I was expecting Helen Mirren holding guns in MobLand, but Maeve's cunning mind games blew me away
The British crime drama series MobLand premiered on March 30, 2025, on Paramount+. Ronan Bennett created the series and co-wrote it alongside Jez Butterworth. Led by Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Tom Hardy, the series delves into the escalating feud between two rival crime families—the Harrigans and the Stevensons—in London.
While watching the gritty crime drama, Helen Mirren's role as the mob matriarch Maeve Harrigan really stood out to me, as she is the only female character to be at the center of all the drama. Despite not being directly involved in the family business, she pulls the strings from behind the scenes by exerting a different kind of power.
In a world dominated by gunslinging men, Maeve rules with her cunning mind. Fueled by an ambition reminiscent of Lady Macbeth, she masterfully manipulates the men around her to maintain her position of control.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's personal opinion.
Helen Mirren's role in MobLand explained
Maeve is married to the crime boss Conrad Harrigan, played by Pierce Brosnan. He often consults her on life-and-death matters. He sometimes even trusts her instincts and judgment more than his own.
That's why, when Maeve accuses Conrad's childhood friend, Archie, of being a mole for the Stevensons, her husband does not hesitate. He shoots the bullets into his friend without a second thought.
Moreover, Maeve has more skin in the game than her husband realizes. Over the last five episodes, I've watched how easily she can manipulate both Conrad and Eddie into doing her bidding. Female characters driven by ruthless ambition are rare on screen, which further makes her scenes captivating to watch.
As a coke-snorting grandmother with a penchant for taking out her enemies, Maeve subverts every societal and cultural expectation placed on her. She has proven herself to be a master manipulator, always thinking four steps ahead of everyone else in her family. Her calculated approach makes her one of the most dangerous players in the high-stakes drama.
Furthermore, episode 4 of MobLand dropped a huge bombshell. It revealed that Maeve had ordered her grandson, Eddie, to murder Tommy (Richie's son) as a message to the rival gang. Maeve later tells Eddie:
"We've got everyone exactly where we want them."
This indicates that Tommy's murder was part of a larger, more sinister plan that she is carefully putting into action.
Why does Maeve kill Vron in MobLand?
In episode 5 of MobLand, Maeve and the rest of the Harrigans attend Tommy's funeral at the behest of Richie Stevenson. When she offers her condolences to Tommy's mother, Vron, the latter lashes out. She belittles Maeve and criticizes her appearance in a fit of rage.
That very night, Maeve orders a hit on Vron to send another message to the rival gang. She chillingly reveals this to Eddie, underscoring just how far she is willing to go.
By eliminating two members of Richie's family, Maeve has shown that she can be just as ruthless as Conrad. In the span of five episodes, she has already sent three people to their graves. Following Vron's death, the Harrigans and Stevensons likely stand on the brink of war. Perhaps that was her plan all along.
During her interview with Parade Magazine on March 30, 2025, Helen Mirren described her character, Maeve Harrigan, as "very manipulative, very ambitious, probably psychotic."
Maeve is much more manipulative. ... Maeve is a much more viper-ish, tricky character. She's very manipulative, very ambitious, probably psychotic, actually," she stated.
I couldn't agree more. Maeve, as a character, has established herself as one of the most powerful players in the male-dominated world of criminal enterprise.
Viewers can watch all episodes of MobLand on Paramount+.
