How does Aunt Polly die in Peaky Blinders? Character's fate explored

Helen McCrory's Aunt Polly Gray has long stood as the iron backbone of Peaky Blinders, the woman who balanced the Shelby family’s chaos with her unshakeable intuition, spiritual foresight and fearless leadership. She was the no-nonsense matriarch of the Shelby clan and the only member in the family who was a match for Tommy Shelby's temper and ambition.

As Peaky Blinders moved into its final season, fans were confronted with one of its most emotional and unexpected turns: the death of Aunt Polly, a loss that reshaped the very soul of the Shelby family and Tommy himself. Her absence marked the end of an era but what was even tragic was the real-life tragedy that shaped this character's death on-screen.

Just when Steven Knight's series began production for the final season in 2021, they encountered an unexpected halt with the tragic passing of Helen McCrory on April 16, 2021, from breast cancer, at the age of just 52. McCrory's death jolted the cast and they honoured her by not recasting Aunt Polly in the final season.

In the Peaky Blinders Season 6 premiere, it was revealed that Aunt Polly was murdered by the IRA to weaken Tommy. This was accompanied by a dedication to the late actress:

"Dedicated to the memory of Helen McCrory OBE 'Polly Gray'."

More on this in our story.

Aunt Polly was killed by the IRA in Peaky Blinders

While the Peaky Blinders' cast and McCrory's family mourned her tragic death off-screen, the creators had no choice but to kill her character in the final season premiere. Since McCrory had not filmed for the final season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aunt Polly was killed off-screen in the Season 6 premiere, aptly titled 'Black Day'.

Peaky Blinders Season 6 Episode 1 kicked off with Tommy receiving a call from Laura McKee, a high-ranking I.R.A. member. While McKee earlier pretended to be Tommy's ally and warned him about Michael's plan against him, the IRA flipped sides in the Season 5 finale. Tommy had concocted a foolproof plan to take out fascist leader Oswald Mosley and the Billy Boys' leader Jimmy McCavern. According to Tommy's plan, his army buddy Barney Thompson would assassinate Mosley at his rally, while Polly's fiancé Aberama Gold would kill McCavern discreetly.

However, Tommy's plan went haywire when some masked men instead killed Gold and Thompson, flipping the table on Tommy's script.

McKee's phone call to Tommy in the Peaky Blinders Season 6 premiere revealed that Gold and Thompson's deaths were orchestrated by 'Dublin brigades of the IRA'. It was clear that the IRA had switched sides and wanted to keep Mosley alive. As a truce, they sent wrapped dead bodies to the Shelby house for Tommy to give his loved ones a proper funeral. However, Tommy was devastated to discover that there were not two, but three bodies, as he slowly realized that his beloved Aunt Polly was also killed in the operation.

As Tommy opens Aunt Polly's wrapped body in front of his house, we hear snippets from his phone conversation with McKee, where she says:

''Ever since you began to build your empire, you've had a crutch to lean on. Last night we kicked away that crutch. From now on, it will be us that you lean on.''

While the conversation was cryptic and we never saw Aunt Polly's murder on-screen in Peaky Blinders, it was clear that McKee was referring to the Shelby matriarch, Tommy's biggest supporter through thick and thin. Aunt Polly was specially targeted to weaken Tommy and make him helpless against the IRA and Mosley.

Aunt Polly's death was truly tragic, but she was given a proper traditional gypsy funeral and burial by her son, Michael, where all her belongings were set on fire in a caravan. Against that burning fire, Michael also vowed to kill Tommy as revenge for his mother's death in Peaky Blinders:

"Mum, it was the ambitions and strategies of our man that caused this. I swear in the name of almighty God, no matter what it takes, no matter how many lives I have to take, I will take revenge on Tommy Shelby."

While Aunt Polly's death was written after McCrory's passing in Peaky Blinders Season 6, it set off a fiery battle against Tommy and Michael in the final season, which ultimately concluded with the latter's death.

Trending

For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.

Also Read: Peaky Blinders: 5 stars besides Cillian Murphy who would have been the perfect Tommy Shelby

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback