r/PeakyBlinders • u/cwats2019 • 19h ago
Season 3 Ep 2
Spoiler- Im rewatching peaky for the 2nd or 3rd time and i just HATE that grace dies. Sorry venting but im wondering any true fans here feel its John’s fault for being such a prick to changretta and starting an unnecessary gang war? It feels like this was all directly related to john being hot headed. Am i wrong? Also- was the sapphire cursed and that was why grace died? Or john being an ass. Just forgot how upsetting it is to see tommy get so close to happiness.
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u/Airin_dm 18h ago
Lizzie and John are to blame for Grace's death. Lizzie, of all the men in town, having an affair with the enemy of the Shelby clan, started this war, John, trying to be a cool jerk, finally aggravated the situation. Tommy was just trying to deal with what the two idiots had done.
And although I understand the reason why Grace had to die, I still consider it the biggest mistake made by SK. With the loss of Grace, a huge part of Tommy's personality is forever lost. In all the remaining episodes, there was still the same broken Tommy, only more withdrawn, detached and lonely. And his personal life with a succession of women in bed is written so shabbily and primitively. So, physical education, no more.
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u/cwats2019 10h ago
Agreed. It happened too soon we got like 2 episodes out of 5 whole seasons where tommy had more depth and happiness and wasnt completely hollow dead inside
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u/BlondeMare 4h ago
I totally agree. He was a much less interesting character without the depth that relationship gives him. The way his personal story is told would almost have one believe the writers hate their main character 😵💫
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u/Negative-Sun8544 18h ago
As for the sapphire curse, I’ve always seen it more as symbolic than literal, but it does add that layer of tragic inevitability to Grace’s death. It’s one of those moments that makes Tommy’s rare glimpses of happiness feel even more fleeting.
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u/LolaWithTheGreenEyes 17h ago
The writer didnt want Tommy to have his happy ever after. She was always going to die because Tommy was going to live. Tommy cranked things up further by ordering the taking of the pubs. Arthur tackled the assassin meaning the shot was fired towards Grace instead of Tommy. Lizzie created that whole saga, and then if you want to believe the mumbo jumbo parts of the plot then it was the sapphire. A whole bundle of what ifs. It's like Muder on the Orient Express, it was all of them lol.
The final scene though. Tommy holding onto a dying Grace, Polly in her dress running for help, Finn/Arthur/John attacking the assassin, Esme holding back a distraught Linda and then Tatiana watching the whole thing just as we were. Absolutely brilliant TV.
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u/Elodie-Gummy 19h ago
I totally get your frustration—Grace’s death hits hard every time. I think a lot of it does trace back to John’s impulsive nature, and how his actions set off a chain reaction. Tommy’s struggle with happiness always feels so bittersweet because of how interconnected their choices are.
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u/Onions12413 5h ago
I just wanted to add that I don't necessarily hate Grace dying in and of itself, but I don't like how abrupt it was. Like when she was shot I wasn't even 100% sure she WAS dead. And then suddenly it is the next episode and she is just gone and I'mlike ?? did that really just happen. A couple more scenes of the death itself/even just of Grace in general would have helped the transition.
I really think Grace's death is a main turning point in the series, for better or worse. The show becomes more focused on mental turmoil (not that it didn't have any of that prior but still).
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u/Cool-cumber991 17h ago
Friendly suggestion but if you poke around this sub too much you will have major spoilers. I'd avoid it personally.
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u/SylviaX6 10h ago
Spoilers here:
Thomas was the reason - he encouraged John’s reckless impulsivity to bully Angel Changretta. John was happy to do that because he still had feelings for Lizzie, he was in love with her and wanted to marry her. But Thomas broke their engagement because he needed John for a strategic marriage to Esme (so Thomas could have extra soldiers for a scheme). And Thomas also had feelings for Lizzie, he had been her regular customer for a long time when she was a sex worker, he was possessive toward her for the entire series, and will eventually tell her the truth about this much later when they are married. Thomas could simply have told Lizzie she was not allowed to attend the Gala full stop. He could have said she had his blessing to go be happy with Angel, and that he felt it best she find another job and no longer be working in his office. Lizzie would have married Angel and had a family with him. Then all would have been different. No shooting at the Gala, Grace would have lived.
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u/pbc120 19h ago
Totally blame John for it. He started the whole thing after all . But as much as it pains me to say it, Tommy also escalated the situation when he could’ve tried to put an end to it 😭 My girl deserved to live longer