Peaky Blinders Series 6 finale praised by fans

After six seasons charting the rise of the Shelby gang, Peaky Blinders has finally ended with an epic feature-length episode.

The period-gangster drama fronted by Cillian Murphy in the role of the sharp-dressed Tommy Shelby has become a massive hit for the BBC.

But with so many popular series suffering from disappointing finale syndrome – Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Line of Duty to name a few – could it possibly live up to the hype?

Of course this time it isn’t really the end, with a spinoff feature film expected to go into production next year.

Speaking to the Radio Times, director Anthony Byrne had promised fans to expect things to end in a blaze of glory.

With a running time of 81 minutes, the BBC news was pushed back to 10.22pm for one night only.

"It feels very, very different to the rest of the season. It feels very, very different to anything we've done before. It's very epic in scope. It feels like a film – it's a kind of dry run for the feature film," he said. 

Show creator Steven Knight also hinted that the upcoming movie would tell an "untold story that happened in the Second World War, which the Peakys are going to be involved in".

While some had criticised the pace of Season 6, he said it had been “a character piece about the darkness of Tommy Shelby’s soul” and that he was happy to challenge audience expectations.

So without giving away any spoilers, just how did viewers and critics rate Sunday night’s spectacular?

One viewer commented: “Wow this series has been a slow burner but I’m glad I stuck with it. This final episode is just amazing. Couldn’t have been a more perfect ending”.

Another said: “What an ending to a boring series! Best episode of season six...roll on the Peaky Blinders film.”

Looking forward to the film, Sinn Fein senator Niall Ó Donnghaile said: “Well it ain’t over that’s for sure.”

One fan overcome with emotion added: “I thought I’d feel distraught and upset but I actually feel so at peace and content. This was a beautiful episode with such a poetic ending. It definitely feels like the begging of something, not the end.”

With the last ever Sunday night Peaky Blinders over, a post on the BBC’s Twitter account said: “Thank you to all the incredible fans who have been part of the journey over the last ten years. We couldn’t have done it without your support. Now we peaky blinders rest.”