Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from MobLand Episode 5.
The first season of theGuy Ritchie-directed British mafia thriller seriesMobLandis approaching its final few episodeson Paramount+, and there are definitely more problems popping up as the Harrigans and Stevensons sit on the precipice of an all-out turf war. Conrad Harrigan (Pierce Brosnan) has always had a uniquely close father/son bond with his top capo Harry Da Souza (Tom Hardy). For a man who claims to be a “family man”, he treats him with far more respect than his biological children, Kevin (Paddy Considine), Brendan (Daniel Betts), and Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon). However, Conrad had better start paying attention to what is happening to his kids soon, or he may be dealing with a much more perilous situation moving forward.
Episode 5, “Funeral For a Friend,” showed that his offspring are getting tired of Dad’s cold shoulder, and they aim to do something about it.Outcasts Brendan and Seraphina are about to launch their own gem-smuggling enterprise behind Conrad’s backjust to get him to notice them, which will undoubtedly create problems for the Harrigans moving forward. Kevin is struggling with the abuse he suffered whilst serving prison time as a much younger man. He is also starting to feel emasculated by everyone fawning over Harry and doubting his masculinity and effectiveness within the family business. You can sense thathe is a powder keg ready to explode, and Conrad is so consumed with Harry and his thoughts on the brewing tension with the Stevenson family that he can’t be bothered by the problems of his own children. It’s a recipe for disaster as we get to the final few episodes ofMobLand.
Brendan and Seraphina’s Alliance Is a Mess Waiting to Happen on ‘MobLand’
Early in “Funeral For a Friend,“the audience watches as Brendan is disappointed yet again that he has been left out of the family summit meetingat the Harrigan Estate. He is dismissed during his phone call with Conrad and is seen as the weakest link in the family, unable to make his mark on the family business. As a result, he goes to his half-sister Seraphina, an upscale London jeweler, with plans to move a collection of stolen rare gems so they can show Conrad that they’re worthy and smart enough to be involved in the day-to-day activities of the family.
This new partnership has trouble written all over it. There is a reason that Brendanis the “Fredo Corleone” of the Harrigan family. He is a middle-aged man who has never proven that he can succeed in the crime world. And while Seraphina seems like an intelligent and savvy jeweler, she lacks the hardscrabble sensibility to be a reliable contributor. Their half-baked gem-brokering idea could bring some unnecessary heat down on a crime family that is already on the radar of local authorities. The last thing the family needs is problems from more illegal activity going on in the shadows. But if Conrad simply included Brendan and Seraphina in meetings and made them feel like they were a part of the decision-making process, they wouldn’t stray to prove their value to the family.
Kevin Is Struggling and Feels Like He Can’t Bother Conrad
Episode 5 ofMobLandalso starts to dig into the emotional stress that Kevin is under as a result of a couple of things. He is haunted by the memories of his turn in prison many years ago, when hesuffered emotional and physical abuseat the hands of a particularly cruel correctional officer at the prison. It is clear that neither Conrad nor Harry is aware of his trauma, as Harry innocently brought it up, unaware that the guard was the source of some repressed memories. Unfortunately, this isn’t the type of issue that you go to Conrad with. If Conrad showed an inkling of sympathy and encouraged Kevin to discuss his problems, it would provide a much-needed outlet for his eldest son. However, he is so closed off, that this conversation seems impossible.
Conrad has fostered an environment within the Harrigan family that is focused on Harry’s smarts and strengths at Kevin’s expense, who is his flesh and blood. That failure as a father has influencedthe way Kevin’s wife, Bella(Lara Pulver), and troubled son, Eddie (Anson Boon) see him. It is clear that he is feeling emasculated and that his authority and ability to be effective in the family dynamic are taking their toll. It will be interesting to see how all the things happening to Conrad’s children right under his nose will be fleshed out with just a few episodes ofMobLandleft in the first season.There have been hints thatthere is a rat hiding in the Harrigan family, and the way Conrad is treating (or not treating) his children would seem like plenty of motivation for any one of them to become the turncoat.
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We certainly understand why Conrad is so consumed with the brewing war with the Stevenson family, as it could ruin all that he has built over many decades. Still, if he could shift his focus every once in a while to the problems within his own family, it would benefit him and his children. Disgruntled kids are roaming about, who just need to know that the father they are so eager to please is at least aware of their contributions.Hell,Brendan and Seraphina would be happy if he would simply acknowledge their existence. The Harrigans arean unorthodox family, but their need to please Dad is the same as any other.
New episodes ofMobLandpremiere Sundays on Paramount+ in the U.S.
