HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

'Peaky Blinders' season 5 may see Finn Shelby step up from being the protected son to fill his dead brother John's shoes

As 'Peaky Blinders' premieres on August 25 on BBC One, it will be intriguing to see Finn transform from a young boy to a grown-up man

'Peaky Blinders' is going to be darker and deadlier in its fifth season as Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) gets elected as an MP. As he swims in the political waters, the rest of Shelby family members might finally get to be in action mode. Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) might have to take the responsibility of the family business on his shoulders but Finn Shelby (Harry Kirton), who is the youngest brother in the gang could finally come to the front.

Born in 1908, he is the only one who didn't fight in the First World War. Since the beginning, Aunt Polly (Helen McCrory) has tried to shield him from the ill-doings and his brothers have always kept him out of danger. In season two, Finn expresses his struggle with participating in gun wars. Probably the most innocent Shelby of all, he has a sweet spot that separates him from his older brothers as they have a natural flair for it. "I know I couldn't have pulled the trigger. I know I wouldn't. They would've just walked past. I'm not John. I know I'm not," he confesses to Arthur in one scene. 

Nevertheless, he still is raised in the same environment and in one scene, he can be seen introducing Arthur to a drug called Tokyo (cocaine) for special occasions. After John Shelby's (Joe Cole) death, he is suddenly forced to grow up and loses his virginity to a prostitute. He hasn't had a father figure or a mother figure and the closest to a father model has been Arthur Shelby, who is not so great for the role. Through the four seasons, Finn can be seen figuring out his real identity but now he might finally take the center stage. Thomas corners him in a scene and tells him: "You need to be a f**king man. There's an empty space here, to be filled. Do you understand?"

Teasing his new role in season five, Harry said at a press meet, "I think, at first, there was cloudiness to my vision, of what I was about to get myself into. I didn't have too much of a vision of what and who Finn was, apart from he's a Shelby, he's a Peaky Blinder and a 1920s gangster."

Describing the overpowering effect of other Shelby brothers, he said, "His brothers have been like the wild plants and Finn's always been in like a plant pot in the greenhouses. He knows what he is but he's never really experienced the full extent of who he can be. His brothers going to war definitely emphasizes the already quite big gap in age and inexperience."

Addressing his shortcomings to be a part of the vile, dangerous gang, he added, "I think Finn's quite kind, underneath. I think he's quite confused. He hasn't been to war. And I think there is something that he definitely wants to prove. And the older he gets, the more assured he gets and the hunger for the Peaky Blinders way of life. At this point, it's starting to become a norm for him. I think seeing his brothers crumble with age makes that urge to be a man and a stronger Peaky Blinder."

Dropping a major clue, Harry also said: "In this season, you also get a hint that not only Finn realizes that. All of us started on this show and grown through the seasons but I think me, more than anybody has mentally and physically grown up on this and each time is a new milestone, a new stepping stone. I definitely got pushed this season and I had more to push me to help with the vulnerability. I think I needed the guidance from my peers, from my colleagues, more than ever."

As 'Peaky Blinders' premieres on August 25 on BBC One, it will be intriguing to see Finn transform from a young boy to a grown-up man.