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Peaky Blinders recap: Everything to remember ahead of season 5

A new Shelby family portrait to celebrate the return of Peaky Blinders: BBC
A new Shelby family portrait to celebrate the return of Peaky Blinders: BBC

The new season of Peaky Blinders arrives this weekend – and the BBC has posted a recap of everything you need to remember before it begins.

Starring Cillian Murphy, the gangster drama – from Steven Knight – returns for a fifth run that's set in 1929, 10 years later than the first season, which began in 2013.

Season four kicked off with the Shelby family being released from prison moments before being executed; Tommy blackmailed the Crown after using evidence he found in a private letter written by King George V.

Returning home was just the beginning of their problems with John and Arthur leaving for the country and Polly (Helen McCrory) turning to substance abuse.

Then there was the small case of Sicilian mobster Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody), who came to Birmingham to avenge the murder of his father, Vincent. Michael (Finn Cole) and John (Joe Cole) both get shot, with the latter succumbing to his wounds.

After viewers were led to believe that Polly was plotting with Luca to have Tommy killed, it's revealed the opposite was true. Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy), though, forms an allegiance with Luca, which sees his men infiltrate a planned boxing match Tommy's involved in. Arthur (Paul Anderson) dies in the ensuing chaos and Luca, believing he had overcome the Shelby family, arrives at Tommy's basement to take over his new territory.

Instead, he's ambushed by his own men who now work for Al Capone thanks to a deal made by Tommy – and Luca is killed by... Arthur! His death was fabricated in order to dupe Luca into believing he had won.

In Margate, Tommy kills Alfie for betraying him – an act that sees his PTSD return. Things were looking up for him, though. He managed to secure the names of those associated with the communist party, which he gave to the Crown in exchange for an endorsement for a campaign that sees him become an elected Labour MP for Birmingham South.

Peaky Blinders returns to BBC1 this Sunday at 9pm

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