Cruelty, Manipulation, Violence and Murder are all deplorable qualities we associate with the worst of humanity, and yet somehow we end up rooting for Tommy and the Peaky blinders to succeed. The answer to why that is where the second more common trope that’s integral to Mr. Shelby’s that I mentioned before come into play.

Something that is often seen in Melodramatic romance novels rather than Gangster Crime dramas. Which is…

The Bad Boy with a heart of Gold

You all know what I’m talking about, the bad boy jock archetype that you see in every love triangle scenario that’s a bit rough around the edges but secretly hiding a heart of gold that usually only his love interest can see and understand. This trope alone might be the cause of many young women mistaking the hostile behavior and red flags of certain men as nothing more than ‘being misunderstood’ in real life. While in reality kind people are usually kind more than just in front of people they are trying to bang.

Yeah, no red flags here!

While Tommy displays this archetype to the point with his own love interest Grace that is not what makes him interesting. What makes Tommy so special is the way he displays these same characteristics with the love interest dynamic switched with that of his family. This in turn creates a man while fiercely ambitious, selfish and cut-throat but also displays a degree of loyalty and kindness to those on his side.

Another important twist to the trope being made, is while the standard trope would have this character a specimen of physical superiority i.e. a badass fighter. But early on it is made clear that Tommy’s older brother Arthur is a way more capable fighter with a real gift for Violence. And yet Tommy is still the boss. This is because Tommy’s ‘Muscle’ so to speak is his intellect and cunning which in turn makes him a very capable leader. As it is in modern society where the need for violence is unnecessary, those that are to be feared now are those that hold more power and influence instead.

But even with these displays of Loyalty and leadership skills, it’s hard to root for someone who acts so selfishly for his own gain, and that’s where the show itself adds another very important element into the mix. Which is…

There’s always a bigger A-hole

In perhaps the most common trope used while writing anti-heroes, the best way to make your murderous, manipulative protagonist look good is by putting them up against someone who is much worse than him. It’s the lesser of two evils mentality, because whoever it is that Tommy faces for control and power in the various seasons of the show, you can be sure that his enemy is in some key way a worse human being than he is and therefore we end up automatically rooting for Tommy instead.

Unchecked Ambition

I’ll conclude by stating while Thomas Shelby is a brilliant character, and has the show itself being one of the most enjoyable shows out there because of it, he is not a character to aspire to. Respected yes, admired maybe but one must never try to become like him. The show itself shows the mental issues such as PTSD, depression and suicidal tendencies that a man like him faces, because of the way he is and his actions. For a man like Tommy his ambition is not there to reach any particular goal anymore, he has no retirement plans so to speak. Rather his Ambition acts as form of distraction, like drugs to an addict that in turn helps him in distracting himself from his own personal Demons.

As Tommy himself put it, He’ll keep playing the game till he can find a man he can’t defeat. And defeat in the world of the Peaky Blinders mostly ends in death.

Also consider our books for some Gangster Gods in the New world odyssey series