Did Peaky Blinders just kill off two of its main characters?

To say Peaky Blinders is back with a bang would be something of an understatement. The "bang" was quite literal as main characters John Shelby and Michael Gray were pummelled with a barrage of bullets in the closing moments of the series opener.

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The men behind the guns? The Mafia, at the behest of Luca Changretta (played by Adrien Brody) who had issued each of the Blinders with a 'Black Hand' – aka a kiss of death. Faced with annihilation, Tommy moved to gather his family members on their home turf – Small Heath, Birmingham – to take on their most dangerous adversary yet.

And his plan might have worked had the gangsters not intercepted John and Michael at John's rural home and – in front of his wife Esme – fired multiple rounds at the two Blinders.

Tommy's brother John, in particular, took a stream of bullets and fell to the ground alongside Michael – Polly's biological son. Both looked to have met their maker but, as the credits rolled, their fate was unclear.

Did they die? Or could Peaky Blinders be hiding a trick up its sleeve for next week's episode?

Peaky Blinders continues next Wednesday at 9pm on BBC2