10 Problems Nobody Wants To Admit About Peaky Blinders

He was a fan favourite yes, but he was also a character who had the exact same storyline in each season he was in and made the character boring. Bringing him back doesn't change that so much as it does ram the point home

There is a lot to love about Tom Hardy's performance as notorious double-crosser Alfie Solomans, but as charming as "The Wandering Jew" may have been to watch on screen, his inclusion in each series since has felt very forced and becomes almost entirely predictable.

From seasons 2-4, Alfie's sole purpose seemed to be that of aiding Tommy Shelby for a brief period of time, before sticking a knife in his back and conveniently betraying him, so the decision to end that particularly frustrating narrative cycle in season 4 and have Tommy kill him seemed like as good a way to close that loop as any.

But no, Alfie somehow makes a miraculous return in season 5 beating not only cancer but also the bullet which was supposed to have killed him, giving even Tommy's plot armour a run for its money.

Even in the scenario that it would seem impossible for Alfie to betray Tommy, by taking on an enemy so disgustingly vile and mutual that there is no way he could possibly betray him, I wouldn't hold my breath to find out that's exactly what Alfie did again.

The return of Tom Hardy was completely unnecessary and feels far too convenient, and the impact the characters return actually made (so far) was minimal to the plot, feeling more like fan-service from a show that's running out of ideas.