Peaky Blinders fans were left "sobbing" following the touching tribute to Helen McCrory in the opening episode of season six.
MORE: Peaky Blinders: all the new and returning stars appearing in season six
Viewers watched as it was revealed that Aunt Polly (Helen) was one of the victims killed by the IRA, who also foiled Tommy's (Cillian Murphy) planned assassination of politician Sir Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin).
WATCH: Will you be watching the new series?
In a heartbreaking scene, fans saw Tommy put his hand to his mouth in shock after discovering that one of the dead bodies delivered back to him by the IRA was that of Aunt Polly.
A shot of a portrait of the Shelby family matriarch, first painted by artist Ruben Oliver in season three, was shown for a few seconds on the screen before cutting to a sequence of the traditional gipsy funeral. With her belongings and body inside a residential trailer, the Shelby's said goodbye to Polly as the trailer was set alight.
MORE: Everything you need to know about Peaky Blinders season six
MORE: Peaky Blinders star Sophie Rundle details 'devastating' tribute to Helen McCrory in new series
The camera cut to a close up of each of the Shelby's teary-eyed faces before Michael (Finn Cole) vowed to "take revenge on Tommy Shelby" for the death of his mother.
Fans watched as a distraught Tommy discovered Polly's death
Fans were quick to comment on the poignant moment, with one person tweeting: "The most beautiful and saddest tribute to Helen McCrory," while another added: "This is so tragic, I can’t stop crying."
A third person commented: "Absolutely sublime tribute to Polly and Helen McCrory," while another remarked on the devastated faces of the actors: "Suspect those tears were real."
Viewers praised the touching tribute
Helen sadly passed away in April last year following a private illness with cancer, which left her unable to film for the latest series.
Speaking about shooting the touching tribute, Sophie Rundle, who plays Ada Shelby, told RadioTimes.com in a recent interview: "It was a devastating thing for all of us. We'd all been in that same boat for ten years and for her to not be there, it all felt off-kilter and wrong. So in the tribute, that's all real, that emotion. It really was a moment to think about her and what she had been."
She continued: "And this show wouldn't have been what it is without her, I really believe that. I really believe that she was fundamental to making Peaky what it is and elevating it to be more than just the script, so it was a huge loss and it was just incredibly sad. I don't know if that sounds oversimplified to say, but it was just incredibly sad and we missed her."
Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
