Peaky Blinders traces the life of Tommy Shelby, a World War I veteran and head of the Shelby gang, who leads a life of danger, deception, and crime. He finds himself repeatedly living through circumstances that should kill him. Although the show constructs the events in the series as a narrative within the show, there are some who mistakenly think that specific incidents are instances of plot armor that have saved Tommy for dramatic reasons.
Tommy's survival throughout the series is explained by a series of close calls, ranging from war adventures to gangster confrontations and political scandals. The situations themselves are true to life in the sense that they happen, and Cillian Murphy captures Tommy's intelligence, leadership ability, and a dash of fortune.
Meanwhile, observers tend to remark that the timing or the situations of some events are quite convenient so that he stays at the center of the plot. The following five are worth mentioning because they lend themselves to this interpretation.
Here are 5 times Peaky Blinders used a plot armor to save Tommy Shelby
1. The fact that Tommy survives World War I in Peaky Blinders
Tommy Shelby's WWI soldier past is a part of Peaky Blinders. The show presents him participating in very risky activities, such as trench warfare and digging missions. Soldiers survived the war, but the show points out that he was repeatedly exposed to the risk of death.
His survival is part of the character's past and for future storylines, though some critics claim it looks remarkably ordinary under the circumstances.
2. The near execution in Peaky Blinders Season 2
Tommy is arrested by Major Campbell's soldiers in Season 2 and brought to a point of execution. His life is about to be ended when Winston Churchill's agents move in to rescue him. It is an actual event occurring in the story.
The exact timing and intervention can be seen as a plot device to allow the series to continue with Tommy, but the series makes it seem like part of the plot.
3. The Russian Skirmish in Peaky Blinders Season 3
Season 3 finds Tommy having a nervous battle with Russian revolutionaries and nobles. He endures several ambuscades, high-risk negotiations, and backstabs, but comes out unscathed from all the brawls.
These scenes are absolutely consistent with the plot, and although some fans look at his frequent escapes as being far too convenient, they are all presented in the story as part of Tommy's situational good fortune, cleverness, and tactical maneuvering.
4. The meeting with Luca Changretta in Peaky Blinders Season 4
Luca Changretta, the character introduced in Season 4, is a powerful enemy bent on avenging himself on the Shelby family. Tommy is threatened by several attacks throughout this revenge, ranging from direct attacks to high-risk encounters. In the show, Tommy survives unscathed and also emerges a winner in the scenario.
Others call his survival and timely alliances as plot armor, yet these events are shown in the series to be the result of his planning, negotiating, and decision-making.
5. The assassination plot in Peaky Blinders Season 5
Finale Season 5's climax includes Tommy's plan to kill Oswald Mosley. The operation fails through betrayal, and disaster strikes. Tommy is not injured even though he was directly in the line of the failed operation. In fact, all that happens exactly as presented.
Readers might see the result as very much in their favor, but, in the work's context, his survival is provided through a mix of luck, preparation, and timing.
Hence, Tommy Shelby survives numerous perilous encounters that advance the plot in Peaky Blinders. Although what happens is true to the series, some comment on the timing and consequence as an example of plot armor.
Others observe that his survival is in line with his skill, guile, and fortune. All the above-mentioned interpretations demonstrate how the plot keeps Tommy in the spotlight with the events while retaining tension and stakes characteristic of the series.
Also read: Peaky Blinders cast and character guide: Who played whom in the hit BBC period crime drama?