as Grace Burgess: An undercover agent working for Campbell who becomes Tommy's love interest. Where to Watch

When Peaky Blinders first aired on BBC Two in 2013, few could have predicted it would evolve into a global cultural phenomenon. Rewatching Season 1 today feels less like a pilot season and more like looking at a perfectly calibrated blueprint. The "index"—the coded DNA of themes, visual motifs, and character dynamics—established in those six episodes remains the gold standard for prestige crime drama.

The season is a masterclass in tension. Inspector Campbell, a ruthless Ulster policeman sent from Belfast to retrieve the guns, clashes with Tommy’s cold intellect. At the same time, Tommy falls for Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis), a barmaid who is secretly an undercover agent. The finale is a painful, beautiful resolution that sets the stage for five more seasons of chaos.

Season 1 introduces the Shelby family, a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps (hence the name). The season follows Tommy Shelby, the ambitious leader of the gang, as he schemes to move up in the world, all while being hunted by a ruthless police chief from Belfast.