Warning: This article contains spoilers for the finale of Peaky Blinders.
The finale of Peaky Blinders had a secret reference to the Last Supper, interestingly drawing parallels between Tommy and the messiah which might give a hint to his future. The final episode of Peaky Blinders season 6 had high expectations to meet after nearly 10 years of the show, and it did just that and more. With shocking twists and some old-fashioned Peaky Blinders fighting, it brought the mainline TV series to a powerful close.
Tommy's last point of duty before going away was to blow up his country estate, and his family home. This was to ensure he could finalize his political promise; that country estates would be converted into housing for working people. Not only was this a sign of him keeping his promise, but it symbolizes Tommy's move into another life. Peaky Blinders ending shows Tommy meeting his loved ones in the woods behind the estate, where he says his farewells to those who have been there since the beginning, and their seeming final meeting resembles something biblical.
The Shelby clan sit around a long table with a feast laid upon it, with Tommy in the middle, resembling Leonardo da Vinci's painting of ''The Last Supper.'' da Vinci's painting, famously, represents the Last Supper of Jesus with his apostles. In the scene, Jesus foretells that one of his apostles will betray him, and after this, he is tried, crucified, and then resurrected. Not only does the scene in Peaky Blinders resemble the painting in terms of imagery, but it also mirrors the biblical narrative. Tommy leaves his last supper to isolate himself, as he believes he's dying of tuberculoma and doesn't wish his family to see him deteriorate. In a shocking Peaky Blinders twist, he discovers in a newspaper he is burning that the doctor who diagnosed him attended the wedding of Oswald Mosley and Diana Mitford. All of this leads Tommy to uncover the fascist plot that saw him falsely diagnosed, as they hoped Tommy would pull the trigger on himself before getting seriously ill. Thus, Tommy discovers the betrayal, much like Jesus.
After threatening the doctor, Thomas Shelby returns to find his wagon burning with the portraits of his loved ones inside, including Grace, Aunt Polly, and Ruby. This is his crucifixion, his suffering. His resurrection is symbolized by him riding away on a white horse, cleansed of his past and reborn. This parallel is interesting given Tommy's rejection of Christian faith. However, he is seen numerous times in churches in Peaky Blinders, putting him closer to a Christian God than he might have thought. In the end, he became a messiah figure, something he had always rejected but that Peaky Blinders now embraces in its full narrative.
After Jesus' resurrection, he reveals himself to his loved ones and many witnesses. Given Arthur's fragile state and heartbreak at the possibility of losing both brothers, not even being able to face Tommy's goodbye, Tommy may reveal himself to him in the future to ease his sadness. In terms of Peaky Blinders' future, the franchise will return for a movie and Cillian Murphy is confirmed to return in some capacity as Tommy Shelby, meaning he could find Arthur.
Tommy's tuberculoma diagnosis meant that he had to say his goodbyes to the Shelby clan, and his meeting with his family looked eerily familiar.Courtney Mason