Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man - Does Tommy Shelby Die?

Major spoilers for "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" ahead.

It's the question on the mind of every "Peaky Blinders" fan. Going into "The Immortal Man," the entire fanbase has wondered how a feature spin-off could possibly outdo the perfect conclusion to "Peaky Blinders" season 6 (er, make that series 6 for our friends across the pond), which saw Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby literally ride off into the sunset after coming frightfully close to ending his own life. Only a vision of his dead daughter Ruby convinces him to hold off and investigate whether the seemingly terminal illness he's been diagnosed with is actually the death sentence he assumes it to be. Having vanquished that one last enemy, he spurs his white horse away from the flaming wagon that he'd intended as his funeral pyre and ends his journey on a satisfying note.

Or not. With "The Immortal Man," series creator Steven Knight took on the additional task of trying to find another ending that would stay true to the character we've spent years following. With the action moving into the thick of WWII, this world is a very different one from what the Shelby family once held in the palm of its hand. Having apparently opted to live the rest of his life in exile, Tommy is no longer a known entity or a name that strikes fear in his enemies — in fact, most don't even remember him at all. With his son Duke (Barry Keoghan) ruling the Peaky Blinders in his stead and making quite a mess of things, the Shelby patriarch has no choice but to return to the fray ... and it costs him dearly.

Yes, "The Immortal Man" ultimately proves to be the last stand of Tommy Shelby, OBE, and a fitting one, at that.

The King of Small Heath, Birmingham, is dead; long live the King. Death has remained a constant in Tommy Shelby's life since the beginning of "Peaky Blinders," nipping at his heels like the most persistent dog you've ever known. In fact, that actually predates the events of the show. After narrowly surviving the arduous labor of being a tunneler in France during WWI, Tommy and his brothers Arthur (Paul Anderson) and John (Joe Cole) made a pact that whatever time they had afterwards was "extra." For all intents and purposes, they believed themselves to be dead already from their harrowing experience during the war, which is a key motivation behind much of their actions throughout "Peaky Blinders."

"The Immortal Man" lives up to its title in every way, allowing Tommy to call the shots and go out exactly the same way he lived his life — on his own terms. When Tim Roth's fascist sympathizer John Beckett hits far too close to home, taking out beloved Shelby sister Ada (Sophie Rundle), Tommy goes on the warpath one last time and finally tracks him (and his wealth of counterfeit bills meant to undermine England's economy) down to a warehouse. A brief skirmish and some close calls later, the standoff we've all been waiting for finally arrives. Attempting to flee, Beckett drives his car straight at Tommy and shoots him multiple times ... but not before getting dealt a mortal blow of his own and crashing.

As Tommy collapses in his estranged son's arms, however, we know exactly what must happen next. Rather than slowly succumb to his wounds, he orders Duke to finish him off. When he reluctantly does so, it's clear that this was Tommy's plan all along.

"The Immortal Man" ends rather conclusively on Tommy Shelby's funeral, lingering on the burning pyre from a distance as the credits roll, but fans will inevitably be wondering about what happens next. Such a sendoff for a character who suffered so much in life was probably as apropos as it was ever going to get, but one door closing allows for another one to open. It's been announced that "Peaky Blinders" will continue with a sequel series, so what will this story look like without our main character at the front and center anymore?

Could Barry Keoghan's Duke be primed and ready to step up once more? It's true that he didn't exactly make the best choices the first time around, regularly harassing the citizens of Small Heath and even stealing weapons meant for the war effort — not to mention directly collaborating with spies working closely with the Nazis, hoping to undermine England from within. But, thanks to Tommy's intervention (and a bit of a wrestling session in the mud), Duke ends "The Immortal Man" seemingly being steered straight again. Would Keoghan be willing to step back from the big screen to focus on this bid-budget series instead? Might Rebecca Ferguson's clairvoyant Kaulo, Duke's aunt and an identical twin to his mother Zelda, come along for the ride as a new version of Polly Gray (the late, great Helen McCrory)?

It's an intriguing possibility, albeit one that remains under wraps for now. All we know is that the next phase of "Peaky Blinders" on the small screen is described as following a "new generation of Shelbys" dealing with the aftermath of the Blitz. Duke certainly fits the bill. 

"Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" is now streaming on Netflix.