Does Grace Die In Peaky Blinders? (How & When)

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Ever since the series premiered, Peaky Blinders has always been about a lot of different characters, even though it does focus a lot on Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby. However, another notable character introduced during the first season was Annabelle Wallis’ Grace Burgess, who ended up marrying Tommy later. However, those who are just getting into Peaky Blinders might be wondering what happens to Grace in the series. So, does Grace die in Peaky Blinders?

Grace dies in Peaky Blinders. This happens in 1924 during the events season 3 of the series when she and Tommy were at a formal party as a couple. However, she is shot by an Italian assassin that was meant to kill Tommy. Grace’s death forced Tommy to seek retribution for the demise of his wife.

While Grace was one of the favorites of Peaky Blinders fans during the first three seasons of the series, it was such a surprise for the showrunner to kill her off. Nevertheless, as we will later explore, you will understand why Grace’s death was such an important event not only for the series but also for Tommy’s character development.

Does Grace Die In Peaky Blinders?

It isn’t a secret that Peaky Blinders is a series about fictional characters that were created based on the events of a certain period of history, as we get to see different personalities in this series. Ever since the first season, one of the most interesting characters has always been Grace Burgess, who is portrayed by Annabelle Wallis.

Grace Burgess was first introduced as an Irish lady looking for a job at The Garrison Pub in Birmingham. Thanks to her singing, she was able to earn herself a job. It didn’t take a lot of time for her to become popular among the locals, who frequent the pub not only for drinks but also for her singing voice.

Of course, considering that Thomas Shelby, the main character of the series, frequently went to that pub as well, it didn’t take time for Grace to catch the eye of one of the leaders of the Peaky Blinders.

However, the truth was that Grace was installed in the pub as an undercover operative of the Birmingham Police, led by Inspector Campbell, who was hellbent on bringing in the members of the Peaky Blinders. Campbell installed Grace in the pub so that she could get close to Tommy. And by getting close to Tommy, Grace could learn secrets that the police could use against him.

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While the mission was something that was supposed to be professional on the part of Grace, she ended up falling for Tommy. At the same time, Tommy also ended up falling for him. This got in the way of Grace’s job, as she was only supposed to get close to the gangster. And when Tommy learned the truth about Grace, he was heartbroken as they went their separate ways after the end of the first season.

In season 2, Grace was re-introduced two years after the events of season 1 as someone who had married a man from New York. When she and Tommy were reunited, it was clear that they still had feelings for one another, and that led to Grace’s pregnancy as she eventually gave birth to Charles Shelby.

During the events between seasons 2 and 3, Grace and Tommy finally got married, which only became possible when Grace’s husband committed suicide. Nevertheless, their marriage allowed Grace and Tommy to finally be together and to start a family in their home in Birmingham.

However, a happy ending for the two was not going to happen. Grace ended up dying in the middle of the series, as viewers were heartbroken by the fact that one of their favorite characters died even before Peaky Blinders was at its peak.

So, yes, Grace is already dead in the current events of Peaky Blinders. However, still heartbroken and bothered by her death, Tommy often sees her in visions and hallucinates about his dead wife due to the guilt that he bore.

How Does Grace Die In Peaky Blinders?

During the events of season 3, Grace and Tommy were attending a formal party as a couple. However, what they didn’t know was that an assassin had been hired to kill Tommy right then and there due to some of the issues that the Peaky Blinders have with their rivals.

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However, instead of killing Tommy, the assassin ended up shooting Grace instead because she was the one who caught the bullet. Grace laid dying in Thomas Shelby’s arms during the events of season 3, episode 2.

Who Killed Grace In Peaky Blinders?

While it may have been an assassin that killed Grace in the events of season 3 of Peaky Blinders, it was ultimately the Italian Vicente Changretta, the secondary antagonist of the third season, that ordered the death of Tommy. However, instead of killing Tommy, the assassin ended up killing Grace instead. And this led to a quest for retribution on the part of Thomas Shelby.

Why Did Grace Have To Die In Peaky Blinders?

Fans certainly weren’t happy about the fact that Grace, one of the best characters of the series, had to die so early in season 3 of Peaky Blinders. This makes people wonder why the showrunner decided to kill her off and whether or not her death was actually necessary for the series to progress.

In that regard, the creator and showrunner, Steven Knight, said in an interview that Tommy wasn’t supposed to be happy.

“The point with Grace as that if she had lived, Tommy would have been happy,” Knight said. “He wasn’t meant to be happy.”

From that statement, it was clear that the direction of the season and the arc was for Tommy to go on to chase a personal quest for retribution and redemption by going after the ones responsible for the death of his wife.

Of course, having Grace around Tommy’s life meant that the series could have ended right then and there. She made him happy, and that meant that Thomas was probably willing to give up his life as a gangster for good as long as he was happy with Grace by his side.

But Grace’s death presented more opportunities for the series to progress, especially if you factor in how her death was what ultimately led to the events of the fourth season of Peaky Blinders. It was an important stage in the series, as it allowed the story to move on while Tommy’s character further developed into what it is at the current stage of Peaky Blinders.

Grace’s death also left a profound mark on Tommy’s life. He ended up marrying Lizzie in an arrangement that seemed to lack love but was great from a business perspective. However, in season 5, which takes place five years after Grace’s death in season 3, he was still visibly shaken by her death. 

Tommy’s mental health deteriorated as he became even more ruthless than he was in the past. But while his demeanor may suggest that he had everything under control, the truth was that he was falling deeper and deeper into his depressive state.

Will Grace Come Back In Season 6?

Fans of the series would be delighted to know that, even after Grace’s death, she still shows up every now and then. She often appears to Tommy as a hallucination because of the fact that the gangster was still shaken by her death and that he still loved her several years after she died.

This means that there is a possibility that she would make an appearance in the sixth season of the series. Of course, there were hints that came from Annabelle Wallis herself that she might make a return in season 6.

In an interview, Wallis said:

“I have a few very loyal friends in that Peaky Blinders gang that if I said anything, I think I would be in a lot of trouble…. As Cillian and I often say to each other, it’s really been the gift that keeps on giving. It’s become a world of its own. So, I’m excited about all of it.”

With that said, the fact that she never outright denied the possibility of her making a return in the series one way or another should get fans excited. That’s because there is a good chance that Grace may be making an appearance in season 6, regardless of whether it might be as a real person or as one of Tommy’s hallucinations.

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