Peaky Blinders Season 2 Episode 1 Recap

[00:01:00] As Tommy wrote his letter for Grace, she was visited by Inspector Campbell at the train station. He approached Grace and pointed his gun at her face. Campbell wasn’t expecting what would happen next as Grace raised her handbag and shot him. She was holding on to her gun the whole time. Grace left Campbell to die on the platform as she walked away.

[00:02:00] Two years later, a pair of women dressed in black pushed their black carriages on the street of Small Heath. They made their way to the Garrison pub and left the carriages in front of the door. They ran for their lives as both carriages exploded. Meanwhile, the Peaky Blinders attended Freddie’s funeral. Tommy said a few words over Freddie’s grave just before they buried him. He and Aunt Pol were trying to convince Ada to come home to Birmingham. Tommy informed Ada about his plan to expand their business to London. He knew that it would be dangerous for a Shelby to be in London when the time came. Aunt Pol didn’t want to talk about business at a funeral. Ada pointed out that she was no longer a Shelby or a Thorne. She walked away, making Karl her excuse to leave the conversation.

[00:05:30] Aunt Pol told Tommy that he should’ve allowed her to talk to Ada. Tommy responded that he was just going to have some men keep an eye out for Ada and Karl till the danger passed. Aunt Pol knew that the danger would never pass when it came to being a Shelby. A man riding a motorcycle arrived at the funeral and spoke to Arthur. He ran out to Tommy to tell him about the pub. The Peaky Blinders arrived at Birmingham to see a wrecked Garrison pub. Sergeant Moss was at the scene and asked Tommy if he knew anything about what happened. Tommy paid Sergeant Moss and told him that it was just the gas. Aunt Pol entered the pub despite Moss trying to stop her. Aunt Pol saw confetti all over the pub. She brought some out and gave it to Tommy.

[00:07:30] Tommy told Sergeant Moss to leave while Aunt Pol asked him who destroyed their pub. He visited another pub across town in order to get a drink. The barman didn’t accept his payment and asked what had happened to their pub. Tommy responded that gas and electricity didn’t mix well. He tried to pay for his drink, but the barman refused. He asked Tommy how his business was doing. Tommy responded that everything was doing well despite what was happening to the world. A boy came down the stairs and asked everyone who the Peaky Blinder devil was. Tommy finished his drink and followed the boy. They went through alleyways and side streets, then came into a butcher shop. Two men stopped Tommy and searched him. They took away his hat and guns, put a bag over his head, and escorted him to their superiors.

[00:09:30] Things were going well at the betting shop. Johnny told Finn to take over while he approached Aunt Pol to talk. He asked a lot of questions as he felt that they were leaving him out. Aunt Pol didn’t like all the questions. She explained that Tommy went to the Black Lion alone. She added that Johnny needed to hold up his end if they were going to expand the business in London. Meanwhile, Tommy sat in front of a man and woman. He knew they had blown up his pub. The woman ridiculed Tommy to her associate thinking that he was trying to act tough. The man put a gun to his head while the woman threatened him. Tommy called the woman by her name. He even told her about her son, who was a cripple. The man wanted to kill Tommy, but Irene stopped him.

[00:13:00] Irene told Tommy that he was the chosen one and needed to replace one of their members. Tommy took out his cigarette and asked them what he was chosen for. After a few minutes, Tommy walked out and collected his things. He lost control of his anger just before he left the place. Tommy calmed himself down and left. He went to his office to think about his next course of action. He picked up the phone and called someone. Tommy called Sergeant Moss. They met at the BSA factory. Tommy instructed him to clear out the police near the stables from midnight to four in the morning. Moss tried to ask Tommy why, but he didn’t answer. Tommy just took out a wad of money and paid Moss. He told Tommy not to start any fires because the firemen were going on strike.

[00:17:00] Moss added that an old friend was coming to town for a visit. Their old friend is none other than Inspector Campbell. He’d risen through the ranks within two years and was now head of the Irish desk. Major Campbell went to see the governor who wanted to meet with him regarding one of their prisoners. The prisoner claimed that the British Secret Intelligence Service ordered him to murder someone, more specifically Major Campbell. He claimed that he would be pardoned if he kept his mouth shut; however, no pardon had materialized for him. Campbell told the governor that his job was to oversee the executions sanctioned by the crown, no more, no less. Campbell ordered him to execute the prisoner regardless of what he said. He also threatened the governor before he left so that he wouldn’t tell anyone about their talk.

[00:20:00] Finn came to the boxing ring to pick up Arthur. Tommy had called a family meeting, and he needed to be there. The ringmaster told Finn that Arthur had just beat up one of his apprentices. Arthur didn’t pay attention to Finn until he finished 2000 jump rope attempts. He cleaned himself and went back to the betting shop. Arthur told everyone to help themselves to some whisky left over from the pub before Tommy arrived. Johnny wanted to clarify a few things before Tommy arrived. He wanted to know why they were expanding to London when the betting shop was making £150 and more per day. Aunt Pol and Arthur knew that Johnny needed to ask Tommy himself. Johnny and Esme, on the other hand, had an idea who blew up their pub. Before Johnny could say anything, Tommy arrived. He asked Esme to tell them what she knew.

[00:23:00] Johnny wanted to speak on behalf of his household, but Tommy cut him off. Tommy told Johnny that their company believed in women’s rights and invited Esme to speak up. She stood up and told Tommy what she felt. Esme knew that expanding to London would bring about all kinds of trouble. She told everyone that London was filled with all types of foreigners, not to mention the coppers and the army within its walls. Esme wanted Johnny to see their child grow up. She also wanted to grow old with Johnny and live a peaceful life. Tommy thanked Esme for her opinion. He straightened things out with the family. Tommy told them that the pub had nothing to do with their expansion. He added that their expansion would begin tomorrow. He told them that anyone who didn’t want to be part of it could walk out.

[00:25:00] Johnny and Esme didn’t walk out the door. Tommy took it as a sign that they wanted to be part of the expansion. He told everyone to get themselves ready.  Aunt Pol wanted to know why Tommy was in a rush to expand in London. Tommy planned on using the busiest day of the year in order to get inside London. All the bosses would be at the races, so the city streets would be free for the taking. Aunt Pol didn’t agree with Tommy, but she didn’t have any choice. She opened the safe as he ordered and let him go. Tommy fucked Lizzie before going to London. He paid her for the services, but she wished that he wouldn’t pay her even just once. That night, Aunt Pol attended a séance in search of her son.

[00:31:00] The group gathered and sat at a round table. The psychic asked Aunt Pol why she came to her services. Aunt Pol explained that she kept dreaming about a woman in her teens shouting at her. The woman wanted to speak with her saying that she had already passed. Aunt Pol told the psychic that her daughter would’ve turned 18 if she was with her. She didn’t even know the name they gave her daughter when she was taken from her. After the séance, Aunt Pol ran out of the house. She couldn’t accept whatever she had learned from the psychic. Tommy spent the night watching blacksmiths make horseshoes. The blacksmith he was watching was Eamonn Dugann. Eamonn went for a drink, and when the other blacksmiths left, Tommy came out of hiding. He asked his name but didn’t wait for his response.

[00:38:00] Eamonn looked into Tommy’s eyes before he shot him. The next day, Tommy went to pick up Johnny and Arthur. Esme confronted Aunt Pol regarding the séance. She told her that it was all just a trick, and none of it was real. Aunt Pol threatened to kill Esme if she told anyone within the family. Esme told her that she didn’t need to threaten her because she would honor their agreement. Aunt Pol left the betting shop without another word. Tommy took the boys to the countryside. Arthur agreed with Esme that living in the country was wonderful. Johnny saw Eamonn’s body inside the car. Tommy told them that the sooner they buried his body, the sooner they could get to London. After they buried Eamonn’s body, the three of them went to London as planned.

[00:43:00] Tommy paid the concierge to let them inside the club. They were blown away with what they saw as soon as they entered the club. People were kissing and having sex left, right, and center. People on the dance floor looked like they were about to have a heart attack. They forced a couple off their table and ordered a bottle of Irish whiskey. Johnny noticed a few characters inside the club. Tommy told them that the club belonged to Sabini, one of their rival families in the betting business. After a few minutes, the concierge approached their table and asked them to leave. The men inside the club recognized them as Peaky Blinders, and they weren’t welcome down south. Tommy told the concierge that they were on holiday. Someone shot the glasses on their table while calling them Peaky scum.

[00:46:00] A fight broke out, but they were no match for the three of them. They slashed their opponents using the razors hidden within their hats. The concierge fired off a warning shot from the stage, which stopped the party. Tommy knew the concierge wouldn’t shoot him, so he addressed everyone in the club. He told them that they didn’t come to London to make enemies, but instead to make new friends. Tommy added that those people who came in last would finally have a chance to come first while the downtrodden would finally rise up. They left the club to wreak havoc all over London. The next day, Major Campbell visited Winston Churchill. Campbell entered the office and saw a naked woman posing for Churchill. He wanted to leave, but Churchill told him that the woman was a professional model.

[00:49:00] Campbell did his best not to get disturbed by the naked woman in front of them. He told Churchill his real agenda. Campbell wanted approval, so he could proceed as planned with his man at Birmingham. Churchill was having doubts about Campbell’s bookkeeper, but he insisted that they needed to act immediately. Churchill asked Campbell if his man could be trusted after everything was said and done. Campbell responded that his man would be hanged like the rest of the men they used before. Tommy returned to Birmingham to see Lizzie. He told her to close her eyes and guided Lizzie to her typewriter. Tommy asked Lizzie to type a job ad for him. Tommy was looking for a secretary, and Lizzie realized that he was asking her to take the job.

[00:53:00] Lizzie wanted to know if Tommy is being serious. He explained that he needed someone who could look the other way when he needed them to. Tommy added that Lizzie could stop being a prostitute if she took the job. Lizzie agreed, so Tommy told her to report Monday morning and left. Tommy returned to his office, where Aunt Pol was waiting. He told her that their trip to London had turned out to be profitable. Aunt Pol told him she disagreed with Tommy’s plan. The message he left in London had earned him some respect from the folks down at Camden Town. Aunt Pol left Tommy as she knew that he was now at war with Sabini. It started to rain as Tommy left his office. Meanwhile, Ada was on her way home when Sabini’s men kidnapped her.

[00:55:00] Ada tried to deny being a Shelby or being Tommy’s sister, but she didn’t have any way out. Sabini and his men ganged up on Tommy. They beat him to a pulp and pulled out a gold tooth from his mouth. Sabini was about to kill Tommy when the police arrived. Major Campbell arrived with the police and approached Tommy as he lay on the ground. The police checked to see if Tommy was still alive.