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We’re living in a drought of bold and brave storytelling. By that, I mean that almost everything we consume on our favorite streaming services plays it safe, looks the same, or lacks so much substance that you can’t really say anything about it other than “it’s fine”.
MobLand, however, has been bucking that trend, and season 2 continues to build on an authenticity that’s light years ahead of anything else. Why? At large, it’s because MobLand trusts its audience to be able to think critically.
You’ve probably read reports of streamers modifying their scripts and plots to accommodate ‘second screen’ viewers — subscribers who’ve put something on in the background while doing something else. Without naming any names, this is starting to result in bland, unambitious storytelling that spoon-feeds you information unnecessarily.
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But MobLand season 2 shows us just how fulfilling the results can be when creators and distributors alike are prepared to disrupt popular industry trends. The rich, complex layers to the central storyline feel never-ending, forcing you to play close attention to every second of dialogue and action.
The Harrigan family, as always, are unhinged. Conrad’s (Pierce Brosnan) feud with Kevin (Paddy Considine) ramps up a notch, embroiling new ‘fixer’ Frankie (Johnny Flynn) in their mess as family arch-rival Kat (Janet McTeer) tries to take control of London from a distance.
This leaves Harry (Tom Hardy) having to clean up even more mess than before, particularly considering his and Jan’s (Joanne Froggatt) impending divorce. On top of that, daughter Gina (Teddie Allen) has gone missing.
If you think you understand, you don’t — between the Harrigans and us, it’s the blind leading the blind. But that makes tuning into Paramount+ this week all the more enriching… because everyone is prepared to take a risk.
MobLand season 2 is a masterclass in how 2020s TV should be constructed
There’s something so wonderfully hypnotic about watching a Dame and a former James Bond shower us with See You Next Tuesdays like it’s no big deal (I counted, and Conrad says this four times within the first six minutes of episode 1). But such gimmicks aren’t what makes MobLand season 2 so entertaining.
As I’ve touched on above, it all comes down to the construction. Having a whip-smart script, edgy editing and a soundtrack so defiant that Spotify would ask a listener with the same taste if they were okay, doesn’t automatically give you a good show — all elements of production need to be working in complete synergy.
There will be no spoilers in this review, so I need you to trust me when I say that some scenes had all of their creative elements working in such beautiful harmony that I spiritually ascended. Never before have I wanted to be involved in organized crime, but throw me into an action sequence with dynamically rhythmic edits and Firestarter by The Prodigy as the soundtrack and I’d seriously consider it.
If I had to described MobLand season 2 in one word, it would be relentless. From the onslaught of family issues to the duplicity and deceit within them, nothing ever lets up. It’s a mental scramble to keep up with everything that happens in a single episode (let alone the entire season); Guy Ritchie has created the most violent workout for the mind possible.
Throw yourself into it at full-throttle and you’ll never want the grip of MobLand to let you go. It’s not worth having any favorites — they’ll either die or deceive you — but that in itself is a fitting lesson in trust. You stick out the ride and try to survive, and become pleasantly addicted to the process.
I’ve never loved a ‘prick on a scooter’ more
It goes without saying that our ensemble cast is, as always, on top form. If there was any truth to the alleged behind-the-scenes drama involving Tom Hardy, all it’s done is fuel the fire of some exceptional television. Harry’s constant need to live on his wit’s end is often amusing, while Conrad’s slowly declining grip on reality never loses its gravitas.
Maeve (Helen Mirren) needed no improvement, really, but I’ve particularly enjoyed her power-dressing wardrobe this time around. In direct contrast is Bella (Lara Pulvey), who is the most fretful and unguarded we’ve ever seen her. Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) is on the way up the food chain, but her own worst enemy.
It’s a social study in how complicated humans are while intent on making their own problems infinitely worse, then. But a particular shoutout must go to our most important newcomer, “prick on a scooter” Frankie Cooper.
Without giving too much away, he’s brought into’s Harry’s orbit to act on behalf of the terrifyingly aloof Kat, all while dressed like the third Gallagher brother if he used the Lime app. With a chillingly monotone voice, and eyes that seem like they’re constant dissociated from the world around him, he’s the first genuinely troubling threat to Harry since the show began.
Frankie’s relationship to everyone around him is just another fascinating dimension to behold, revealing a collective fear and vulnerability among the rest of the characters that we’ve not yet seen. From beginning to end, Ritchie’s thought process is truly masterful.
Thank God MobLand season 3 is already a done deal. Thank God we get to experience more of this addictive high. If you thought The Gentlemen season 2 was good, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
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