This article contains substantial spoilers for Peaky Blinders Season 6.
After Helen McCrory’s untimely death in April 2021, viewers of the critically renowned BBC period crime thriller Peaky Blinders were left wondering how the show will continue without the beloved Aunt Polly.
Her demise was a major disappointment.
Season 6 of Peaky Blinders had several fatalities, but none more tragic than Aunt Polly’s.
So, how exactly did Polly perish? What does it mean? Read on.
When Polly Died in Peaky Blinders, How Did It Happen?
At the beginning of the sixth and final season, the news is disclosed that Polly, the patriarch of the Gray family, has died unexpectedly.
In the inaugural episode of season 6, it is revealed that Aunt Polly was killed off-screen by the Irish Republican Army during the attempted assassination of Oswald Mosley (played by Sam Claflin) in the season 5 finale.
The show’s first five minutes are taken up with Laura “Captain Swing” McKee’s (Charlene McKenna) phone call to underworld leader Tommy (Cillian Murphy), in which she informs him that the IRA foiled his attack and killed two of his associates: Barney Thompson (Cosmo Jarvis) and Polly’s fiancé, Aberama Gold. Once Tommy learns that the IRA was responsible for Barney Thompson’s death, he becomes quite angry (Aidan Gillen).
After telling Tommy that Mosley needs to stay healthy for whatever reason, she abruptly ends the call.
Then, a truck arrives at Tommy’s house, unloading three bodies covered in burial cloths; Tommy unwraps Barney and Aberama first, then the third, and starts to scream.
Both Barney and Aberama had shared the same grave. Michael, Polly’s son, played by Finn Cole, quickly moves the action to the funeral where he vows vengeance on Tommy for his father’s involvement in the death of his mother. To some extent, Tommy contributed to Polly’s untimely demise.
Although Polly’s death is established early on, she maintains a significant part throughout Peaky Blinders.
Throughout Season 6, which is told entirely in flashbacks, Michael and Tommy have numerous talks with her from the past.
Helen Mccrory Passed Away in April of 2021 Due to Complications From Breast Cancer.
Helen McCrory passed away on April 16, 2021, from breast cancer. Her husband, actor Damian Lewis, announced her death on Twitter.
He said, “It is with great sadness that I share the news that Helen McCrory, the beautiful and magnificent lady that is Helen McCrory, has died quietly at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family, after a valiant struggle with cancer.”
A beautiful and strong woman named Helen McCrory has passed away at home after a courageous battle with cancer.
Just as she had lived, she died. Fearlessly. We consider it a great fortune to have her as a part of our lives, and we love her very much.
This 51-year-old actor from “Billions” thought she was “dazzling” because of how much she gleamed. Little One, we are so grateful to you. Please take off into the sky.
The Guardian reports that only a small group of people knew of Helen’s illness.
A theatre director and close friend of the late actress, Carrie Cracknell, stated in a radio tribute that the actress “swore people to secrecy” while she was seeking treatment for her illness.
“I totally get why Helen wanted to keep her condition a secret. Carrie made this observation on the BBC’s Today show: “When you spend your life in the public eye, you have to construct a little enclave where you can keep the things that are just for you safe.
Carrie continued, saying that Helen faced her cancer “with a level of bravery and humour that was completely extraordinary,” and that Helen’s “need to be fully alive and committed and to take things incredibly seriously,” including her family and charity work, “defined her last few years for her as much as ever.”
Helen faced her cancer “with a level of humour that was just amazing,” Carrie said. That happened, and it was remarkable.
All six seasons of Peaky Blinders are currently available on Netflix.
Helen McCrory passed away on April 16, 2021, from breast cancer. Her husband, actor Damian Lewis, announced her death on Twitter.
He said, “It is with great sadness that I share the news that Helen McCrory, the beautiful and magnificent lady that is Helen McCrory, has died quietly at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family, after a valiant struggle with cancer.”
A beautiful and strong woman named Helen McCrory has passed away at home after a courageous battle with cancer.
Just as she had lived, she died. Fearlessly. We consider it a great fortune to have her as a part of our lives, and we love her very much.
This 51-year-old actor from “Billions” thought she was “dazzling” because of how much she gleamed. Little One, we are so grateful to you. Please take off into the sky.
The Guardian reports that only a small group of people knew of Helen’s illness. A theatre director and close friend of the late actress, Carrie Cracknell, stated in a radio tribute that the actress “swore people to secrecy” while she was seeking treatment for her illness.
“I totally get why Helen wanted to keep her condition a secret. Carrie made this observation on the BBC’s Today show: “When you spend your life in the public eye, you have to construct a little enclave where you can keep the things that are just for you safe.
Carrie continued, saying that Helen faced her cancer “with a level of bravery and humour that was completely extraordinary,” and that Helen’s “need to be fully alive and committed and to take things incredibly seriously,” including her family and charity work, “defined her last few years for her as much as ever.”
Helen faced her cancer “with a level of humour that was just amazing,” Carrie said. That happened, and it was remarkable.
All six seasons of Peaky Blinders are currently available on Netflix.
Conclusion
Tommy’s old army buddy Barney Thompson is the man he enlists at the last minute to kill Mosley at a political gathering as the fifth and final season comes to a close.
While this is going on, Polly’s fiance, Gypsy gangster Aberama Gold, has plotted to kill McCavern backstage. At the last minute, however, Gold and Thompson are murdered by masked men who seemingly appear out of nowhere.
At the start of the premiere episode of Season 6, Tommy gets a call from McKee. Despite McKee’s best efforts, the I.R.A. managed to stop his assassination attempt by saying, “We need to keep Mr. Mosley alive,” in a mysterious manner.
All the information you require has been provided. A vehicle then pulls up to his house and dumps Gold’s, Thompson’s, and a third body onto the ground, all of them covered in burial cloths.
As Tommy begins to dissect the body, we are treated to flashbacks to Polly’s formative years. She was killed off-screen as a form of revenge for his manipulations, and her death was meant to drive him to his knees.
A Gypsy funeral is held for Polly, and her body is burned in the caravan. Michael vows to get even with Tommy for killing Polly, whom he holds responsible for her demise.