{"id":13251,"date":"2022-04-04T15:53:06","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T13:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1620222"},"modified":"2022-04-04T16:11:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T14:11:40","slug":"finn-shelby-explained-what-happened-in-the-peaky-blinders-finale","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/finn-shelby-explained-what-happened-in-the-peaky-blinders-finale\/","title":{"rendered":"Finn Shelby explained \u2013 what happened in the Peaky Blinders finale?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Michael Hogan\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 04 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Farewell, then, Finn Shelby. Try not to let the Garrison Tavern door hit your backside on the way out.<\/p>\n

Amid all the blood-letting, caravan-burning and brain tumour twists, the Peaky Blinders<\/a> finale stealthily delivered a low blow \u2013 the surprise ostracising of Harry Kirton\u2019s Finn.<\/p>\n

So, why was the youngest Shelby brother on the naughty step? And what now for the fresh-faced flat cap-wearer? Here\u2019s our handy explainer of Finn\u2019s fate\u2026<\/p>

Why was Finn Shelby in Tommy\u2019s bad books?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Arthur and Finn Shelby Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd\/Robert Viglasky<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Loose lips sink Shelby ships. Remember season 5\u2019s shock finale, when the gang\u2019s assassination attempt on Oswald Mosley was fatally foiled? Well, the \u201cblack cat\u201d traitor might have been Irish bookmaker Billy Grade (Emmett J Scanlan), who tipped off the IRA, but it was foolish Finn who\u2019d blabbed the plan to big-mouthed Billy in the first place.<\/p>\n

The pair had fallen into sloppy habits at the betting shop, taking cocaine and drinking on the job. Their boozy bromance grew too close for comfort. Unforgivably, Finn had seemingly forgotten that some matters were strictly family business.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the series, hapless Finn had again proved a liability. A Chinese assassin disguised herself as a sex worker to honey-trap Finn and hold him at gunpoint with his pants down, enabling triad leader Brilliant Chang (Andrew Koji) to demand a meeting with Tommy about his pure refined opium.<\/p>\n

Now Finn\u2019s disliked new bride was wearing the tweed trousers in their marriage, ordering him not to partake of alcohol until after 6pm #whiskeyoclock. Tommy disapproved and further excluded his hen-pecked sibling by talking in Romani, a language Finn could barely understand \u2013 whereas Erasmus \u201cDuke\u201d Shelby (Conrad Khan) was fully fluent. In the battle of the young bucks, the new arrival was firmly in the ascendant. And he was about to do Tommy\u2019s brutal bidding.<\/p>\n

What was Finn Shelby\u2019s punishment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd\/Robert Viglasky<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption> BBC<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Banishment from the Shelby organisation and family fold. While Duke proved himself these past few weeks, Finn demonstrated that he was inept, unreliable and not to be trusted.<\/p>\n

Still thick as thieves with treacherous Billy \u2013 who by now was acting as inside informant to Boston-Irish mob boss Jack Nelson (James Frecheville) \u2013 the pair tipped up drunk (again) to Arrow House, ostensibly to recover vital documents and dig up bodies. Typically, Finn and Billy treated it as a party, a chance to drink the wine cellar dry and invite girls, rather than a piece of business.<\/p>\n

Taken into Tommy and Arthur\u2019s confidence, Duke and Isiah Jesus (Daryl McCormack) beat up Billy. They ordered Finn to shoot him. If he didn\u2019t, he could \u201cwalk away from this family for good\u201d. Shaken Finn showed his true colours, not just by furiously insulting Duke\u2019s mother but by turning the gun on Isiah and Duke. Rather than firing, though, it just dry-clicked.<\/p>\n

As advised by canny Charlie Strong (Ned Dennehy), Duke had emptied the first two chambers \u2013 enabling them to witness Finn\u2019s betrayal while remaining unscathed. His fate was sealed. Duke executed Billy, then told Finn he was excommunicated \u2013 by order of you-know-you. \u201cI will come for you,\u201d spat Finn as he departed in disgrace.<\/p>\n

Ickle Finn was always the odd one out. He hadn\u2019t fought alongside his elder siblings in the First World War trenches, with Arthur, Tommy and John forging the tight bond of brothers-in-arms. Their baby bro was seen as weak and wet behind the ears. Finn lacked the ruthlessness of a true Shelby. Or does he? He might now get a chance to prove otherwise.<\/p>\n

Why was Finn Shelby so underused in Peaky Blinders season 6?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Finn with Isiah (Daryl McCormack) and Billy Grade (Emmett J Scanlan) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd\/Robert Viglasky<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

For the first few episodes of this swansong series, the mystery of mute Finn became a mild obsession amongst the Peaky fandom. He\u2019d been briefly glimpsed among the mourners at Polly and Ruby\u2019s funerals but otherwise was a fringe figure. When stand-in boss Ada (Sophie Rundle) needed someone to accompany drug-addled Arthur to Liverpool Docks, it was notable that she chose Finn\u2019s contemporary Isiah, without even seeming to consider her little brother.<\/p>\n

Had actor Harry Kirton fallen out of favour? Had he somehow lost his voice, perhaps due to COVID? Had Finn turned to mime, like a sort of Midlands Marcel Marceau? Was he simply being left on the cutting room floor to make room for more shots of Cillian Murphy\u2019s icy blue eyes and sculptural cheekbones?<\/p>\n

Finn finally got some scenes in last week\u2019s penultimate episode. First, Tommy announced at a family summit that Finn had married his sweetheart \u2013 and London railway station soundalike \u2013 Mary Bone (Abbie Hern). Somewhat cruelly, this was met with widespread indifference.<\/p>\n

Tommy duly brought out and introduced long-lost son Duke, which caused much more of a stir \u2013 putting Finn\u2019s nose further out of joint. Later in the episode, it was Finn who brought the problem of the bribe-resistant football referee to Arthur. Once again, someone else had to take responsibility. Finn had become a bystander, rather than a problem-solver.<\/p>\n

After what we learned in the finale, we can retrofit this string of snubs as deliberately sidelining someone who Tommy and his loyal lieutenants had decided wasn\u2019t steadfast enough. With regret, Finn, you\u2019re fired. Thank you for the opportunity, Lord Shelby.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Finn Shelby?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Conrad Khan as Duke Shelby<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd\/Robert Viglasky<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

His feud with Duke looks like being picked up in the forthcoming feature film. Don\u2019t be surprised if the narrative leapfrogs forward a few years to the Second World War, with Finn and Duke both in their 20s \u2013 the prime demographic for joining the army or, indeed, staying home in Blighty and making a mint on the black market. A time-jump might also bring Tommy\u2019s son Charles (Billy Jenkins) into the equation as the next-gen Peaky Blinders scrap for supremacy.<\/p>\n

Finn didn\u2019t get much action in this series but his story looks far from over. Finn \u2013 but not fin?<\/em><\/p>\n