"Episode 2.5" is the fifth episode of the second series of Peaky Blinders and the eleventh episode overall. It aired on October 30th, 2014.
Synopsis
Tommy's powerbase in London has been obliterated.
Plot
Alfie Solomons invites Arthur and Billy Kitchen over for Passover at the distillery. Things escalate rather quickly after Alfie sacrifices the goat named after Thomas, and shoots Billy Kitchen in the head. He has his men tie up Arthur Shelby Jr. and wait for the police to haul him off to jail for the murder of Billy Kitchen.
Meanwhile, Polly Shelby's son Michael Gray is thrown behind bars by Major Campbell for the burning down The Marquis of Lorne pub.
An infuriated Thomas meets with Campbell at a church. He simply informs Thomas that his reason for throwing Arthur and Michael in jail was to motivate Thomas to properly carry out his task, since he now believes Thomas is not afraid to die having wrapped up his affairs for that very event. He also threatens Ada, because he knows her address in London.
Thomas receives a phone call from Grace. They agree to meet sometime soon.
Thomas has a family meeting where he is informed of the gang's business losses due to the coppers. John Shelby informs Thomas that The Eden Club (as well as their other pubs) has been raided by the coppers and returned to the ownership of Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomons. Polly tells Thomas that she will be taking Michael away from the Shelby family when he gets out of prison.
Realizing that Thomas won't get Michael out of prison soon enough, Polly takes the matter into her own hands. Campbell offers to release Michael the next morning but only in return for a sexual favor. Polly agrees to this deal. The next day, Michael fails to understand the generosity of her sacrifice, and is instead embarrassed and disgusted by what his mother has done.
Grace Burgess lies to her husband Clive Macmillan and runs out to see Thomas, where after some abruptly harsh conversation, Thomas informs her that he simply wanted to skip the past, so Thomas takes her to see Charlie Chaplin in person.
Thomas takes a highly satisfying moment to telephone Campbell and inform him that he is about to sleep with Grace.
After they button up, Thomas asks to see Grace again and she informs him that she and her husband have been trying to have a baby, and that she may be the cause of her infertility. Thomas then urges her to tell her husband the truth.
John visits Arthur, who regrets not doing more with his life, at the prison. He tells Arthur that he already knows what he's got to do and he's not going to hang.
John Shelby blows up the residence of Field Marshal Henry Russell in order to relocate the assassination that Thomas must carry out. Arthur gets released from jail thanks to John's efforts.
Thomas visits May Carleton to confesses that he still loves Grace and that they should break up, but May is unable to let him go.
Thomas reveals to Inspector Campbell that his new location of Henry Russell's assassination will take place at the Epsom racetrack on Derby day.
Trivia
- The idea that Charlie Chaplin was a Gypsy comes from a letter found in 2011 which claimed that he had been born in a Gypsy caravan at Black Patch Park in Smethwick. Chaplin's son Michael has suggested that the information must have been significant to his father in order for him to retain the letter.
Quotes
- Thomas Shelby: "I’m shoveling shit to remind myself what I’d be if I wasn’t who I am."
- John Shelby: "You’ve tried to hang yourself twice, now the king’s going to do it for you.”
- Major Campbell: "Will you stop that noise?"
- Polly Shelby: "We don't need more fucking men! It's men that have done the damage! It... It is men fighting like cockerels
- Polly Shelby: "This life is bad. This life is all bad."
- Thomas Shelby: "May, forget about men like me."
- May Carleton: “You’ve told me about her like a gentleman, now kindly behave like a gangster again.”
Soundtrack
"To Bring You My Love" – PJ Harvey
"C'mon Billy" – PJ Harvey
"What He Wrote" – Laura Marling