Abhiroop Das
Directed by Tom Harper, Netflix’s ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man‘ pits Kaulo right in the middle of the ever-complicated dynamic between Tommy and Duke. In the five years since the father and son went their separate ways, Birmingham finds itself eroding in the face of war and decadence. Where Ada fails to bring her brother back to the city, however, Kaulo succeeds. Her way calls to the cyclical nature of this universe, which has a history of being particularly rough on the Shelbys. With this period crime drama movie, however, Tommy has a chance to alter fate and save Duke from certain doom, and it is Kaulo who paves the way ahead. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kaulo Hypnotizes the Narrative of Peaky Blinders as the Shelbys’ Guiding Light
With only a handful of appearances in ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man,’ Kaulo Chiriklo establishes herself as one of the most narratively significant characters in the larger universe, both as an enigma and a solution to the Shelbys’ generational curse of being. Introduced as the mysterious Gypsy queen who sets up shop right next to Tommy’s isolated estate, she is immediately set up as the natural foil to the Rom Baro, or the “Gypsy King,” that is Tommy Shelby. While he takes on a life of reclusiveness, however, Kaulo slowly develops her power the best way she knows how to: by wrestling with people’s minds. Between the series and its sequel film, there is no conclusive answer as to whether magic is real in ‘Peaky Blinders,’ and Kaulo’s existence alone obfuscates the argument further.
It should be noted that Rebecca Ferguson isn’t just playing Kaulo, but also her twin sister and Tommy’s former partner, Zelda Chiriklo. As we know, Zelda dies before the events of the series, and because we are never quite shown her face, Rebecca is retroactively embodying one of the most symbolically relevant presences in the story. Both the major and minor differences between the two sisters are brought forth in a single body, due to Kaulo’s claims of being a psychic who can read minds and inhabit bodies. In a flash, she seemingly takes on the mind and mannerisms of Zelda, has sex with Tommy, and redirects him on the path of rescuing Duke and dying in his stead.
While Kaulo’s abilities almost seem convincing because of how she somehow knows his deepest thoughts, we know that Tommy is not one to believe her as easily. In the end, it is revealed that he has simply been allowing their mental game of chess to proceed, as somewhere down the line, he made the decision to give up on his life for his son’s sake. Where Kaulo fits into this scheme, however, is by joining hands with Duke and essentially becoming the co-leader of Birmingham. Within the span of a single film, she goes from controlling a Gypsy tribe to getting the reins of all of Birmingham. The only thing we don’t know yet is what she truly desires out of this new equation, and whether she is a real ally of her nephew to begin with.
Rebecca Ferguson is Likely to Become Polly’s Spiritual Successor in the Spin-off Series
Given that ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ effectively serves as the build-up to her character, there is a very good chance of Rebecca Ferguson joining the franchise for its spin-off sequel, which has been green-lit for two seasons as of writing. From what we know, this sequel, also led by writer-creator Steven Knight, is set in the 1950s and details the post-war, waning era of the Peaky Blinders. Based on the movie’s ending, Duke is presumably still at the helm, but Kaulo’s involvement pushes things into the realm of uncertainty. In a role that is eerily reminiscent of Lady Jessica in ‘Dune,’ Ferguson essays the calculated, but also sensitive Kaulo with an infectious energy, and is likely to continue doing so in the future.
As if Ferguson’s likely return as Kaulo isn’t enough, fans can also expect her to step back into the shoes of Zelda, by means of Kaulo’s psychic shenanigans. From what we see in the movie, the transition between these characters is accompanied by a hair, make-up, and costume change, but what really sells the act is Ferguson’s mastery of the craft. In her conversation with Screen Rant, the actor raised a very interesting point about how her character complements Polly’s from the main series.
The parallels between the two matriarchs are self-evident, and while Ferguson doesn’t consider Kaulo a homage to Polly, she did take note of how the script plays with these elements. The actor recalled, “The moment I read the line that Tommy says, ‘You never thought that a bird was going to fly in.’ He (Tommy) compared it to saying, ‘I didn’t think that there was going to be another person like Polly, but behold, here she is.’ Ferguson’s concrete grasp over the thematic framework of the story makes her the perfect fit for a character as complex as Kaulo, but given that her reappearance in the sequel series hasn’t been confirmed yet, fans will have to wait to see more of her magic on screen.
Read More: Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man Ending Explained: Is Tommy Dead? Why Does Duke Kill Him?
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