MobLand Episode 7 Review: Let The Nuclear War Begin

In last week’s episode of MobLand, Harry Da Souza(Tom Hardy) has just touched down in Antwerp and is on the clock. Brendan and Seraphina’s(Mandeep Dhillon) ruby deal blew up in their faces after Maeve(Helen Mirren) intervened for the chance at a power play. This time, Maeve overplayed her hand, and there’s a race against time for Harry to be the hero for the millionth time. It’s an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth in this gripping thriller.

Spoilers are ahead for episode 7 of MobLand “The Crossroads.”

“The Crossroads” is another breakout episode for Tom Hardy as “The Fixer.” The episode opens up with Harry tracking down Seraphina and Brendan(Daniel Betts). He’s able to trace them to the rare ruby destination where they were taken. But there are no other signs of life left. All he finds is the letter WAR spelled in blood. If there were any doubts before that it was Richie Stevenson(Geoff Bell), they’re gone now.

Maeve oh Maeve you’ve done it now

When the news comes in that her beloved Brendan was taken, Maeve gasps in fear. She knows she really screwed the pooch on this one. The revelation hit her, but she can’t tell Conrad(Pierce Brosnan) that. It’s abundantly clear that she put all her cards on a man who shifted from her loyalty.

“Now you listen to me you cockney c*cksucker..if you touch one hair on my Brendan’s head.”-Maeve Harrigan(Helen Mirren)

Richie Stevenson tells the Queen to piss off, and honestly as he should. Maeve is part of the team that murdered his son and wife. Let’s not forget Richie doesn’t even know it was her who put Eddie(Anson Boon) up to killing Tommy(Felix Edwards). I am incredibly confused why Maeve is so shocked that Richie Stevenson’s loyalty hasn’t stayed intact. For a mob mastermind pulling all the strings, she should be smart enough to know this.

“This is not war anymore, this is nuclear war.”-Conrad Harrigan(Pierce Brosnan)

MobLand Should Thank God For Helen Mirren

If a character could win an Oscar for a performance, it would be Maeve Harrigan. She puts on the world’s most manipulative show. The way she lies to Kevin(Paddy Considine) and her husband is astonishing. She would throw any of her kids to the wolves for more power.

My biggest issue is, where is all this going? We know Maeve has powers, but how did she attain them other than her family? It feels like she is making a strategy to take control of the organization over her husband. If Conrad is to be the predator he comes across as I can see why. But when it comes down to it, who is everyone in Camp Harrigan going to side with?

We Just Need More

MobLand doesn’t do a great job of showing any relationship depth. It’s been revealed that Harry and Jan have a rocky relationship, but there is a lot of love there.

Conrad and Maeve have respect and some affection for each other. I’m not seeing any romantic chemistry between them. And that was something Vron(Annie Cooper) hinted at that set Maeve ablaze. Conrad is a womanizer who uses women to his advantage. Maeve is seemingly at her breaking point. But why? None of this is really explained. And should be.

If MobLand gets a season 2, they have to write better for the women. I see no reason why it shouldn’t. It’s been a colossal hit for Paramount Plus, even surpassing Taylor Sheridan’s shows for best premiere when it received 8.8 million viewers for its launch. The only female-to-female relationship we see is Jan and Alice(Emily Barber), which is all a farce because she’s working undercover to take the Harrigans down.

Joanne Foggart (Jan Da Souza) is a Golden Globe-winning actress for Downton Abbey. When you have that kind of talent in your wheelhouse, you should take advantage. Paddy Considine is another award-winning actor who could be utilized in a better way. He got shafted with a wife who was once one of Conrad’s top girls. A son who does not respect him, and post-trauma from his time in prison. As the son of a mob boss, you can imagine how many times he was assaulted. Other than that, he’s just Harry’s buddy. Each of them are a voice of reason in a psychopathic land.

Maeve Is Almost Welcoming The Harrigan Collapse

Maeve does admit that she got a text from Richie. Barely a half-truth. I’m not even sure why she admitting this to Conrad. He doesn’t trust her and wants to see the text. It’s as if Maeve is inviting it or diverting attention from herself so she can’t be traced as the rat.

“Of course, I’ll show you but it’ll be the last thing I ever show you. Because the second you lose trust in me is the second this family turns to dust.”-Maeve Harrigan(Helen Mirren)

Why do I get the feeling this is what she wants? It could also be why she’s grooming Eddie because someone will have to take the reins one day. I’m not sure if she’s trying to do a complete mob reset, or what her true motivations are. But she is destroying the Stevensons on top of her own family. Yet we are not seeing anyone who’s in Maeve’s confidence. To make this kind of shift happen, she has to have allies of some kind.

Tom Hardy On A Bike..What More Do You Want?

Tom Hardy is known as one of the sexiest men in the last decade. MobLand is clued into what the fans want. Harry treks around Europe on a stolen bike as a man with extreme urgency. Hardy is everything you want in an action star. Stubborn and ruthless against the enemy. He has arrogance in all the right ways, with a heart for his loyalties. There’s not much he can’t do until it comes to his immediate family. It’s the one thing he can’t fix.

Eddie Is Slowly Becoming The Most Interesting Harrigan

Eddie and Gina start to become an item in this episode. They both have more in common than meets the eye. What pushes them to connect is their relationships with their fathers. Gina doesn’t feel protected by her father, and Eddie doesn’t feel respected by his. They portray an interesting dynamic. In their scenes, Eddie doesn’t come off as the arrogant playboy, and when he tries, Gina doesn’t hesitate to call him out on his game. She’s far too intelligent, especially with her background in psychology.

I’m not quite sure if Eddie is down with Maeve’s antics or if he’s going along with it to find some kind of footing in the family. Kevin acts like he’s a joke, and Conrad acts like he’s a hot mess who reacts arrogantly without accountability. Maeve is the only person who shows him respect or gives him any hope for the future. Even if it is a lie. His grandmother has no qualms about using him for the greater good.

Alice Is Dangerously Close To Being In Over Her Head

Meanwhile, Alice and Jan meet at the local pub in the Cotswolds. Jan is only being used for information, and Alice does play her hand well. However, she’s finding herself in over her head. Paul is onto her. Conrad is onto her. Jan does come off as a capable and brilliant woman, but she’s letting her need for companionship cloud her judgment. The pub move is a desperate one that is only drawing more eyes.

Speaking of brilliance, it doesn’t take long for Seraphina to figure out that the Stevensons are behind the massacre. She knows someone had to tip Richie off to their whereabouts.

Do Brendan And Seraphina Make It Out Alive?

Kevin Harrigan was right. Jamie Lopez hasn’t forgotten about the fight in Mexico when Conrad called his father a greasy Mexican taco breath c*cksucker. He doesn’t care about taking apologies from Brendan or bribes from Seraphina when she offers twice what Richie is paying him.

Harry revealed that Richie had called the Mexicans, but they couldn’t get to Antwerp in time. In turn, they called the Moroccans who took them to an airfield just outside of Amsterdam. They are stuck with the cartel unless Harry gets to them in time.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is what happens when you f**k with Richie Stevenson.”-Richie Stevenson(Geoff Bell)

Any respect Richie had for the Harrigans has been washed away. Maeve’s largest mistake of the season is not taking the clear shot they had on Stevenson. Now here they are. The powers that be all think Conrad is an old man who’s lost control of his ship. Now he’s turned into nothing but a madman. And Maeve who has also lost her power, even though she used to be respected by Richie.

“You’re Just In Time For The Show.”

The chainsaw is blaring. Richie does the exact opposite of Maeve’s request. What started as a perfect way for Maeve Harrigan to get rid of Seraphina turns out to be Brendan’s ultimate downfall.

Richie’s full-on plan was to eliminate both siblings. It was only fair after the loss of Vron and Tommy. That was until “The Fixer” came in to save the day. Harry makes a call to Kat(Janet McTeer), a cunning character whose strength comes with an ample amount of fear. For some reason, Harry is respected enough by her to stop Richie’s aspirations of killing both of Conrad’s children. Harry is now in her debt, and she has every intention of making him pay up.

It will be interesting to witness the reaction next week when Richie’s dreams of justice are put to a stop. Highly unlikely we see the mobster go quietly into the night. I thought Maeve was pretty influential, but Kat’s dominance is one that has me intrigued.

You can catch brand-new episodes of MobLand every Sunday on Paramount Plus.

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About the author: Shay has been writing as a journalist professionally for years. Her most common topics to cover are drama and horror but she looks forward to getting her feet wet with new and exciting genres and projects. @ShaySleighs

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