[SPOILER WARNING] British Crime drama series, Peaky Blinders Season 6, has made fans emotional with the traditional end credits scene which serves as the perfect tribute to the great English actress Helen McCrory and her character Polly Gray. Helen McCrory passed away from cancer in 2021 at the age of 52 giving fans some of her great roles in The Queen, Hugo, and the Harry Potter franchise, but BBC period crime series Peaky Blinders became one of the best roles of her career.

Helen McCrory
English Actress Helen McCrory

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Polly Gray was one of the best characters in the show who is the matriarch of the Shelby Family. She is loved by fans due to her witty and sassy attitude. Being the unofficial head of the Shelby Family, she often advised her nephews on the gang’s business. She was a central and important figure in the show, and despite her absence in season 6, she will still play an important role in the season 6 narrative.

How Peaky Blinders Gave A Tribute To Helen McCrory and Polly Gray

Helen McCrory as Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders
Helen McCrory as Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders

Also Read: Peaky Blinders Cast: Then vs Now

At the end of season 5, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) plans to assassinate the British fascist Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin) while taking out the threat from the Glasgow Billy Boys in one throw. However, Tommy’s shooter, Barney Thompson (Cosmo Jarvis), and Polly’s fiancé, Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen), both get killed before Oswald. At the beginning of season 6, titled “Black Day,” it is revealed that they were killed by the IRA who wanted to keep Mosley alive while killing Polly Gray as part of “restructuring” the Shelby Corporation. The Shelby family and their allies then hold a traditional funeral for Polly in the woods.

Also Read: Cillian Murphy & Co Missed Helen McCrory On Set of Peaky Blinders

This episode has an end-credits scene that opens with a title card that reads “Dedicated to the memory of Helen McCrory OBE ‘Polly Gray.’” The credits had only the sounds of birdsong and occasional windchimes. That sound is intentionally been used which is used to portray that Polly Gray is out and traveling on her own. In folklore, birds are a symbol of freedom, while the windchimes are sometimes seen on the caravans in the series. The end credits by contrast are a fitting tribute to both Polly Gray and Helen McCrory.

Peaky Blinders Creator Gave A Tribute to The British Actress By Killing Off Her Character

Helen McCrory
Peaky Blinders gives a tribute to the late Helen McCrory 

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In an interview with EW, show creator Steven Knight was initially considering Polly Gray’s absence as “the idea that Polly’s alive but she’s gone to America or something wasn’t right.” Instead, he decided that killing off her character would be the more honorable thing to do and this is the reason Polly Gray’s death is revealed early on in the new season. “We wanted to pay tribute to the character and hopefully the actor at the same time, so we wanted that to be part of the show.” He added, “I think Helen would’ve wanted us to continue with the influence of Polly,” Knight continued. “She is still a very strong influence on Tommy, and therefore the whole thing. Her death is a catalyst for a lot of stuff that happens, all the way up to the end of episode 6.”

Peaky Blinders is available on Netflix.

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