Hold me at gunpoint and my favorite Peaky Blinders character would still be Michael Gray

While this opinion might invite raised eyebrows in a Tommy Shelby-obsessed fandom, my favorite Peaky Blinders character is Michael Gray.

As an ardent fan of Steven Knight's 2013 crime series, I also admire Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby but I feel Finn Cole's Michael is easily one of the most nuanced characters in the show, and does not deserve the hate he gets.

While he tried to murder Tommy in the Peaky Blinders series finale, he dared to rebel against him, which made him a promising character. Polly's son, who was taken away from his mother in childhood, Michael was introduced in the Shelby family by Tommy and he quickly adapted to his new life.

While Tommy was haunted by his past, Michael was obsessed with his future and wanted to make the most of it. He even suggested expanding the Shelby business to the US, but Tommy was eventually threatened of being dethroned by an equal contender, which led to Michael's death.

More on this in our story.

I think Michael had the potential to carry forward Tommy Shelby's legacy in Peaky Blinders

Right from the Peaky Blinders premiere, Murphy's Tommy Shelby was the unannounced leader of the gang, who used his sharp wit and strategic mind to lead his family to triumph against every enemy.

While Arthur was the eldest Shelby brother and naturally should have been the successor and leader of the family, the war changed things for the brothers.. Since Season 1 follows the aftermath of World War I, both Arthur and Tommy (and many other characters) suffered from war-induced PTSD, termed as Flanders' Blue in Peaky Blinders.

Arthur was naturally impulsive and hot-headed, which made his PTSD even dire and he was not fit to lead the titular gang, which is why Tommy stepped in after returning from war. While Arthur was incompetent and John Shelby was too immature to understand the workings of their world, another name emerged as a promising candidate to carry the Shelby legacy — Michael Gray.

Michael was evidently different from (and probably more educated and polished than) the Shelby brothers, and was like a clean slate. After having a cushy upbringing far from the criminal world of Small Heath, Michael was eager to enter the perilous world and his ambition was evident in Peaky Blinders.

What made Michael stand out to me was his individuality- while his ambition paralleled Tommy's, he never tried to mimic his cousin. After learning the ways of their criminal world, Michael Gray not only wanted a seat at the table but also wanted to lead it.

By Peaky Blinders Season 3, he was not just Polly's boy, but a man with principles and ambition, a representation of the inevitable generational conflict that eventually bubbles up in every family. In Michael, the show finally highlighted someone who could defeat Tommy for good, at his own game.

Since he dared to go against Tommy (even planning his murder in Season 6), I understand the hate the character gets. However, a different perspective would suggest he was the only character who actually paralleled Tommy and embodied the same frenzy for power and ambition as the Birmingham leader.

Peaky Blinders is not a show about glorified heroes who commit sacrificial acts for the good of others. Rather, Knight's world and characters are gritty, selfish and true anti-heroes. After Tommy, Michael was the ultimate anti-hero of the show, whose fall from grace deserves some sympathy.

Tommy's God complex and his need to always win in life are evident in Peaky Blinders. Michael's rebellion was his effort to dethrone the legend whose presence loomed large in his life and take the family business from under his control.

I think Michael represented a need for change and how generational takeover is the norm. Deep down, Tommy accepted that Polly's son might be his equal and cause his doom, which was unacceptable to him and this ultimately led to Michael's death in the Season 6 finale.

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Also Read: This one moment in Peaky Blinders proves that Tommy trusted Aunt Polly blindly

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