Peaky Blinders Creator: 'The Immortal Man' Offers Tommy Shelby a More Satisfying Ending Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, has defended the ending of The Immortal Man, arguing that it provides Tommy Shelby a conclusion that better reflects his character’s complexities. In a recent interview with /Film, Knight acknowledged that fans might expect a higher standard for the series’ finale, but he emphasized that he never intended for Tommy to simply “ride off into the sunset.” Instead, he aimed to address the lingering consequences of Tommy’s past actions, which he believes make a “happily ever after” ending inappropriate. Knight explained that while he understands why fans might view the original series’ conclusion as fitting, he felt Tommy’s story required a more nuanced resolution. “I didn’t really want [Tommy] just riding off into the sunset as if he lived happily ever after, because of the baggage that he has already,” he said. This baggage, he noted, includes the moral and emotional weight of his violent past, which continues to haunt him even after the events of the original series. In The Immortal Man, Tommy returns for what Knight describes as “one final act of redemption.” The film reveals new layers of Tommy’s troubled history, including actions he took that he cannot forgive himself for. These revelations are central to his character’s arc in the spin-off, which finds him living in self-imposed exile. Knight’s screenwriter notes that Tommy’s guilt is compounded by the presence of Rebecca Ferguson’s character, Kaulo, who tells him, “You live in a house haunted by people who died as a result of you.” This line, Knight explained, was not enough to fully explain Tommy’s exile, so he added a new layer of personal torment: a secret he cannot forgive himself for.#peaky_blinders #steven_knight #tommy_shelby #rebecca_ferguson #kaulo
