Helen Mirren’s Maeve Harrigan acted as a behind-the-scenes puppet master through the first half of season 1 of MobLand, but her ultimate ambitions may finally be coming into focus. Following the death of Vron Stevenson at the end of episode 5, the Harrigan and Stevenson war is well and truly underway, which should mean nothing but vengeful carnage for the Harrigans and their associates. While the argument could be made that the control of the fentanyl trade in London is prize enough, it seems as though the Harrigans have little else to gain from warring with Richie Stevenson.
However, Maeve has steered Conrad in that direction ever since he put a bullet through Archie Hammond in the first episode of MobLand. She has manipulated those around her towards war, despite Harry and Kevin working as hard as possible to keep the peace between the two families. Even if Conrad took the credit for killing Vron Stevenson, it seems all but certain that it was Maeve herself who made the final call that pushed the simmering conflict over the brink. It points to a pretty clear endgame for Maeve, and it could spell doom for Conrad and the rest of the Harrigans.
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Why Maeve Tells Richie Where To Find Brendan & Seraphina
She Points The Harrigans’ Nemesis To Their Hotel
In what had to be her most stunning move yet, Maeve actually called Richie Stevenson on his personal cell phone midway through episode 6 of MobLand. With both Brendan and Seraphina in Antwerp, Belgium and far from the relative safety of the Cotswolds, they were already at risk of Richie Stevenson finding them. That became moot as Maeve told Richie exactly where he could find them, even going so far as to tell him which hotel they were staying at. From there, all it took was a phone call to the cartel to get Brendan and Seraphina under his thumb.
Maeve foolishly told Richie that he could do whatever he wanted with Seraphina, but that he should leave her oldest son Brendan alive as part of the deal. Her intention was clear: Richie killing Conrad’s beloved daughter Seraphina would push the Harrigan patriarch over the edge, further destabilizing him. However, Maeve made that request to Richie shortly after openly mocking the death of his wife in grotesque fashion, so Brendan’s not in any better shape than Seraphina. If either was killed, it likely wouldn’t happen off-screen, but at the very least they’re both firmly in Richie’s clutches now.
Does Maeve Want To Take Over The Empire From Conrad?
Every Move She Makes Undermines Him
Maeve telling Richie where to find Seraphina is the latest in a long line of maneuvers that seem specifically designed to loosen Conrad’s hold on his empire, on his family, and on himself. Maeve was behind his murder of Archie Hammond, one of his oldest friends, and was the one who first encouraged him to go after Richie’s piece of the fentanyl trade. She has, on more than one occasion, mocked or essentially called him a coward for not continuing to be “Conrad the Dread”, the feared gangster he once was.
The literary parallel for Maeve Harrigan is very clear: her character is intended to reflect Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, the wife of the play’s hero who manipulates him into his ultimate downfall.
Everything she has pushed Conrad to do has moved the entire family closer to war with the Harrigans, during which the biggest target will be on Conrad’s back. While Harry has considerable resources, skill, and intelligence to help the Harrigans survive, it doesn’t need to be with Conrad at the head of the table. Maeve’s machinations seem specifically designed to ultimately remove Conrad from the picture, perhaps as vengeance for the serial infidelity that has been mentioned several times. Seraphina is a product of that infidelity, and Maeve giving her up could be a clue as to her true motivation.
Maeve’s Plans May Be Succeeding In MobLand
Conrad Seems To Be Growing More Volatile By The Day
At one point, Conrad was indeed a feared and savvy gangster, as he built the profitable Harrigan crime empire into what it currently is. However, he seems to be little more than an unstable old man at this point, indicating that Maeve’s machinations are coming to fruition. Killing Archie, who was one of the most important cogs on the business side of the criminal organization, was a terrible decision with virtually no evidence whatsoever that he was an informant for anyone. His behavior has become more erratic as well.
Conrad’s latest moves are the actions of a man who is losing his grip on himself.
In consecutive episodes, he’s stalked and intimidated Jan Da Souza with no evidence of any wrongdoing except what Maeve has put in his head, and made some inappropriate implications to Gina Da Souza, who is just 15 years old. They’re the actions of a man who is losing his grip on himself. The positively unhinged phone call to Richie Stevenson was the ultimate proof; it was the action of an unstable madman, not a cunning crime lord. Maeve seems to have a path opening up for her to unseat Conrad as the head of the Harrigan household in MobLand.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
