(Photo Courtesy of Netflix)With HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” wrapping up its final season, fans of gangster-themed television shows may be left without much to choose from. But fans of the genre should fear not and search no further than Netflix for an acceptable show in the same vein that may not entirely fill the void left by “Boardwalk,” but is at least a solid start.
The show in question is “Peaky Blinders,” a BBC original series recently brought to Netflix instant streaming. While currently in its second season across the pond, the six-episode first season has just been made available to American audiences. While the show may not be as great as “Boardwalk Empire,” it’s certainly worth a watch.
Set in Birmingham, England, in 1919, the show follows the titular Peaky Blinders gang, a group notoriously known for hiding razor blades in their caps. The show, which is loosely based on actual historical happenings, stars Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, a World War I veteran who, along with presiding over his family and leading the gang from which the show finds its name, is plagued by vivid nightmares of his time in battle.
The story begins with Tommy's discovery of a crate of weapons, which he sees as an opportunity to expand his family’s power. Sam Niell, of “Jurassic Park,” who appears as Chief Inspector Campbell, is sent to retrieve Tommy's crate when it is important enough to garner the interests of Winston Churchill. Suddenly, Tommy must set a plan in motion to gain leverage over the investigator in order to keep the gang active and help fight competition including communists, the IRA and rival gangs.
As per usual, both actors do an outstanding job with the material they are given. It’s unfortunate that the material tends to be incredibly by the numbers, making the show feel overall like wasted potential. Sure, the characters are interesting and the setting is rich, but slow-motion fight sequences become tiresome quickly and the modern rock score doesn’t do the rest of the production justice, drawing viewers out of the show immediately and making them realize how out-of-place the music is.
It’s a shame, too, because there’s plenty of drama to be found in the era the show is set in.
Another facet of the show that seems to be lacking is in any of the characters' abilities to stand out. Sure, Murphy and Niell are a joy to watch, but beyond their characters, it’s hard to find any other standouts, as they seem mostly uninspired. Even Murphy’s Tommy feels a bit like the counterpart of “Boardwalk Empire’s” Jimmy Darmody, with both characters having a rough time adjusting to life after returning home from the war. Niell’s Campbell falls into the same trap as well, becoming similar to Javert from “Les Miserables,” in his attempt to bring his newfound glory back home with him.
While the show in no way reaches the same level as “Boardwalk Empire” and is certainly a bit of a disappointment, it’s certainly worth a watch for those who are in need of a new series or those interested in the time period in which the show is set. If not though, missing “Peaky Blinders" certainly isn’t the worst thing in the world.
"Peaky Blinders" is streaming on Netflix.
Reach the reporter at seweinst@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter: @S_Weinstein95
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