‘Peaky Blinders’: Fans Completely Missed These Hidden Easter Eggs in the Episodes

'Peaky Blinders' is coming back for season 6, and fans should catch up with these hidden secrets found in the show episodes.

by Lauren Weiler

Published on January 19, 2021

3 min read

The ‘Peaky Blinder’ set designers said there are secrets in the windows

Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby in ‘Peaky Blinders’ | Netflix

A ton of work went into the set design for Peaky Blinders. The show is set in 1919 Birmingham, England, after the war, and the gloomy atmosphere depicts how the Shelbys and the locals are feeling. And there are plenty of Easter eggs for fans the set designers Nicole Northridge and Jonnie Mead left behind.

The Garrison Tavern is a mainstay on the show, and the tavern eventually gets stained glass windows. And there’s an image in the glass showing a bear with a staff. Northridge explained to Den of Geek that the writers wanted this to be a nod to Tommy, Arthur, and John Shelby’s time in WWI. “The stained glass is a connection to his regiment,” Northridge noted. Also, the fact that the glass motif surrounds Tommy frequently is a nod to his PTSD that’s never left him since returning from the war.

The white and black horse motif carries through ‘Peaky Blinders’

Aside from the glass, there’s also a horse motif for Tommy. The Shelby Gin Distillery uses a white horse for its logo, and it’s also painted on the back wall of the Garrison. Not only that, but Tommy’s office has a picture of a white horse.

In season 5, it’s a black horse that haunts Tommy. His racehorse, Dangerous, was a black horse he shot, and the black horse returns in dark imagery in his mind, Den of Geek reminds us.

Tommy Shelby had notable books on his desk

It looks like there was a lot hidden on Tommy’s desk. Screen Rant notes Shelby appeared to be a book lover, as he always had plenty of literature amongst his personal belongings. In one scene, he clearly has The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud in view. This seems to be a nod to his PTSD-induced nightmares that occur in each season.

Not only that, but Tommy has a copy of William Shakespeare’s Richard II. The play focuses on King Richard, who begins the play happily on his throne. Chaos soon follows, though, and a trial by battle occurs. This could be a nod to Tommy’s continuous ups and downs he has as the leader of the family gang.

Tommy Shelby kept an important World War I gift

There are plenty of other, more obvious Easter eggs throughout the series, but fans would easily miss this one. Screen Rant note Tommy has a brass tin sitting on his desk at the Shelby Company. This seems to be a gift from his time in the war.

Back in 1914, a Princess Mary gift box filled with chocolate and cigarettes was given to every soldier of the British Empire for Christmas, Imperial War Museums explains. Because Tommy still has so many memories of his time serving, it makes perfect sense as to why he would keep the gift box. This was clearly the perfect touch by set designers to show how this small act of kindness would be something Tommy holds close to his chest.

Alfie Solomons has secrets in the tile of his house

Alfie Solomons is played masterfully by Tom Hardy. While fans think Alfie is dead in the end, he miraculously returns to a new place where Tommy can visit him. And it seems he has a few Easter eggs in his flooring.

Screen Rant notes Alfie’s apartment has “Lethe” spelled into his apartment tiles. In Greek, the word means “concealment,” and Lethe is also the Greek spirit of forgetfulness. Fans never know where Alfie stands in the series when it comes to Tommy and the rest of the Shelbys, as he’s notoriously sneaky, so his tiling seems to fit him perfectly.