Peaky Blinders' Final Villain May Not Have Always Been The Plan, But It Was Perfectly Set Up In Season 4

There are several iconic villains throughout Peaky Blinders' six seasons, but very few viewers could have imagined that Tommy Shelby's (Cillian Murphy) final enemy would be his own cousin. The decision to make Michael Gray (Finn Cole) the final antagonist of Peaky Blinders was an extremely bold one, and it's a choice that's faced some criticism in the years since. Thankfully, Finn Cole consistently delivered one of the best performances in Peaky Blinders and somehow made the transition from hero to villain feel completely natural.

Despite criticisms that Michael's rivalry with Tommy is forced and inauthentic, the show had actually been setting up this particular development for a long time. There was plenty of debate about whether Michael would kill Tommy in Peaky Blinders, which brought a huge amount of tension to the final season. But this conflict wasn't just a desperate attempt to get audiences back on board after what had been the show's lowest-rated season so far — it was something that the writers saw in the fabric of their storyline since way back in season 4.

Michael Being Peaky Blinders Season 6's Villain Wasn't Always The Plan – Why It Changed

Helen McCrory's Death Changed The Story Massively

The decision to have Michael turn against Tommy following Aunt Polly's (Helen McCrory) death was something that Peaky Blinders' writers hadn't initially intended for the character. Finn Cole has admitted he was disappointed by Michael's story in season 6, speculating that plans changed following the death of Polly's actress. This meant that Polly would have to be written out of the show somehow, and the most natural resolution was to reveal that she'd been killed during the IRA's takeover of Tommy's failed assassination attempt on Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin).

Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby thinking about something in Peaky Blinders

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There was no way that Michael would forgive Tommy for orchestrating the events that led to his mother's death, so this rivalry would've been impossible to avoid. Michael was always on Polly's side, even when that meant he'd have to stand against Tommy, and that's exactly what happens in the show's final season. It simply wouldn't have felt natural for Michael to stand side-by-side with Tommy without Polly binding them together; his transition into a villain was essentially forced by McCrory's tragic passing.

Michael Being Sent Away In Peaky Blinders Season 4's Ending Sealed His Inevitable Rivalry With Tommy

There Was No Coming Back From That For The Cousins

However, the reason that Michael's unexpected turn was so natural is because it had been (perhaps unintentionally) set up in the finale of Peaky Blinders' fourth season. In this episode, Michael is sent away to the U.S. on Tommy's orders, directly interfering with his own intentions to climb the ladder of the family business. The conflict between Tommy and Michael continues to grow throughout season five, as Tommy is seemingly unaware of how unhappy Michael is in the U.S., and Michael blames Tommy for his growing distance from the rest of the family.

Much of Peaky Blinders centers around Tommy trying to outrun his own destiny (with his diagnosis in season six finally teaching him that he can't), and Michael represents that impending doom for him.

Tommy had always displayed fears that the younger generation would eventually push him out of his own empire, so it's extremely fitting that Michael was given that role in the show's final season. Much of Peaky Blinders centers around Tommy trying to outrun his own destiny (with his diagnosis in season six finally teaching him that he can't), and Michael represents that impending doom for him. He sees potential in his cousin, but he's unwilling to let him capitalize on it. Michael was always one of Peaky Blinders’ best characters, so the story's inevitable crescendo around him shouldn't be surprising.

Why Michael Was The Best Choice For Peaky Blinders Season 6's Villain

The Character Represents All Of Tommy's Worst Fears

Despite many fans' distaste for this storyline, Michael becoming Tommy's final "villain" was an extremely fitting way for the show to end. Not only was it the highest-stakes possibility to keep audiences invested in the show, but it also speaks volumes about Tommy's flaws as a character. He pushes everybody away from him because of his pride and arrogance, and season six really sees him pay for that. From his daughter's death to Jack (James Frecheville) and Michael's coordinated betrayals, Tommy finally pays the price for thinking he could carry the world on his shoulders.

Peaky Blinders included several villains throughout its many years on air, but they've all been fleeting inconveniences that Tommy has managed to outmaneuver. The great thing about Michael is that he's an unexpected villain from within Tommy's own family and one that he's partially responsible for creating. If it weren't for Tommy Shelby, Michael would still be living a normal life. Michael becoming everything that Tommy fears essentially represents how self-destructive his business is, cementing the idea that he's an irredeemable figure who destroys those around him.