian Murphy who holds this show together! Go and watch him in Breakfast on Pluto and be amazed!! Phenomenal actor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Off topic but for those that have read six of crows, tommy is Kaz he looks like he is described and acts exactly like him, I hope that the actor can play him in the show coming hopefully soon 😄
This show matches the quality of The Godfather in its own way. Brilliant Show, has its own swag , makes one habitual of cigarette, irish wine and beers😂. Thanks for going deep in tommy Shelby .
@omega trooper , hi .it was a general flow of language.. I was more concerned about irish beer that personally i would like to try..although there are Irish wines or may b Wine "Lusca Irish Wines".. I also like when Tommy offered Cordial to Grace instead of Water.
The thing is, other smart characters, which normally are villains, apparently plan ahead like this, but we don’t see it because they’re the villain - they just say they did something or have a flashback showing they were spying on the good guy, and then apparently that makes them three steps ahead. But Tommy is different, because of being the protagonist. We have to see his prior preparation for these things, and it makes him look all the more intelligent.
@Chase Jordan Exactly, and the thing is that in the game he's playing one slip up can make you end up headless so irl a character otherwise exactly like him but slightly less lucky would die in months
That’s imo what some people have to live with. There are few of us that somehow end up out of the comfort zone and somehow manage to balance everything. The best part of it is that nobody will ever realize how hard it actually is.
I've been wondering when someone was going to make an essay/analysis on Thomas Shelby. The character honestly deserve an entire essay dedicated to analyzing him because hot damn he's complex as hell and I love him for it (Cillian's performance is just begging for an Emmy). I must say I'm very impressed and satisfied with what you've laid out in this video.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video :) but yes I'm sure I could go on and on about Tommy simply because of how complex he is. Things like: how he's affected by PTSD, his leadership style and much more. I'll be doing another video on Peaky Blinders series 2 and 3, it may not be focused on Tommy as much, but there will be those elements in it.
What makes this a MASTERPIECE as well as the recent Arcane is that they don't treat us (The audience) like idiots by giving exposition after exposition after exposition after exposition!!! Show, don't tell is such an underrated trait in showbiz.... 10/10 for sure
I just noticed you have less than a thousand subscribers. I just wanna say DO NOT GIVE UP, your content is ABSOLUTELY going to get you a million minimum subs soon. Keep it up brother
I think another important part of Tommy's characterisation is his past with war. His main source of respect seems to stem from his service and more importantly being a tunneller.
The very best scene of the show is s02e05 where everything has gone to shit and Thommy goes out into the stables to shove dirt with the stableguy. Very little dialogue but heavy music. Most viewers might just think this is Thommy being frustrated and doing something physical, but actually, this is a direct reference to WW1 trench warfare and a reminder to Thommy of the challenges he`s faced before. Its a way of showing Thommy`s determination by oh so subtly referencing the war
Nice work man. Maybe one detail about the first scene u were showing with Tom and Arthur. Look at the camera placement and the shots. Tommy is placed in front of a mirror, somehow creating the image of a reflected/thoughful man, while Arthur is shown in front of a black wall, pointing out his thinking barriers and ignorance, and pouring whisky - a consumable clouding the senses. This is undermined by the camera work: while Tommys sshots are always calm and steady, Arthur's shots are somewhat shaky.
I think realistically, the only other show which did a good job with portraying a smart character was Sherlock, mainly because Benedict Cumberbatch is an amazing actor but the writing for that show was great too, however the reason i prefer Tommy Shelby is that he is much more relatable to an audience, and faces situations that in ways affect us all, especially further on when he has to make the sacrafice at the end of season 3
Don't get me wrong, but can we really say that Sherlock is a _realistic_ character? In the series, he is portrayed to be leagues above any other character (exept for Moriarty) in intellect and critical thinking. His character, although with some flaws, is close to godlike. Good writing and Cumberbatch's amazing performance aside, Sherlock is far from realistic, in my opinion. But that's kind of the charm of the show for me! Tommy's character on the other hand feels much more human. His flaws and struggles are more apparent and tangible to us, you can understand why he's traumatized, on edge.. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this :)
I saw Cillian do a movie in drag... and then this (Peaky Blinders). Wow. All these guys are great. I really like Aunt Pol, too. Congratulations and Thanks.
Yeah, actually it's kinda worrying: you want to be a drug-addled, sexist, self-centered, pity-me sociopath. Steven Knight has written a cartoon monster with a pretty face, and you 're falling for it.
Anyone (or at least a lot of people) can be as smart as Tommy, the question is if you can be as ruthless and sociopathic as him, because not even he can
yes I've seen the show and I'm currently watching the 5th season as it comes out, I would love to see more videos you make about peaky blinders im an American fan so there aren't many people I can talk to about the show. so I get so excited when I see videos like yours pop up in my recommended, im going to subscribe with the hope that you'll make more
It really makes me happy to hear that my video was something that you looked forward to! I will for sure be making more Peaky Blinders videos! I have another video coming out next, but after this recent surge of popularity, I think Peaky Blinders will be coming right after!
I like the way you explain characters. It is like all the things I think while I'm watching, you put them into words. You gained a subscriber mate. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
My favourite scene was in Season 4, when Tommy first meets the Italian hitman(I forgot his name, guy who played the pianist) in his office. At first Tommy seems to be in control, picking up details like the other guys accent, how his suit is nice and pressed, he obviously didn't just come off a train. And then it's revealed that Tommy was played before the scene even started, by having the bullets from his handgun removed. Good video, liked and subscribed
Thank you Samuel! Love Luca Changretta right from the start! That scene gave me chills. Might be up there with some of my favourite scenes as well :) shows truly what a match he is for Tommy right from the start.
On another note I read an article recently that appeared to be written by a 20 year old basically 'breaking the news' to Peaky Blinders fans that "the theme song wasn't written for the show and that it was actually released in the early 90's by a Aussie singer called Nick Cave"... I literally wanted to laugh in the blogger/writer's face....just so unaware! I love Peaky Blinders but lets get 1 thing straight, this classic Nick Cave song is a huge part of what gives the show its fucking wicked attitude...not the other way round. as soon as I heard the first few bars of the song and realised exactly what song it was after the 'magic dust in the horses face trick' when Tommy and the horse start to walk away I thought "yep this show is going to be cool as shit". It would have been a crime to use a Nick Cave song for a film or TV show that's anything but truly brilliant.
The schematic contrast ,minute extraction of small details and decryption of each and every aspect . The effort this guy put into making this should be massively more than his audience then He should also have a massive audience Sub,like and share it we are going to get this guy to a million subs
Nice one mate! Just one thing I wanna mention, the main subject about Tommy has a intelligent commercial skills and we gonna be seeing that next seasons also he always try adapt to their business other work environments which means he acts step by step.
They just took tywin lannister, little finger and bolton characters gave them a little morality for the "good man who does bad things tragic trope sexy dude" and boom he was born.
I see big passion in your vids. Only 4k subs and you put so much work and analysis in your videos it's so easy and interesting to watch. You're never repeating yourself just to strech the vid it's short and long enough at the same time to keep the watcher fully interested. I'm subbing right now
Great review!! *This comment has no spoilers;* Tommy is so compelling. The series only goes from strength to strength, and Tommy's like 20 steps ahead of his enemies in later seasons. The current season (S5) has me gobsmacked at the end of every episode. Steven Knight really knows how to make you fall in love with characters, even when they're in conflict with one another. Only Grace and Esme get a bit shafted by the narrative as time goes on unfortunately, but I love how even the smaller characters like Finn, Lizzie, Alfie etc get arcs as the show progresses. Finn is a fandom fave, it has been adorable watching him grow up into the sweetest Shelby brother, who would absolutely still murder you if he had to XD
Thank you! Your review has me looking forward to season 5 even more now and seeing the direction all the characters go in! Going to be starting soon :)
The major reason why Tommy is a far better character than the usual smart or genius characters on TV is the idea of him being human. Being a genius or smart character is usually synonymized in the media with being super-humanly able to everything, specifically seen in the characters inspired by Sherlock Holmes or even the renditions of Holmes.
Imagine if this guy lived a complete sober live and didn’t smoke. How much more sharp minded and awake he would been. His efficiency to conduct his plans/business would of been unreached.
Good video mate! One minor point: at the end, you say that the conflict of PB lies between loyalty and ambition. Then cut before presenting any arguments to support this statement. Personally I think the video would have been stronger either without this last statement or by developung it more. I personally thinl the analysis of Tommy Shelby was the main point of the video and is interesting enough that we don't need an analysis of the overarching themes of the series/season but that's just my opinion. I subscribed, keep up the good work !
Thank you!! I do really appreciate the feedback. I had a number of different insights about Tommy that I wanted to fit into this video, but I agree the ending could have been developed more. At the time I was trying to find an interesting way to conclude the video, but I can definitely see how it opens up a new line of discussion.
I have been fucking waiting on a video like this. What a great rich niche of essays you struck. I think Tommy picked a fight with the Lee's on purpose. I think the dynamic of Tommy and Arthur is a necessary one rooted in English history especially tangential to football and teams of the moment who do not posses superstar players that understand all but players that all understand. It makes characters like Thomas a man of the moment but not a man to be remembered. Simply beautiful show. Demonstratively great video. Thank you.
Thank you so much :) and yes I was mistaken, Tommy definitely picked a fight with the Lees on purpose. You make a very interesting point, even though he’s a standout character, he relies heavily on his family. And often his weaknesses stem from this. His enemies will attack his family in order to get to him. The family business is really a team game.
I wanted to correct myself publicly in this video, as a couple people have pointed out: I stated the Lees were the problem, when in fact they were the solution to Tommy dealing with Billy Kimber. Otherwise it would be uncharacteristic of Tommy to go to war with the Lees. Regardless my point of Tommy thinking things ahead is still true in this case!
There's no way you're not hitting 100k in the next 2 years with such quality content. Subscribed and notified!
If you contrast Tommy's actions when confronted with the loss of face of picking up Kimber's coin to his violent start at the slightest provocation with the Lee's, it's obvious he was looking for the excuse to start the war with Lees.
Awsome
The real beauty in how his character was written is that he is outstandingly intelligent, but he isn't a sociopath like so many other ultra smart characters. It is refreshing.
Uhm...except Tommy actually has some sociopathic tendencies tho:
- Able to stay eerily calm
-Constant manipulation and lying
- Lack of shame for actions
-Intimidating behavior
- Only cares about a very small group of people.
- Went trough a traumatic experience (ww1) in the past.
- unable to function in normal society (he always tends to go back to his criminal behaviour)
-power obsessed
-prone to violence
- Comes over as “cold blooded”
He is not a complete sociopath but he definitely shows symptoms. Most likely as a result of ptsd.
Johnny Silverhand Man the last scene of season 5 gave me shivers
Johnny Silverhand What I love about peaky blinders is how they are able to create suspense even though no one is pulling a gun. Suspense trough dialogue, if you like.
@@manuj2868 exactly. Which is why I don't get why people are knocking down Season 5 for that, saying there wasn't as much action as the past seasons. Imo Season 5 did so well in making your heart race and getting you at the edge of your seat with just the mere intense exchange of dialogues between the characters.
although you feel empathy for his character, he still murders people and that's not justifiable
My mom also pointed out how Tommy always talks in a calm low voice. Everyone else will freak out and yell when stressed or panicked, but with his soft speaking, the characters and we the audience will listen closely to hear what he has to say
Very true. Something about the way Cillian Murphy does his voice is so haunting, yet captivating.
@@WEWatch Exactly! And I also noticed that Tommy always keeps strong eye contact, doesn't matter if he is speaking or someone else is speaking to him, trying to scare him, blackmailing him, threatening him.. Even when his plans didn't go right or he fucked up, he always keep his eye contact strong. ( sorry for my english its not my mother tongue)
This makes the scene where he lashes out at Alfie in S3 so interesting. He loses control briefly and Alfie snaps him back, "So, what, they took your boy, did they, yeah? They've got your boy? And what fucking line am I supposed to have crossed?! How many fathers, right? How many sons, yeah, have you cut, killed, murdered? Fucking butchered -- innocent and guilty. Just sent them straight to fucking hell, ain't ya?! Just like me! You fucking stand there - you judging me?! Stand there and talk to me about crossing some FUCKING LINE?! If you pull that trigger, right, you pull that trigger for a fucking honourable reason. Like an honourable man, not like some fucking civilian that does not understand the wicked way of our world, mate."
He then goes back to his calm, haunting voice.
He does yell when he’s telling his brothers “no fucking fighting” to each one. Then he jumps and almost punches a waiter who sort of bumps into him. I think it’s a wedding.
Tommy is very stoic.
I always feel bad for Arthur, anything he can do, Tommy can do better, and this was done on purpose lmao
CalpolMeister Arthur is my favorite character. I always have a soft spot for him. His growth is amazing. Him and Ada are the best.
CalpolMeister i mean arthur can punch harder i guess
@Vincent Matthies what are you watching ss5 on
El Luech season 5 is available in the UK on BBC One at the moment but won’t come on to Netflix until the season is finished
El Luech it’s out in the UK
Oh my sweet child, you hadn't even seen Alfie Solomons yet at the time of this video. The most entertaining character I've ever seen on television.
El Luech Tom Hardy’s character
He is very engaging
El Luech agreed absolutely, definitely the funniest character, but not too silly
@El Luech he definitely can be hilarious "You will have to circumsize them. The peaky's, they will check"
@@Vandyno "i pushed his face up against a train and shoved a 6 inch nail up his fookin nose, it was fookin biblical mate" i died when i hear this lmaoo
All Arthur wanted was a garage......
Devon Linda said fuck that garage 🤣
@Chase Jordan people are blind when it comes to love. Arthur makes sense that he'd fall for almost any woman i think that would give him the time of day, hes been a tortured soul so a touch of affection probably goes a long way with him. micheal is definitely dumb, and i've disliked that kid for a while now.
@@anesumarecha980 *Arthur Voice* Fook Linda!
@@tryit742 i knew i will see this comment 🤣🤣
He was good at drawing stallions😂
suave, cunning, sophisticated, and *ice cold.*
That's how I like my beer
- therealchrishansen - I’ve read that while it was said in the video
John has the fists
Tommy has the brain
And Arthur has a heart
john dies
MadMan Dash ok boomer
Arthur also very much has the fists lol
@@propesarr why would u say ok boomer to that, its like folk that use r/whoosshh where it has no relevance.
@@c.t.moffat1195 ok boomer
For me, one of the most compelling scenes (season 2, episode 6) is Tommy’s reaction in the field where he faces a no-win situation. One can feel his whole being shudder under the weight. I’ll leave it at that so as not to spoil it for those who’ve not watched it.
Agreed! Great scene and one of the most tense I’ve seen so far.
I go back to that scene ever time. Powerful!
For me that is the best scene and episode in the entire series.
Genuinely my favourite scene of the show.
That scene > Season 8 of GOT
I swear to God when Cillian Murphy is on screen I never take my eyes off him and it's not just because he's gorgeous
The way Tommy tells Arthur "I think Arthur. That's what i do." It's just always gives me goosebumps. So simple but it perfectly reflects his character beautifully. Ughh, the writing in this show is boner inducing i swear.
Great vid, although I always took it that he purposely started the fight with the Lee's to instigate a feud which he could then use to leverage with Billy Kimber (with the bullet) who he knew was already at war with them, otherwise the whole "are you laughing at my brother" bit seems a bit out of character as he normally keeps such a cool head and tends to avoid pointless conflicts
Thank you! Yes you're absolutely right. It's better to think of it your way because it definitely is more in line with Tommy's character and how he thinks steps ahead of everyone else. The problem was really how to take advantage of Billy Kimber, and thus he started the fight with the Lees uncharacteristically.
@NoKnownAlias John says it in the meeting with kimber
@@joejarman1611 It was Arthur who said it
@@MrShiro82 I can assure u it wasn't. When asked who was the leader Arthur says he's the oldest, which kimber laughs at and says "clearly". Then john says it
Yes Jon says it AFTER Tommy . Tommy does start the war with the Lee family to gain Kimbers attention as they now share the same enemy. Very clever .
Is it just me or did it feel like Author’s character just completely broke down after he was with Linda
i think she helped him cope but also manipulated him because Arthur was fucking losing it at some point
It gets better - don't wanna spoiler bcs I obv don't know at what point your are watching atm
LINDUHH
Kesem M&T - 😂😂
Actually Tommy has the brain John is the heart and Arthur is the muscle. I've read that abt the series over and over again. But tbh all three of them have heart muscle and brain just in different ways.
The writers did an excellent job in writing Tommy, they have his coldness set and his intelligence compared to other characters is impeccable. The casting directors chose very well, too, Cillian knows exactlyyyy how to be Tommy. His tones, his stares and his whole demeanour is all very good.
I wouldn't describe Tommy as "ice cold" at all. He came back from the war an incredibly damaged person like many of his comrades'. His good and bad sides are constantly at war with one another but Tommy is certainly not an innately evil person or "ice cold" as the narrator put it.
I think it’s more that Tommy /seems/ ice cold. He puts up a front for everyone and remains calm when they need it, even if on the inside he’s feeling just as much, if not, more than them.
One of the best things about Tommy's character is that his ruthlessness doesn't come without a cost, you can see that what he does has taken a toll
Controlled would be more apt.
@@BigHenFor He's ice cold, it's just that being ice cold for too long can give you hypothermia
@@sofiaarango3484 , perfect analogy
what i liked the most about the interaction between the two brothers, arthur and tommy, is the fact that they are so different from , yet compliment each other so well, tommy is happy with by appearance letting arthur look like the leader, since tommy himself doesnt care for attention, while orchestrating everything like a mastermind from behind the scenes, while being the actual leader. Arthur respects that and doesn't go against since he knows his brother doesnt want to be in the spotlight while, himself, basically being the "commander" of the organisation with his extroverted way of acting.
Every scene with Tommy in it is my favourite. The reasons you give of why he is an amazing character are exactly what I told people why they should watch it. No one else could act Tommy like Cillian. He IS Tommy. I don’t want Peaky Blinders to end. Love it. Thank you. Great video.
Agreed 100 %
hands down tommy is almost the best character ever. manly charisma, no bullshit, adaptive demon. sometimes i feel bad for arthur because you can see that he struggles from ww1 and depression.
I also love seeing how he learns and develops. From the Russians he learns the need to crush your enemies, but as he grows he also realises the need for peace and cost of war. Every level up he goes, from bookie to businessman to MP, he gains wider experience and learns more about how things really work, even though at the start we are led to believe he has nothing left to learn. He comes across as absolutely arrogant, in fact he is incredibly humble. He mimics what he learns at every level, and tries it out, he even repeats phrases he hears from people, and figures out that nothing is true absolutely. Someone old, wise, rich, learned and cynical could give Tommy a peice of wisdom and Tommy would apply it, and there would be examples of it working and not working, and so no one one truth is absolute. That's why he plays socialism and the odd fellows, Moseley and the Left, he plays the working man's champion so long as he can stay in with the establishment, precisely because he doesn't know.
My favorite other than Thomas is John.
Favorite scene: When Mr. Changratta tricks him into a meeting.
Favorite quote: "I'm not a traitor to my class, I am just an extreme example of what the working man can achieve."
Great video.
Thank you! I’m on season 3 right now, looking forward to how the story and characters develop in season 4.
@@WEWatch good luck with john in season 4
Peaky blinders only has one writer btw- Steven Knight. UK Doesn’t really do team writing that’s why the episodes in the shows are more consistent
By far the character depth is what I love about this show & as a writer myself I'm going to come to this video time & time again for the reminder of contrasting and complex characters. His brothers are brutal in their own ways, yet weaker outwardly, where as Tommy shows his weakness in his isolation. In his dreams. And that's also a contrast of the internal & external landscapes adding contrast. Fucking amazing. Made me fall in love with peaky blinders again.
Thank you! I’m so happy I could be of help with your writing. Of course any writing advice should be taken with a grain of salt, because in the end it’s your story and only you know how you want to write it. Good luck with your future projects :)
You did a great study about Tommy. I loved the way you took us from the start. The part of ambition and loyalty is what makes Tommy different from a normal person. Thanks for the video
Thank you so much! It's always great to see what people enjoy in my analyses so I can keep on improving my videos :)
Love the video, Peaky Blinders is definitely one of the most underrated shows, season 4 is one of the best seasons of any show I've ever seen. I cant wait for season five, which according to most of the actors, is even better then 4. Please come out with another once you finish the series.
Thanks! I will try. BBC seems to crack down on a lot of UA-cam videos that have Peaky Blinders content, so I’ll have to be cautious and work around it.
It doesn't get much better in terms of televised drama than Season 5 Episode 2.
i think the crux of Tommy's compelling character is found in this fact:
he gave his life to the 'king's army' & all that came after that was 'free'' to risk.
this echo's within us our own struggle to 'beat the odds' to win
All of the scenes. All of the scenes are my favourite. It's such an incredibly good show.
The almighty Algorythm has spoken i shall obey, good analysis keep it up.
Hahaha I have been blessed
I honestly can't believe how this video has just blown up! We're almost at 100 likes and 2000 views. Just wow. Thank you so much everyone! To all my new viewers and subscribers, this truly means a lot.
Edit: Almost 10,000 views and 400 likes! I couldn't imagine this video getting here just a few months ago. I am beyond words right now. Thank you all so so much!
5000 and 285 now!!!!
New subscriber :)
RIP Helen Mcrory
The show won’t be the same without Polly
Anybody ever read the book series "Artemis Fowl"? It was a kid's series, so it could be excused for some poor choices, but that one bugged me for this. The main character, Artemis Fowl, was a young criminal genius, but he never actually came across as smart. Sure, they'd talk about how he could compose symphonies, build supercomputers, hack banks, outsmart trained professionals and whatnot, but during the actual happenings of the book he didn't actually come across as smart and that was the biggest weakness of the whole thing.
What? I read it around 15 years ago so probably forgot a lot but I remember him being very similar to thomas? In the end you finally understand his plan and so on.
they make the movie, but its done by disney
Damn nice, usually TV show/movie always tell that the character is smart or genius but never show which infuriates me to no end so this is a good change of pace
Seriously this was a great video. I don't understand why you don't have many views or subs.
Keep up the good work! You'll get there!
(Could you maybe make another analysis on Peaked Blinders once you've finished the series? Finished season 4 today everything was great!)
Forda thank you so much!! It makes me so happy to see people enjoying my work. And yes it’s definitely on the list to do when I get there.
Peaky*
(Doesn't even know the name of the show after watching a load of spoilers about it, lol)
literally one of the best, if not The best, tv charcters of all time, its so interesting just to study Tommy to see how he will approach conflict, this works so well with characters like Arthur because he explodes, making tommy look even better!
Cillian Murphy as Tommy is one of my favorite casts of all time. His genius is perfectly displayed. This show does so many things right, but it’s ability to create multidimensional characters who are insanely relatable is quite extraordinary. To be honest though, I think my favorite character of the show might just be Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons. Despite his relatively minimal screen time, Hardy absolutely nails every scene he’s in and sometimes even steals the show. Plus his intellect is one of the few that comes close, if not parallels Tommy’s. And the writers do a fantastic job displaying Alfie’s charisma and wisdom. Having both of these giants on the screen together though is just pure cinematic bliss.
They have a grudging mutual respect for each other! So they are equals in that way ..also great buddies off camera and have made 4 movies together. The scenes between the two are brilliant and great fun. But it's Cillian Murphy who holds this show together! Go and watch him in Breakfast on Pluto and be amazed!! Phenomenal actor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Can't wait for season 6 of the peaky fookin blinders
Great analysis! I would also add the different ways PTSD and violence drove the characters.
Tommy FOOKIN Shelby! Probably the best character ever. Such a badass, calm and collected man. It is a pleasure to watch him. Keep it good work my man!
Off topic but for those that have read six of crows,
tommy is Kaz he looks like he is described and acts exactly like him, I hope that the actor can play him in the show coming hopefully soon 😄
This show matches the quality of The Godfather in its own way. Brilliant Show, has its own swag , makes one habitual of cigarette, irish wine and beers😂. Thanks for going deep in tommy Shelby .
Yes!
Irish...wine?
@@OmegaTrooper Irish in general? It's set in Birmingham which is decidedly in England not Ireland
lewis w hes an Irish pikey
@omega trooper , hi .it was a general flow of language.. I was more concerned about irish beer that personally i would like to try..although there are Irish wines or may b Wine "Lusca Irish Wines".. I also like when Tommy offered Cordial to Grace instead of Water.
those blue eyes just cut in to your very soul! are they real? or are they contact lenses?
theyre real
@@novabiljatrepavicaalibolja6059 oh wow!
The thing is, other smart characters, which normally are villains, apparently plan ahead like this, but we don’t see it because they’re the villain - they just say they did something or have a flashback showing they were spying on the good guy, and then apparently that makes them three steps ahead. But Tommy is different, because of being the protagonist. We have to see his prior preparation for these things, and it makes him look all the more intelligent.
I felt like after the first season it always seemed as if he was in control even though he really never was
@Chase Jordan Exactly, and the thing is that in the game he's playing one slip up can make you end up headless so irl a character otherwise exactly like him but slightly less lucky would die in months
That’s imo what some people have to live with. There are few of us that somehow end up out of the comfort zone and somehow manage to balance everything. The best part of it is that nobody will ever realize how hard it actually is.
I've been wondering when someone was going to make an essay/analysis on Thomas Shelby. The character honestly deserve an entire essay dedicated to analyzing him because hot damn he's complex as hell and I love him for it (Cillian's performance is just begging for an Emmy). I must say I'm very impressed and satisfied with what you've laid out in this video.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video :) but yes I'm sure I could go on and on about Tommy simply because of how complex he is. Things like: how he's affected by PTSD, his leadership style and much more. I'll be doing another video on Peaky Blinders series 2 and 3, it may not be focused on Tommy as much, but there will be those elements in it.
Whoever wrote 'Peaky Blinders deserves an academy award!!!
academy awards are for movies
emmys are for tv
What makes this a MASTERPIECE as well as the recent Arcane is that they don't treat us (The audience) like idiots by giving exposition after exposition after exposition after exposition!!! Show, don't tell is such an underrated trait in showbiz.... 10/10 for sure
I just noticed you have less than a thousand subscribers. I just wanna say DO NOT GIVE UP, your content is ABSOLUTELY going to get you a million minimum subs soon. Keep it up brother
Thank you! I won’t give up rest assured!Going to keep creating and hoping my channel grows :)
The peaky blinders intros are a new breed
Season 3 is when it goes from good to REALLY good
The problem with smart characters. What happens to their groups when they die
See Alexander the Great.
WAIT WHAT ONLY 300 SUBS THE QUALITY HERE SEEMS LIKE SOMEONE WITH 500K
Haha! Thank you! 500k would be a dream
Damn you just made me realise that they are a smaller channel i was 100% expecting more. They quality is amazing.
I think another important part of Tommy's characterisation is his past with war. His main source of respect seems to stem from his service and more importantly being a tunneller.
The very best scene of the show is s02e05 where everything has gone to shit and Thommy goes out into the stables to shove dirt with the stableguy. Very little dialogue but heavy music. Most viewers might just think this is Thommy being frustrated and doing something physical, but actually, this is a direct reference to WW1 trench warfare and a reminder to Thommy of the challenges he`s faced before. Its a way of showing Thommy`s determination by oh so subtly referencing the war
Nice work man. Maybe one detail about the first scene u were showing with Tom and Arthur. Look at the camera placement and the shots. Tommy is placed in front of a mirror, somehow creating the image of a reflected/thoughful man, while Arthur is shown in front of a black wall, pointing out his thinking barriers and ignorance, and pouring whisky - a consumable clouding the senses. This is undermined by the camera work: while Tommys sshots are always calm and steady, Arthur's shots are somewhat shaky.
On a gathering storm comes
A tall handsome man
In a dusty black coat with
A red right hand
I think realistically, the only other show which did a good job with portraying a smart character was Sherlock, mainly because Benedict Cumberbatch is an amazing actor but the writing for that show was great too, however the reason i prefer Tommy Shelby is that he is much more relatable to an audience, and faces situations that in ways affect us all, especially further on when he has to make the sacrafice at the end of season 3
Don't get me wrong, but can we really say that Sherlock is a _realistic_ character? In the series, he is portrayed to be leagues above any other character (exept for Moriarty) in intellect and critical thinking. His character, although with some flaws, is close to godlike. Good writing and Cumberbatch's amazing performance aside, Sherlock is far from realistic, in my opinion. But that's kind of the charm of the show for me!
Tommy's character on the other hand feels much more human. His flaws and struggles are more apparent and tangible to us, you can understand why he's traumatized, on edge..
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this :)
The war with the Lee family was not accidental.
I saw Cillian do a movie in drag... and then this (Peaky Blinders). Wow. All these guys are great. I really like Aunt Pol, too. Congratulations and Thanks.
Is it wrong that on an intellectual stand point i want to be like tommy
Liquor snake haha nope! I think everyone would love to be smart like Tommy
@@WEWatch oh hell yeah
Yeah, actually it's kinda worrying: you want to be a drug-addled, sexist, self-centered, pity-me sociopath. Steven Knight has written a cartoon monster with a pretty face, and you 're falling for it.
L Whitby you mean successful, ambitious, capable and attractive? you're probably jealous of this "cartoon monster"
Anyone (or at least a lot of people) can be as smart as Tommy, the question is if you can be as ruthless and sociopathic as him, because not even he can
yes I've seen the show and I'm currently watching the 5th season as it comes out, I would love to see more videos you make about peaky blinders im an American fan so there aren't many people I can talk to about the show. so I get so excited when I see videos like yours pop up in my recommended, im going to subscribe with the hope that you'll make more
It really makes me happy to hear that my video was something that you looked forward to! I will for sure be making more Peaky Blinders videos! I have another video coming out next, but after this recent surge of popularity, I think Peaky Blinders will be coming right after!
Exxxxxcelent analysis. I think I was paid a compliment when my ex said she thought I was like Tommy. If only.
Bruh if anyone's significant other was like Tommy Shelby they should prob run very fast in the opposite direction
I like the way you explain characters. It is like all the things I think while I'm watching, you put them into words. You gained a subscriber mate. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
Thank you so much Manni!
This is best show ii have seen in a while, as a testimony i've watched season 1 to 6 in 3 day.. 3 fooking days.. and i can't wait for a next season
My favourite scene was in Season 4, when Tommy first meets the Italian hitman(I forgot his name, guy who played the pianist) in his office. At first Tommy seems to be in control, picking up details like the other guys accent, how his suit is nice and pressed, he obviously didn't just come off a train. And then it's revealed that Tommy was played before the scene even started, by having the bullets from his handgun removed. Good video, liked and subscribed
Thank you Samuel! Love Luca Changretta right from the start! That scene gave me chills. Might be up there with some of my favourite scenes as well :) shows truly what a match he is for Tommy right from the start.
On another note I read an article recently that appeared to be written by a 20 year old basically 'breaking the news' to Peaky Blinders fans that "the theme song wasn't written for the show and that it was actually released in the early 90's by a Aussie singer called Nick Cave"... I literally wanted to laugh in the blogger/writer's face....just so unaware! I love Peaky Blinders but lets get 1 thing straight, this classic Nick Cave song is a huge part of what gives the show its fucking wicked attitude...not the other way round. as soon as I heard the first few bars of the song and realised exactly what song it was after the 'magic dust in the horses face trick' when Tommy and the horse start to walk away I thought "yep this show is going to be cool as shit". It would have been a crime to use a Nick Cave song for a film or TV show that's anything but truly brilliant.
The schematic contrast ,minute extraction of small details and decryption of each and every aspect .
The effort this guy put into making this should be massively more than his audience then
He should also have a massive audience
Sub,like and share it we are going to get this guy to a million subs
Don't forget it takes a great character to bring the writing to life.
You need to review the other seasons coz why the way you articulate everything is spot on.
“BUM....BUM....Taking a walk to edge of town...” 🔥
Some of the captivating lines make you want to be the characters that are saying them
Wait until you get to Season 5. It's absolutely intense!
But every single season is better than the last.
Great video!
Thank you! I’ve heard really good things about season 5, looking forward to it!
@@WEWatch it's so good! I'm so stoked for you to get there! I'm glad you're a fan as well!
Cheers, mate! (By order of the Peaky Blinders!)
@@WEWatch p.s. I also subscribed as well! 🤙🏼👍🏻✌🏼🤘🏼
Thank you so much Joshua!
Nah season one>season two> season 4>season 3
Nice one mate!
Just one thing I wanna mention, the main subject about Tommy has a intelligent commercial skills and we gonna be seeing that next seasons also he always try adapt to their business other work environments which means he acts step by step.
They just took tywin lannister, little finger and bolton characters gave them a little morality for the "good man who does bad things tragic trope sexy dude" and boom he was born.
This show and the 100 have the best characters, development and all...
I see big passion in your vids. Only 4k subs and you put so much work and analysis in your videos it's so easy and interesting to watch. You're never repeating yourself just to strech the vid it's short and long enough at the same time to keep the watcher fully interested. I'm subbing right now
The thing is, in my opinion, Peaky Blinders is Sons of Anarchy from different era.
Great review!! *This comment has no spoilers;* Tommy is so compelling. The series only goes from strength to strength, and Tommy's like 20 steps ahead of his enemies in later seasons. The current season (S5) has me gobsmacked at the end of every episode. Steven Knight really knows how to make you fall in love with characters, even when they're in conflict with one another. Only Grace and Esme get a bit shafted by the narrative as time goes on unfortunately, but I love how even the smaller characters like Finn, Lizzie, Alfie etc get arcs as the show progresses. Finn is a fandom fave, it has been adorable watching him grow up into the sweetest Shelby brother, who would absolutely still murder you if he had to XD
Thank you! Your review has me looking forward to season 5 even more now and seeing the direction all the characters go in! Going to be starting soon :)
an information; there aren't multiple writers of this show. it's written by only one writer and that is Steven Knight, a legend
I love in season 1 when Tommy just casually says he has the guns. It's so ingenious, but sounds do stupid
Finished the whole series in one week
The major reason why Tommy is a far better character than the usual smart or genius characters on TV is the idea of him being human. Being a genius or smart character is usually synonymized in the media with being super-humanly able to everything, specifically seen in the characters inspired by Sherlock Holmes or even the renditions of Holmes.
Precisely! Being human and relatable helps us understand his genius.
I'm in love with Tommy...there's no hope for me lol 🖤
Tommy understands strategy.
Peaky Blinders is brilliant Cillian Murphy is a fabulous actor.
This essay made me want to watch the show. You did a fantastic job. Keep it up.
Tommy Shelby is a fascinating character well written
Good review. Love it & love Tommy Shelby & of course love Cillian Murphy❤
By order of the peaky foiking blinders!
Great Analysis. One of my recently favorite fictional characters.
Imagine if this guy lived a complete sober live and didn’t smoke. How much more sharp minded and awake he would been. His efficiency to conduct his plans/business would of been unreached.
Well done, i really like your videos.
Thank you so much Ardhiajati!
Great video, you got me to give this show a shot and now I'm on the third season, god damn this show is terrific... "so fucking close"
Good video mate! One minor point: at the end, you say that the conflict of PB lies between loyalty and ambition. Then cut before presenting any arguments to support this statement. Personally I think the video would have been stronger either without this last statement or by developung it more. I personally thinl the analysis of Tommy Shelby was the main point of the video and is interesting enough that we don't need an analysis of the overarching themes of the series/season but that's just my opinion.
I subscribed, keep up the good work !
Thank you!! I do really appreciate the feedback. I had a number of different insights about Tommy that I wanted to fit into this video, but I agree the ending could have been developed more. At the time I was trying to find an interesting way to conclude the video, but I can definitely see how it opens up a new line of discussion.
@@WEWatch cheers :)
Anyone else think kaz brekker from six of crows is a A LOT like Tommy?
You have a new subscriber! This was so well done and perfectly worded, thank you!
No thank you! Makes me really happy to see people enjoying my content :)
I have been fucking waiting on a video like this. What a great rich niche of essays you struck.
I think Tommy picked a fight with the Lee's on purpose.
I think the dynamic of Tommy and Arthur is a necessary one rooted in English history especially tangential to football and teams of the moment who do not posses superstar players that understand all but players that all understand. It makes characters like Thomas a man of the moment but not a man to be remembered. Simply beautiful show. Demonstratively great video. Thank you.
Thank you so much :) and yes I was mistaken, Tommy definitely picked a fight with the Lees on purpose.
You make a very interesting point, even though he’s a standout character, he relies heavily on his family. And often his weaknesses stem from this. His enemies will attack his family in order to get to him. The family business is really a team game.
Well done mate, great breakdown.
873 subscribers is all you have?! I genuinely thought this was from a much larger channel! The content is wonderful. Now you have 874 followers!
Thank you so much Meaghan!
THIS CHANNEL NEEDS MORE SUBS!!!!!!
A phenomenal video. Loved every second of it. Great job.
Great analisys keep it up the good work.