Peaky Blinders Season 6: With Aunt Polly Gone, Who Will Tommy Turn To?

Polly Gray is revealed to be dead in Peaky Blinders Season 6 Episode 1, yet the show is already preparing to fill Polly's role in the story.

Polly (Helen McCrory) played a crucial role in Season 1 of Peaky Blinders as one of the few people who could equal Tommy Shelby and persuade him to back down. Polly will not appear in Peaky Blinders Season 6 after McCrory's untimely death in 2021.

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Ada Shelby Steps Up in Peaky Blinders Season 6

Polly was a pivotal figure in Peaky Blinders and the Shelby family dynamic, and with her passing, the family has lost its matriarch, and Tommy has lost his crutch. However, other characters in the cast are filling in for these key roles in order to keep the family and Peaky Blinders afloat.

Ada Shelby's (Sophie Rundle) handling of Arthur (Paul Anderson) shows her shift into a leadership role in the same matriarchy that Polly had occupied. While Ada expresses her sadness at Polly's death, stating that Arthur would not have been allowed to become so sick if Polly had been present, Ada's handling of the issue in the opium den shows that she will step up in Peaky Blinders Season 6.

Polly was also the go-to person for Tommy when he had concerns regarding Romani spirituality and history, and this only intensified following Polly's near-death experience and belief that she was seeing visions.

Screen Rant notes that the introduction of Ruby Shelby's (Orla McDonagh) visions and usage of the Romani language in Peaky Blinders Season 6 Episode 1 illustrates how she can satisfy that need for Tommy, allowing him to draw on his superstitions, for better or worse.

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Tommy Shelby Attempts to Redeem Himself

Polly also had an important role in Peaky Blinders by acting as a brake on Tommy's ambition and violence. While Polly's death could have caused Tommy to spiral out of control, he has instead attempted to better himself.

Polly's death has, in many respects, caused him to rein himself in, making him, to some extent, his own moderating force as he has stopped drinking and seeks to abstain from violence. Peaky Blinders Season 6's omission of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Red Right Hand as its Episode 1 theme tune foreshadows all of this. It remains to be seen, however, how long Tommy can act as his own restraint.

While no specific release date has been set, Netflix has confirmed that Peaky Blinders Season 6 will arrive on the streaming platform. For fans of the show in the U.S., this means they'll have to wait until at least Apr. 4.

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