So it was in the Shelby family fight against New York-Sicilian mafioso Luca Changretta.
Against the odds, Tommys shrewd moves and a bullet from Arthur won it for the Peaky Blinders.
Victory came at a cost.
Pollys son Michael betrayed Tommy (or thought he had) and was sent away to America.
Peaky Blinders series 4: what happened?
Once out, the family fragmented.
Tommy lived between a city hotel and his country pile, isolated from, and mistrusted by them all.
At Christmas in 1925, necessity forced the Shelby family back together.
She wanted to emigrate to Australia with her son Michael, but he refused until the threat was over.
She made it look as though she was betraying Tommy to Luca in exchange for protection for Michael.
Really, Polly was in cahoots with Tommy and let him know when Luca planned to ambush him.
Luca approached bootlegger Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) with an offer to side with him against Tommy.
At the big boxing match, Arthur was attacked and garrotted by Lucas men.
Character rundown: where were they all left at the end?
Now Mr Thomas Michael Shelby OBE, MP.
Instead of Linda saving Arthurs soul, it seemed hed diseased hers.
(Naming her son after Karl Marx probably didnt help either.)
Tommy paid for a prostitute to take Finns virginity and encouraged him to acts of violence.
Who died in series four?
Shot dead on his doorstep on Christmas day by Changretta men.
Shot dead by Arthur Shelby in Tommys gin distillery in retribution for killing John Shelby.
He left behind a dog, Cyril.
Peaky Blinders series 5starts on Sunday the 25th of August at 9pm on BBC One.
