While Peaky Blinders fans have endured countless heartbreaking deaths throughout the show’s run, none have been as devastating as Grace Shelby’s. So, does Grace die in Peaky Blinders? Played by Annabelle Wallis, Grace was introduced in the first episode of the historical true-crime drama series Peaky Blinders, working in a pub called The Garrison. Throughout her time on the show, Grace became a fan favorite, making the showrunner’s decision to have Grace die in Peaky Blinders even more shocking.
In the British period drama Peaky Blinders, Grace was secretly an undercover spy for the Birmingham police tasked with getting close to Peaky Blinders leader Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). The pair eventually fell in love, but when Tommy discovered her initial motives, they separated for two years. In Peaky Blinders season 2, Grace is reintroduced into Tommy’s life as wed to another man, but their feelings remain the same, leading them to end up having a child together and getting married. Grace and Tommy’s happiness doesn’t last long, though: in Peaky Blinders season 3, episode 2, she is shot by an assassin hired by Vicente Changretta, and Grace dies in Peaky Blinders.
Why Grace Shelby Dies In Peaky Blinders
While Grace dies in Peaky Blinders in a massively shocking way, it was the only way for the show to continue. Speaking to fans, creator Steven Knight stated that the creative reasoning behind Grace’s death was simply that Tommy wasn’t supposed to be happy (via Reddit). If Grace were to remain alive, Tommy would have felt satisfied with his life and probably stepped away from the Peaky Blinders, but her death gave him a reason to be angry and seek retribution.
Additionally, there was a narrative justification for Grace dying in Peaky Blinders. Grace’s death gave Tommy’s character more emotional depth, allowing viewers to sympathize with his obvious grief and guilt. Grace often manifested as a ghostly hallucination as the show progressed, even appearing before Tommy as he attempted to take his own life in the season 5 finale. However, she was notably absent from Peaky Blinders‘ final season.
Why Grace’s Ghost Didn’t Return In Peaky Blinders Season 6
Grace’s ghost didn’t return in the final season of Peaky Blinders because Tommy Shelby had finally reached the start of his redemption arc after being brought down to his lowest point. After years of struggling with an opium addiction that contributed to his guilt and hallucinations of Grace, he finally doesn’t feel a need to join her in death. This, in turn, ties in with the rest of Tommy’s arc throughout Peaky Blinders season 6, with the show ending with him seemingly turning away from his life of crime and leaving the Peaky Blinders empire in the hands of his son, Charles, and Arthur.
While Grace’s story has seemingly come to a close when Grace dies in Peaky Blinders, Tommy still has a long way to go if his character is to receive a proper redemption arc. With many unanswered questions from the ending of Peaky Blinders season 6, particularly regarding Tommy’s sanity, much more needs to be done to complete his story. However, with a spinoff movie of Peaky Blinders currently in the works, fans won’t have to wait much longer for more Tommy Shelby.
What The Grace Shelby Actress Has Done Since Peaky Blinders
Since Grace dies in Peaky Blinders, actress Annabelle Wallis has had plenty of time on her hands to continue her career — which has gone from strength to strength since Grace Shelby was written off the show. Directly after Peaky Blinders, Wallis joined the Dark Universe by starring as archeologist Jenny Halsey in The Mummy reboot in 2016. In that same year, she also played the role of Maggie in Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
The actress got another leading role in 2018 in the comedy Tag as Rebecca Crosby, opposite the likes of comedy legends Ed Helms and Jake Johnson. She was also in the SHOWTIME miniseries The Loudest Voice as head of booking at Fox News Channel Laurie Luhn. Yet another leading role for Annabelle Wallis, she featured in the James Wan horror film Malignant as the protagonist Madison. Most recently, Wallis appeared in the Christmas comedy Silent Night, alongside Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode. So, despite being killed off in Peaky Blinders, it looks like Annabelle Wallis isn’t slowing down any time soon.
Could Grace Ever Return To Peaky Blinders?
The Peaky Blinders Grace death may have been a turning point for Thomas Shelby but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be a way for him to come back from it. Ever since losing Grace, Tommy has had hallucinations of her suggesting it is the one thing that haunts him more than anything else he has done. This has led some fans to feel Tommy’s path to redemption lies in the reveal that Grace is not really dead. The Peaky Blinders season 1 cliffhanger also suggested at Grace’s death only for that to be revealed as a fake-out. Before falling for Tommy, Grace was a successful secret agent who could conceivably stage her own death if needed.
Some of the theories suggest that Grace faked her death because she is still working undercover. Others theorize that she did it to protect her family from outside forces who were threatening them. These ideas may sound outlandish but even actor Annabelle Wallis praised the imaginative fans (via Digital Spy). She admitted “exciting to see people get inspired that way, and long for the characters that way” and also insisted “I’m open to them.” While Wallis did not return in the final season of the show, the Peaky Blinders movie could show these theories had validity and that Tommy could finally find peace from Grace’s Peaky Blinders death.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
