Ultimately, "so close" is the defining state of a Peaky Blinder. They are men who live in the "in-between"—between the trenches of WWI and the high society of Birmingham, between the working class and the aristocracy, and between life and death. The "solid essay" of their lives is written in the moments where they almost made it out, only to realize that for a Shelby, there is no such thing as far enough away.

: Throughout the series, Tommy seeks to move the family business into legal enterprises. He gets close enough to sit in the House of Commons , yet the shadows of his past—personified by characters like Inspector Campbell —always pull him back.

: In the Season 5 finale, Tommy is physically and strategically "so close" to stopping the rise of fascism in Britain, only to be betrayed by an internal "black cat." This failure triggers a psychological spiral that nearly leads him to take his own life.

: After the death of Grace, Tommy is never truly "close" to happiness again. Every attempt to find peace or retire is interrupted by a new enemy or his own restless mind. The Visual Language of Proximity