Streaming on Netflix, British drama series Peaky Blinders revolves around a criminal gang, led by Thomas Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy), but it is more than just that. While the show explores crime and violence in Birmingham in the years following World War I, it also focuses on the Shelby family, their personal lives, and their losses. One of the biggest losses in the show and for Thomas Shelby was the death of Grace Shelby in Peaky Blinders season three.
Grace Shelby (played by Annabelle Wallis) was introduced in Peaky Blinders season one, episode one, when she was still Grace Burgess. We see her as a barmaid at The Garrison, a pub that the Shelbys used to visit frequently. We are soon told that she is an undercover officer working for the Birmingham police, who has been tasked with getting close to Thomas Shelby to find out about the Shelby business.
The two soon get close and, after several ups and downs, get married. However, in a shocking turn of events, Grace dies in season three. Read on to know the details of her death.
Details of Grace Shelby's death in Peaky Blinders
When season three of Peaky Blinders begins, we see that there is a time jump, and that Grace has given birth to her and Thomas's son, Charles Shelby. During the time gap between seasons two and three, Grace's first husband, Clive Macmillan, had committed suicide, which allowed Grace and Thomas to get married. The couple is finally together, married, and with a son.
However, this bliss was short-lived. In Peaky Blinders season three, episode two, Grace is shot by an assassin on the orders of Vincente Changretta. The order was originally meant for Thomas, but the bullet hit Grace by mistake. Changretta had targeted Thomas for revenge because John Shelby had beaten up and cut Changretta's son, Angel.
While attempts are made to save her life, Grace dies, leaving Thomas grieving one of the few people he truly loved. Losing Grace was a pivotal moment in Thomas's life and for the show. It made him solely responsible for Charles and turned him into a much darker person. Throughout the show, Thomas was never 'soft' as a person or a businessman, but he was indeed soft with Grace. She was the only one who truly calmed him down, gave him peace, and was his safe haven.
After her death, we see Thomas develop an opium addiction, which also contributed to him getting hallucinations of Grace. Those, in turn, made him suicidal, whereby he often contemplated suicide as a means to be able to join her on the other side. In season six, he finally recovers from his grief, pain, and addiction, and leaves his life of crime behind. He leaves the business in the hands of Arthur and Charles.
We will get to see what happens with him next in the upcoming Peaky Blinders spin-off film, The Immortal Man, which is expected to release in theatres before becoming available on the streaming platform. The film will continue the show's storyline after the last season and is expected to be released in late 2025 or 2026.
All seasons of Peaky Blinders are available to stream on Netflix.
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