Arthur Shelby makes it to the end of Peaky Blinders, despite some close calls. Here's how the show would have differed if Arthur died in season 4.
Arthur Shelby was killed and resurrected in Peaky Blinders, season 4, episode 6, but had his death been permanent there would have been dire consequences for the Shelby family. In season 3, Arthur killed Vicente Changretta, driving his son, Luca, to declare a vendetta against the Shelbys in season 4. After Arthur’s “death”, the vendetta appeared lost, but his unexpected revival allowed the Peaky Blinders to use the element of surprise to their advantage. The vendetta ended after Luca was shot in head; crucially, Arthur was the one who fired the gun.
Peaky Blinders began in 2013 and followed the Shelby family as they went from bookmakers to opium suppliers and political players. Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) was a fan favorite throughout Peaky Blinders, and while he wrestled with addiction and ideations of death, he managed to survive the final episode on the mainline TV series. His ultimate fate remains to be decided in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
If Arthur Shelby had died in Peaky Blinders season 4, it would not only have altered the course of the vendetta, it would have also disrupted Tommy’s arc and resulted in his demise. After a near-death experience in World War 1, the Shelby brothers decided that “everything after that was extra.” This defined Tommy’s choices, but it wasn’t until Arthur’s brush with death in season 4 that it seemed to affect him. All of Arthur’s actions after escaping the garotte were self-destructive: Linda’s abandonment caused Arthur to mutilate her Quaker confidant in season 5; Polly’s death in season 6 drove him to find relief in Birmingham’s opium dens. However, if he’d not escaped the garotte, that destruction would have found its way to the other Peaky Blinders.
Arthur Shelby’s Role In The Vendetta Against The Peaky Blinders
The codes and ethics of killing were always an important part of Peaky Blinders. The Changrettas and the Shelbys agreed to certain stipulations before the vendetta got out of control: no civilians; no children; no police. Also among these rules was the principle that Arthur had to be the one to kill Luca Changretta, as it was Arthur who killed Luca’s father. Outmatched, however, Tommy decided that Shelby lives were more important than tradition, and it didn’t matter who killed Luca, as long as he was dead. Arthur protested against Tommy outsourcing his role to contract killers, but eventually agreed. However, while the Peaky Blinders entertained the idea of abandoning tradition, Arthur did kill Luca, meaning the rules of vendetta were ultimately followed.
During the time that Arthur was “dead,” Tommy entered into negotiations with other American gangs. The Changrettas were not the only players in New York, it was revealed, and Al Capone had also shown an interest in expanding from Chicago. None of these gangs wanted to start a war, but if the head of the Changretta family was killed fairly in a vendetta, then they could occupy his territories. Capone also commandeered the remaining men Luca brought with him to Birmingham. However, if Aberama Gold had killed Luca instead of Arthur, there might have been some dispute as to whether the vendetta had been won fairly. With the Changrettas still out for blood, Capone would have been reluctant to intervene and war with the Italians would have continued into season 5. The Peaky Blinders already had enough trouble by the time of the Wall Street Crash in season 5, episode 1, and Arthur’s death would have complicated matters further.
The Conflict Between Peaky Blinders’ Generations
There is an argument to be made that Capone would have been unfazed by a violation of tradition. However, even if Arthur’s death had not altered the course of Peaky Blinders season 4, Tommy would have been forced to rely more heavily on the younger generation in season 5. Tommy trusted Arthur with the details of his political plans; in his absence, he would have been more likely to include Finn, Isiah, or Michael.
Tensions between past and future came to a head in Peaky Blinders season 5. After spending years doing business in America, Michael proposed to take over Shelby Company Ltd. on the grounds that there was no place in the future for “an old-fashioned, backstreet, razor gang.” Arthur was the character who best fit that description. With him gone, Tommy might have been more inclined to accept Michael’s offer. However, season 5 also showed Tommy was unable to rest. Retirement would never have been possible, but if Michael’s proposition had been accepted, then Tommy would have been able to focus entirely on his political endeavors. Yet Tommy’s pride, and his isolation as the last of the old generation, would have undoubtedly prevented him from stepping aside for his younger cousin. Therefore, when the inevitable conflict ensued between the two generations, Tommy would have been ally short.
Tommy Shelby’s Fate: The Last Peaky Blinder
Peaky Blinders season 5 concluded with the failed assassination attempt of Oswald Mosley. Arthur’s death in season 4 would not have changed that. Finn let slip Tommy’s intentions to Billy, who presumably called the IRA. Therefore, season 5 would have ended the exact same way: with Tommy holding a gun to his own head. However, season 6 would have begun with one crucial difference. With Arthur alive, Tommy pulled the trigger without realizing his brother had unloaded the gun. With Arthur dead, Tommy’s decision here would have proved fatal.
Arthur was the last of the Peaky Blinders who served in World War 1 with Tommy (aside from Jeremiah, who “preaches the gospel barefoot” instead of wielding guns and razorblades). Tommy, therefore, would have been the last soldier standing. Season 5 and 6 showed Tommy plagued by worsening flashbacks of the war. The younger generation did not understand the horrors their elders faced; none of them would have had the foresight to empty Tommy’s gun. When he failed to check his weapon, Lizzie berated Tommy: “You’re not even a soldier anymore.” As a result, Arthur was the last of the soldiers, not Tommy. His death in season 4 would have symbolized the death of the generation of men who went to war. Tommy, who had lost his soldier’s instinct by Peaky Blinders season 6, would have paid the ultimate price for his brother’s premature death. Without Arthur Shelby, flawed though he was, the Peaky Blinders may well have ceased to exist.
