It's liquid opium. In that form, back then they called it Laudanum. It's basically an old pain medication. Available without prescription until the early 1900's depending on where you were. Very common. You see it mentioned in lots of period movies like Tombstone, etc.
Yep, opium dissolved in alcohol. And heroin was used back then as a cough suppressant even in children-can’t cough if you’re not breathing, right? 🙃 Those old timey medicines were no joke.
Arianna, I just wanted to clear something up in your conclusion at the end of the episode. The Billy Boys were not the IRA, they kind of represent a sectarian opposite to the IRA. The IRA being on the Catholic side of the sectarian battle, The Billy Boys being a Scottish gang representative of the Protestant side. Also take note of something said earlier in the episode about The Billy Boys being used as muscle in Fascist rallies. I noticed in the last episode you said that you found Oswald Mosley scary, which is a testament to the acting talent of Sam Claflin. This was a real person who is infamous in British political history. For the purposes of this series it might be worth getting a little background information on him so that some of the narrative payoffs may provide more context for you.
This season brings forward the worst of the worst. The most evil of the adversaries Tommy ever faces. And I still hate them, just seeing them, or even thinking about them, especially as time goes on. And because they are based on real people.
with that (at least to me) it becomes incredibly tense and takes the first spot of all the seasons, I just love the darkness of it, also soundtrack, especially these guitar riffs are great
For me it was probably that kid they payed some money to take the fall for a crime one of them committed. He had his throat cut in prison by those who wanted to send the Peakys a message.
@@rythmverma9780 I think it was definitely a euphemism. Tommy can get away with saying that without Michael cottoning on because Michael wouldn't have seen the film The Godfather yet which would be released about 40 years later. A reference specifically for the modern day viewers to get, but which Michael would have no way of knowing about.
The Billy Boys were real, the Irish that fled the potato famine didn't just go to the US but also to every port city in the UK one of which was Glasgow. The local working class protestant lads didn't take kindly to the new catholic refuges, the Billy Boys (named after William of Orange) were Protestant football hooligans who became one of the bigest razor gang in the uk, they were anti-catholic and fascist and built links with other UK fascist groups like UVF in Belfast and Mosley's British Union of Fascists.
I mean Tommy marries because the kids. I think he would've gone for May if Grace wasn't pregnant. Tommy loves family above all and he wants to keep his children part of the family.
Tommy would have hated May soon enough. He's not the kind of guy who changes his ways for love or whatever, and he clearly doesn't get along with people who come from old money and respectable families who have an air of superiority about them. that one scene in season 4 when he gets really pissed at may for a single comment should have told you that
Laudanum. They found empty bottles of it all over Edgar Alan Poe's apartment after they found him face down in a gutter in Baltimore and not breathing. Of course he never breathed again.
This episode does show that Johnny dogs was always so loyal to Tommy since he valued money and money is what Tommy paid more n more to Johnny every time he had work. And also Johnny's a gypsy too
I agree completely. I really liked Michael and was wildly disappointed when he didn't tell Tommy. When he didn't sell before the collapse of Wall Street I just felt disgusted by him.
@Diegesis very true. But the crazy flames and giant explosions? A grenade inside is bad news. A grenade 10ft from you outside if you hit the deck? Nothing. A ringing in your ears. A landmine? Hurt foot, leg. But you live.
I never get the stance that Lizzie is saying she didn't know what she was getting into - Lizzie isn't saying "she didn't know these men", Lizzie is saying she wants better - both for her and the kids. There's nothing wrong with a mother wanting a safer life - and assurance of a financial future - for her children.
While I agree with this statement, Lizzie did choose this for herself. While she wants them to change, men like Thomas hardly change, and she should've known that, the best she should do is leave with her kid
I believe the issue with lizzie is if you knew the type of man you were marrying from front and back like a book why would anyone expect these men to change tho? lizzie knew what type of man the shelby's are and the life that they've chosen for themselves after the war. if any woman were have a child with someone like a thomas, arthur or john and expect them to change whilst knowing who and what they are, i would then firmly assume their ability of foresight, problem solving and accepting accountability is lacking. literally anyone else in birmingham would've been a better fit than oh idk the eye slicing, face cutting, father/son murdering gangsters. shelbys are literal walking red flags (i love them as characters) but ppl ignore those flags cause they're attractive englishmen in dapper suits. lizzie married a man who is struggling with ptsd from a war and chose to be a gangster afterwards. if i ever met a walking red flag id be sure as hell wouldn't be eager to have a kid with them and sure as shit wouldn't expect them to change.
I think a lot of people are failing to understand the time period + economic status. Yeah, lizzie "picked" Tommy, but she also got pregnant. During this time in history abortion was not only very unsafe, it was very morally contentious because of how highly religious everyone was. Take into account she was also poor her entire life and had to be a prostitute and it was Tommy who not only gave her an opportunity to never be a prostitute again, as well as lifting her out of poverty and then knocking her up. Seems like a pretty easy choice to "pick" Tommy, especially when asked, what are her other options? Season 1 she was going to marry John, Tommy wouldn't allow it and then found John a new wife. Then she was dating the Changrata guy, and that started an entire war that led to John dying. Ontop of that, yeah, it's easy to say Tommy was a bad "pick" but in Birmingham at that time period, everyone was either poor or corrupt and as the show has already clearly demonstrated there's not much class mobility, those who were born poor typically stayed poor and those who were industrious and escaped poverty were rarely allowed to forget the class they were born into. imo Lizzie didn't pick Tommy, Tommy picked Lizzie, and Lizzie didn't really have any other options, and now that she has a child, she's more conflicted than ever before.
Just for your information, Al Jolson's blackface actually helped the Black folks quite a bit. I'd even argue that we would have lost quite a lot of steps of human progress had he not done it.
lizzie : * sticks by tommy until the very end * some lame a$$ person in the comments - lizzie is the most annoying person on the show NO SHE IS NOT. In season 5 she was frustrated with Tommy, just like everyone else was. She is not annoying for wanting a safer life for her family. she is a mother for God's sake. and this whole 'she chose this life herself' argument does not work on lizzie because WHO do you think you are talking about? she was born and bred in a difficult life from the very beginning in dangerous environments. and despite the mild annoyance she sometimes expresses (for very valid reasons), she NEVER abandons Tommy until he ultimately does something unforgivable. Tommy wouldn't have just kept her around if he didn't value her too. He fcks around, and i dont think he loves lizzie in the fairytale kind of way, but he cares, he's emotionally stunted at this point but somewhere deep down he cares (ref: season 6 dialogues), and most importantly, he trusts her. always has. she was the person who kept him sane after grace's death and she was the person who took care of things when things got rough with the family. she raised charles like her own son and even polly, ada and arthur love her. the lizzie hate is so forced and one of the most obnoxious things i have ever seen people in the fandom do. please grow up. she is allowed to feel angry when there is reason to be. doesn't make her annoying. only more interesting
