Peaky Blinders concluded last night with a feature-length series finale that brought a close to a somewhat middling and controversial final season. But if you’re among fans who think season six was way too dramatic — compared to the gangster show’s previous action-packed outings — to be exciting, then franchise newcomer Conrad Khan is here to dissuade you of that line of thought.
The young British actor, known for appearing in The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Black Mirror, recently had a chat with Digital Spy, where he addressed criticisms that the final Peaky Blinders run leaned way too much into the inner workings of Tommy’s criminal empire, reminding everyone that episode 5, “The Road to Hell,” probably had the most gratuitous scene in the entire show.
“I mean, episode five was quite exciting. The garrotting scene in the bath, that was one of the most violent scenes I’ve seen, certainly in the series. But I study film. I study it at uni. I’ve done it for a year-and-a-half. And some of the films we have to watch are a little bit boring. They’re two-and-a-half-hour, black-and-white, silent, 1920s, very abstract.
Conrad took on the role of Duke Shelby, the surprise child of Tommy, whom he apparently sired before going to the frontlines of the Great War. The actor further explains why he doesn’t mind when the narrative takes things at its own pace.
“So, I don’t mind going into somebody’s internal, emotional state for an hour. But I guess the show is built on action and excitement. So I can see why some people might think that. But for me, I don’t mind it, actually.”
If you’ve indeed noticed an off-putting lack of action and excitement in the sixth season, then waste no time watching last night’s finale, because it definitely incorporated enough of those stirring elements to keep everyone at the edge of their seats.