A Thousand Blows: The Show That Improves On Peaky Blinders’ Representation

by

If you enjoyed Peaky Blinders, A Thousand Blows is a great next watch. It’s another strong historical drama from the same creator, Steven Knight, and it addresses one of the few weaknesses of the Peaky Blinders series. You really can’t go wrong rewatching Peaky Blinders either!

If you find yourself memorizing all the dialogue in a show, it might be time to find a new one. If you enjoy the work of creator Steven Knight, though, check out A Thousand Blows on Disney+. It’s another series from him with a fresh and interesting angle.

A Thousand Blows Is A Great Replacement Show For Peaky Blinders Fans

Image via Hulu

If you enjoyed Peaky Blinders, A Thousand Blows is a great next watch. This new historical drama, coming to Disney+ in 2025, is also set in London’s East End during the late 1800s. It tells the story of the Forty Elephants, a notorious all-female gang, and their leader, Mary Carr, played by Erin Doherty.

I was completely captivated by this film! It centers around the Forty Elephants, a notorious all-female gang who were masters of shoplifting and con artistry. They weren’t operating in a vacuum, though – they constantly butted heads with other criminal groups, most notably a crew run by this incredibly intimidating bare-knuckle boxing promoter named Henry “Sugar” Goodson, played brilliantly by Stephen Graham. What really struck me is how it has all the hallmarks of a classic Knight film – that unique storytelling flair – but tackles a subject you almost never see explored in fiction. It’s a really fresh and exciting take.

A Thousand Blows Is Returning For Season 2 In January

Image via Hulu

I was so excited when A Thousand Blows finally came out on Disney+ in February 2025! What was even more amazing was that Disney confirmed a second season before the first one had even finished airing. I heard that the show was originally planned as just a single, limited series, but the creator, Knight, was thrilled that Disney believed in the story enough to let it continue for multiple seasons. It’s great to see a show get that kind of support!

Season 2 of A Thousand Blows will begin streaming on January 9, 2026, picking up where the first season left off. Mary Carr returns to help save the Forty Elephants gang, while Sugar struggles with alcoholism and Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) attempts to redeem himself after a difficult fall.

A Thousand Blows Avoids A Key Character Problem With Peaky Blinders

Image via Hulu

While Peaky Blinders is a great show, even its biggest fans acknowledge that the portrayal of women could be better. The series does have some strong female characters, such as Polly, Ada, and Lizzie, but overall representation is an issue.

Okay, so the original series had a bit of a weak spot when it came to its female characters – after the first season, they didn’t really add many, and the ones they did introduce felt pretty flat or just didn’t stick around. But honestly, A Thousand Blows completely addresses that. It gives us a ton of really well-developed female roles, which honestly makes the world and the time period the creator is trying to show us feel so much richer and more complete. It’s a huge improvement!

Read More

2025-12-18 19:08