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Mobland (2025): Stick or Twist – S01E01 - RECAP

Review by @skiptvads · 438d · of MobLand

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Mobland (2025), as I'm still not fully committed to watch content as last year I'm slowly but surely getting back my rhythm, its just a lot of irl stuff and work in between, last week was though and drain me out to the point I couldn't post but here Im back at it. This weekend saw Mobland episode 2 release, open up RTT and there he was, Tom Hardy on the cover so I had to jump in, so sweet when you get to watch two episodes in a row but I don't like when they release two episodes at once, so there are some mix feelings.

I got to say this series kick off with a bang because right from the first episode we got some real cold blood gangster sht, Comrad play by no other than Pierce Brosnan pulls what I could only tell is a .40 and blow up Arch chest after thinking he is a traitor. As the name says its a series about gangster life, right now or at least until episode two its not about drug traffic in a sense they don't go into details on how to smuggle drugs but its about the two families that from what I can tell control London, the Harrigan and the Stevenons, the first episodes does a great job at setting the tone for the series for what promises to be a gritty and intense dive into the London's criminal underworld with a cast full of stars, the cast part is no joke so I hope this series deliver.

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Source The episode opens with a scene that immediately grabs my attention when the series introduced to Tom Hardy's character who plays Harry Da Souza, a fixer or a man who make things happen for the Harrigan crime family. Hardy brings his usual intensity to the role, playing a man who is comfortable dealing and mediating arguments or disputes between rival gangs and on the side has a family who knows his line of work but are off limits to anyone, looks like a very calm guy when he is in first gear.

Latter during the episode the rest of the Harrigan family get introduce, at the head of the family there is Pierce Brosnan playing Conrad and Maeve played by Helen Mirren, this two make a great couple as husband and wife, but their bond on the criminal side of things is way stronger, I really enjoy how Helen triggers Conrad and after the chaos when she wants him to slow down he is in full alpha mode, almost like blaming her for what he has done.

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Source Another interesting character of the series is Eddie Harrigan, Conrad's grandson, played by Anson Boon, who Maeve is the only claiming he will be a great Harrigan family leader. Eddie goes night out with Tommy Stevenson, the son of rival gang leader Richie Stevenson but it all takes a dark turn when Eddie stabs a man in a nightclub where he knows the owner, it was all too fishy for me at first and on second episode we shown why, Eddie going out with Tommy?? hmmm this is not Romeo and Juliet. After the incident Tommy goes missing but during the last scenes from that night we only see both Eddie and Tommy just walking close to the river after they ran away from the club and stumble with each other.

The casting for MobLand is spot on across the board, I cant tell of a single character or at least the main ones where its not a perfect match, we got Tom Hardy who brings a quiet intensity to Harry that makes him instantly believable as a man who can go through the dangerous London criminal underworld. There is also Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren are absolutely electric as Conrad and Maeve Harrigan with a performances that screams sophistication and menace, both very capticating everytime they are on scene.

The relationship between Harry and his wife, Jan role played by Joanne Froggatt, adds that family man side of Harry, we can tell that Harry is trying to balance his criminal life style along with Harrigans and his desire for a normal family life, and I'm curious to see how this conflict plays out over the course of time, just patiently waiting for Venom to come out jajajajaj, because that is truly how it feels, Harry is so calm that some times just feels over the top but I like it.

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Source As a personal opinion on this episode I found myself fully engaged from start to finish, the THICK UK accent from some characters and the overall UK environment will sometimes make you feel out of place or loosing the thread but it gets better. The performances are top notch across the board, with Hardy, Brosnan, and Mirren in particular delivering standout performance and the script feels sharp and easy to follow with each scene serving to move the plot forward as at the same time it keeps developing the main characters. Even at trying to explain the complex web of relationships and rivalries that make up their criminal world, they even take a page out of John Wick having a Gym playing the role of The Continental Hotel, a place with rules as a neutral ground.

The violence in the episode is brutal and it gets better on the second episode, but it never feels over the top or exaggerated, with every execution and orders from Conrad clearly shows the type of psychopath we dealing with so there is no reason why his grandson Eddie would turn out the way he is, for some reason his son Kevin came out as a soft one or at least he knows very well how to control himself because if Maeve raise him, well she is a psychopath too so.

In conclusion the first episode of MobLand delivers a solid base for what promises to be an engaging series with the combination of great performances, clear and simple writing, all it takes for the series to not deviate from its path.

The episode does an excellent job of setting up multiple story lines that they are all seem to intersect with each other right from the beginning, from the ongoing rivalry for control of drugs and territory between the Harrigans and the Stevensons, to Eddie's reckless behavior and complete twist from what the rest of his family members are since he is the only wild one, or at least for now, the series doesn't give any time or space for drama just pure action. The first episode leaves you wanting more and to be honest the first episode is a soft 7 for me, eager to see how things escalate way farther but it was worth waiting after watching episode two.

Overall, the first episode felt a big draggy, its not perfect but it's a strong start that sets the proper tone for what could be a truly gripping series. If the rest of the season can maintain this level of quality, MobLand could become must watch TV series for fans of crime action series. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this story goes and how these complex, morally ambiguous characters develop over the course of the season.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #mobland, #ritchie, #hardy, #brosnan, #mirren, #crime, #london, #harrigan, #stevenson, #fixer, #gangster, #violence, #drugs, #paramount, #family, #loyalty, #betrayal, #fentanyl, #heroin, #murder, #manipulation, #power, #conflict, #suspense, #underworld

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