MobLand - Season 2 (Paramount+)

By: Nick Zednik

If season 1 of the hit Paramount+ drama, MobLand established the Harrigans as one of television’s most dysfunctional and dangerous crime families, Season 2 wastes little time proving that their greatest threat may be the fractures forming within their own ranks. The story wastes little time thrusting audiences right into the chaos as the Harrigan clan, led by Pierce Brosnan’s (Goldeneye, Mamma Mia!) Conrad and Helen Mirren’s (1923) Maeve fight to restore dominance and control of their criminal empire as rivalries, shifting alliances and internal power struggles threaten to dismantle everything they have built. Tom Hardy’s (Venom, Mad Max: Fury Road) Harry Da Souza remains the x-factor as the Harrigans’ trusted “fixer”, whose loyalty is repeatedly tested while navigating increasingly complicated circumstances. The rest of the Harrigan clan become increasingly important pieces on the board as paranoia bleeds into the family’s criminal underworld. There is no shortage of violence, betrayal or intrigue, but season 2 works best when the Harrigans are treated less like an organized crime syndicate and more like a dysfunctional family with an extraordinarily high body count.

Beneath the gangster theatrics, Season 2 remains most interested in the corrosive nature of power and what people are willing to sacrifice to preserve it. Legacy, loyalty, ambition and family are constantly placed in opposition, forcing these characters to decide whether protecting the people they love is worth compromising everything they believe in. Conrad’s volatile approach to leadership contrasts sharply with Maeve’s colder, more calculated manipulation, creating an entertaining battle of wills between two characters who are rarely willing to surrender an inch. Harry occupies an especially fascinating position because his professionalism and loyalty continually put him between competing interests. There’s greater agency placed on the Harrigan power structure, the wives don’t make the rules but they also don’t follow the same orders, which makes the conflict feel less like a recycled story about “men fighting over territory.” While MobLand occasionally leans into the excesses of the genre, its examination of how ambition can poison even the strongest familial bonds gives the bloodshed considerably more weight.

Thankfully, the heightened drama never comes at the expense of entertainment. Season 2 remains stylish, brutal and darkly funny, with producer Guy Ritchie’s (Aladdin, In The Grey) influence apparent in the sharp dialogue, kinetic bursts of violence and larger-than-life personalities. The focus on division from within, loyalty, and the cycle of never-ending violence allow the characters to stand out in a way that doesn’t just make the series a recycled mob drama. 

Nick’s Pick: 8/10 MobLand Season 2 understands exactly what makes this world entertaining and builds upon those strengths with enough character development and thematic substance to keep the story engaging.