(C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd. – Photographer: Robert Viglasky<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI hear there\u2019s some men here from Birmingham looking for me,\u201d barks Stagg over a strained, Dunkirk-esque score as he strides into the warehouse, the air thick with anticipation.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a flurry of movement as the dock workers leap from their seats to engage in combat; one of them has a metal hook in his hand that could tear someone\u2019s face clean off. But the Peaky Blinders have the upper hand after drawing their revolvers.<\/p>\n
Things settle once more, the quiet before the storm in which guts and sinew will be splattered, Jackson Pollock-esque, as teeth are wrenched from gums and scattered like coins at the Trevi Fountain; the sound of bones being crumpled like paper bags peppering the atmosphere.<\/p>\n
This will not end well.<\/p>\n
But the bloodbath does not arrive. Instead, Stagg employs a tactic that is alien in a series which so often trades in brutality and bombast. His takes a hushed, almost tender approach as he undoes Arthur F**king Shelby with nothing other than his words.<\/p>\n
$\""Paul\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC\/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd.\/Robert Viglasky<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cBeneath your sleeves lies the truth,\u201d he says, acknowledging Arthur\u2019s addiction. \u201cThe marks on your arm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stagg doesn\u2019t so much look at him as peel back the bravado and stare directly into his soul, removing Arthur\u2019s sting with naked truths that are both confronting, but also laced with empathy. Stagg was once where Arthur is now following his service in France, where he gained a taste for morphine, and he uses that shared experience to humanise Arthur in a way that few ever have \u2013 and certainly never during a moment of conflict, which is a first for the series.<\/p>\n
Stagg notes that he, too, sought solace in Christ, but was unable to find peace. He talks of love lost \u2013 Arthur hasn\u2019t spoken with his wife Linda in years. Like his own father, he has failed to be present for his own kin.<\/p>\n
He once thrived in such scenarios, wielding his razor blade-stuffed flat cap with vim, but Stagg\u2019s ability to disarm him showcases the sea-change within Arthur. Perhaps his former address to Isiah et el was for his own benefit rather than theirs.<\/p>\n
$\""Peaky\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
BBC\/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd.\/Robert Viglasky<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t build a mountain,\u201d says Stagg. \u201cWalk like it\u2019s a flat plain, easy step by easy step.\u201d<\/p>\n
He exposes his own vulnerabilities while extending compassion to Arthur, which is a combination the Shelby mad-dog is unfamiliar with, but in need of, and it\u2019s that piece of counsel that prompts Arthur to order Isiah and co to stand down.<\/p>\n
Showrunner Steven Knight hinted at that outcome with the use of Idles\u2019 Kill Them with Kindness, the song which played as the Peaky Blinders made their entrance into the warehouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m guessing it is hard for you to see that empathy will cut down your throne,\u201d reads one of the lyrics.<\/p>\n
It should also be noted that the casting of Graham, who has achieved national treasure status, also lends itself to a performance which is less geared towards villainy, \u00e0 la Jimmy McCavern or Father John Hughes, and allows him to tap into the sincerity and soulfulness that has endeared him to the public. In a series where we\u2019re encouraged to root for the Shelby family\u2019s continued survival, it would be a challenge to market Graham as an antagonist.<\/p>\n
$\""Programme\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
It\u2019s not unusual for Peaky Blinders to yank the rug out from under viewers, but this felt especially unforeseen. We were gearing up for conflict, with Stagg\u2019s fate a foregone conclusion. He dared to steal from the Shelby Company Limited \u2013 a bold move that has resulted in paralysis or death for so many who have come before. But what played out subverted expectation entirely, unveiling the true extent of Arthur\u2019s collapse and further emphasising that much of this season, up until this point, has been a quieter affair.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not clear what the rest of the series holds for Arthur following this latest development. He is clearly not the man he once was, with his position in the family business now cloaked in uncertainty following this latest debacle, which begs the question: where does he go from here?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a finality to Arthur\u2019s arc, which feels apt given that Peaky Blinders is on the homestretch, but whatever lies in store for him, it\u2019s safe to say that he\u2019ll be spending plenty more time locked away in the company safe first.<\/p>\n
Peaky Blinders continues Sunday 20th March on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and seasons 1-5 are also available to stream on Netflix. Read our guide to the <\/strong>best series on Netfli<\/b>x<\/strong><\/a>, check out our\u00a0Drama<\/a>\u00a0hub for more news, interviews and features or find something to watch with\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>our\u00a0TV guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, l<\/strong>isten to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a> with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n
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By Abby Robinson Published: Sunday, 13 March 2022 at 12:00 am In the third episode of Peaky Blinders\u2019 sixth and final season, something extraordinary happens. Arthur (Paul Anderson) journeys north to Liverpool with Isiah (Daryl McCormack) and a handful of goons in tow to visit a union convener called Hayden Stagg, played by Stephan Graham. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":12158,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important.jpg",2048,1364,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important-1024x682.jpg",800,533,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important-1536x1023.jpg",1536,1023,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/why-stephen-grahams-peaky-blinders-character-is-so-important.jpg",2048,1364,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Abby Robinson Published: Sunday, 13 March 2022 at 12:00 am In the third episode of Peaky Blinders\u2019 sixth and final season, something extraordinary happens. Arthur (Paul Anderson) journeys north to Liverpool with Isiah (Daryl McCormack) and a handful of goons in tow to visit a union convener called Hayden Stagg, played by Stephan Graham.…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/12157"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}