10 Best Episodes of ‘Peaky Blinders’

There is a reason people still talk about ‘Peaky Blinders’. The series blends criminal enterprise with shifting politics, real historical figures, and family alliances that rarely stay steady for long. Each season builds toward decisive moves, and the most memorable episodes push major plots forward while changing how the Shelby family operates.

This list rounds up ten episodes that drive key turns in the story. You will find season and episode details, the main plays on the board, and the outcomes that shape what comes next for Birmingham, London, and beyond. No spoilers about rankings here, just the facts that matter in each chapter of the saga.

Season 1, Episode 6

Set in 1919 Birmingham, this finale brings the war with bookmaker Billy Kimber to a street fight that settles control of local racecourse bets. Tommy leads the Peaky Blinders into a showdown that ends with Kimber removed from the picture and the balance of power shifting toward Small Heath. Ada arrives mid conflict with her baby, and the police presence led by Inspector Campbell fails to stop the confrontation from reaching its conclusion.

Grace’s position as an undercover agent reaches a breaking point after the battle. Her relationship with Tommy complicates her mission, and a final encounter with Campbell at the station leaves him wounded and vengeful. The episode closes the stolen guns story that began the season and clears space for expansion outside Birmingham.

Season 2, Episode 1

The action jumps to 1921 as the Shelby Company moves into London. Tommy targets racecourses controlled by Darby Sabini and tests his reach beyond the Midlands with new business fronts. A meeting with a promoted Campbell makes it clear he is operating under government pressure, and Tommy is coerced into taking on a sensitive assignment for state interests.

The push into the capital sets off a turf conflict that runs through the season. It also brings the Shelbys into contact with the Camden Town gang led by Alfie Solomons, whose shifting ties will matter in every deal that follows. The family reorganizes operations to handle bigger shipments, new protection arrangements, and rival crews who fight on home ground.

Season 2, Episode 6

The Epsom Derby operation ties together government demands, gang rivalries, and the company’s growth plan. Tommy uses the chaos of race day to move money and influence while carrying out a high risk task forced on him by Campbell and his handlers. The plan pits Sabini and Solomons against each other while the Peaky Blinders try to leave with cash and leverage.

Polly confronts Campbell over what he did to Michael and ends the feud in decisive fashion. After the races, men tied to powerful interests abduct Tommy and bring him to a field for an execution that does not happen. He is released with a message that signals new oversight from political figures and confirms that bigger players have taken notice.

Season 3, Episode 2

The charity event at the Grace Shelby Foundation turns into a targeted strike that changes the family forever. An Italian gunman linked to the Changretta network aims at Tommy during the party. The shot hits Grace, and she dies later that night, shifting Tommy’s focus from expansion to retribution and exposing the cost of moving in elite circles.

The sapphire gifted earlier in the season becomes a symbol inside the family after a warning about a curse. In the aftermath of the shooting, Tommy reorganizes security and pushes forward with negotiations tied to Russian aristocrats and corrupt officials. The loss also affects how Polly, Arthur, and Michael respond to risk, especially when church and state figures press for control.

Season 3, Episode 5

Michael carries out a planned killing of Father Hughes, the abusive priest who acts as a conduit between government operatives and criminal interests. The hit happens during a public event after multiple attempts to corner Hughes fail, and it removes a key handler who has been forcing the Shelbys to work on state missions. With Hughes gone, Tommy can move on the season’s main robbery plan.

The episode also advances the deal with the Russians through a shipment that mixes jewels, cash, and leverage. Tommy reworks the train and tunnel arrangements to keep the Economic League off balance and limits who knows the final details. By the end, the family has a path to close out the operation, but the cost of killing a protected asset sets up retaliation.

Season 3, Episode 6

The Russian job reaches its finish with a handoff that brings money to the company and enemies to the door. Tommy uses misdirection around explosives and routes to complete the deal while protecting his core crew. He also negotiates with officials who want to fold the company into their plans, showing documents and assets that prove he can deliver under pressure.

Afterward, police arrive at multiple locations and arrest Arthur, Polly, Michael, and John. Tommy stands apart and tells the family he made arrangements that will secure their release later and keep the business intact. The raid ends the season with the company split between custody and control and with new lines drawn between family loyalty and personal strategy.

Season 4, Episode 1 The Noose

Christmas of 1925 opens with death sentences for Arthur, John, and Polly. The executions are halted at the last possible moment through deals Tommy made with people in Whitehall, which shows how far his bargaining power now reaches. The reprieve does not stop the vendetta that arrives at the doors of the Shelby homes.

Soon after, gunmen loyal to Luca Changretta attack the family farm. John is killed in the ambush and Michael is badly wounded, pushing the family back to Small Heath and out of their country estate. Black Hand letters confirm that the Mafia has brought the fight to England, and the Peaky Blinders prepare for a war that will be fought street by street.

Season 4, Episode 6 The Company

The final move against Luca Changretta unfolds through a staged surrender that brings him into a controlled meeting. Arthur, believed dead after a staged incident at the factory, returns at the critical moment and kills Luca. The vendetta ends with the Shelbys regaining control of their territory and restoring their muscle on the racecourses and in the city.

Tommy travels to Margate to confront Alfie Solomons over a betrayal and shoots him after learning about his illness and double dealing. With the war finished, Tommy tells the family he will stand for Parliament to secure legal power alongside criminal influence. The company transitions from survival to political ambition, setting up the next phase of the story.

Season 5, Episode 6 Mr. Jones

The plan to assassinate Oswald Mosley at a rally fails when an unknown adversary sabotages the operation. Barney, the sniper recruited for the job, is killed just before he can fire, and Aberama Gold is murdered in the chaos while trying to reach Mosley. The failure exposes a leak close to the organization and removes key allies in a single night.

In the aftermath, Mosley leaves the stage alive and the state closes ranks around him. Tommy realizes that someone inside his circle has been passing information and that the organization he built can be turned against him. The episode ends with his mental state under strain and the question of the traitor left open, which drives the conflicts that follow.

Season 6, Episode 1 Black Day

The opening chapter acknowledges the death of Polly Gray and shows her Romany funeral with the burning of the vardo. The IRA claims responsibility through Captain Swing, tying the killing to the fallout from the failed Mosley operation. Michael blames Tommy for the chain of events and vows revenge, which deepens the divide inside the family.

Tommy travels to Miquelon Island to set up an opium route and meets Michael under tense terms that confirm the business split. Gina’s connections point to a new American power broker in Jack Nelson, who takes an interest in British politics and trade. The company’s move into narcotics, the rise of fascist alliances, and the fractured Shelby leadership frame the final season’s stakes.

Share your own picks for the most essential chapters of ‘Peaky Blinders’ in the comments.