‘MobLand’s Harrigan Family Secret Could Blow Up the Crime Empire in Season 2

Helen Mirren as Maeve looking up at Anson Boon as Eddie in MobLand

Image via Paramount+

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Mobland Episode 8.When it comes to on-screen families, the Harrigans from MobLand have got to be one of the most messed-up, toxic, and incestuous we’ve seen in a long time. Already we have seen Conrad’s (Pierce Brosnan) ruthlessness and sexual deviancy, and Eddie’s (Ansom Boon) psychopathic murder of Richie Stevenson’s (Geoff Bell) son, Tommy (Felix Edwards), is the act of irrational aggression that began this unnecessary bloodbath that has now taken the lives of the most innocent members of each family, Vron Stevenson (Annie Cooper) and Brendan Harrigan (Daniel Betts).

However, while the latest episode, “Helter Skelter,” mainly focused on the potential consequences of Harry’s (Tom Hardy) deal with Kat McAllister (Janet McTeer), one line caught the eye for its disturbing implications surrounding the lineage of one particular member of the Harrigans. If it is revealed to be the truth, as it feels it inevitably will be, nothing will be the same. The hierarchy of power and our sympathy towards this character would irreversibly shift, and add some vital context to their actions. So much about this potential reveal would still need to be explained, though for now, MobLand has us wondering just who the hell Eddie Harrigan’s real parents are.

Maeve Implies That Eddie May Not Be Kevin’s Son, but His Brother in ‘MobLand’

Following the brutal murder of Brendan in Episode 7, “The Crossroads,” Maeve was uncharacteristically hysterical and full of sorrow, even welcoming Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) back with open arms and declaring her a “true” Harrigan. However, when she talks to Kevin (Paddy Considine) later in the episode, she reveals her true colors. In an attempt to turn Kevin against Seraphina, Maeve tells him that the only heirs to the Harrigan empire will be Kevin “or your brother,” calling Seraphina a “baseborn bastard.” When Kevin tries to shut this down by reminding Maeve that Brendan is dead, Maeve clarifies that she means “your other brother” in an ominous tone. The fact this elicits such a strong reaction from Kevin, calling his own mother a “bitch,” before Eddie walks into the room suggests Maeve was revealing that he is not Kevin’s son.

However, it isn’t clear exactly how he is related to Kevin. If Kevin had no knowledge of this until now, it may mean that Conrad continued his relationship with Bella (Lara Pulver) in secret despite her marrying Kevin, and that Bella was carrying Conrad’s child rather than what Kevin’s. The extreme reaction and Kevin’s immediate assumption that Maeve meant Brendan would point to this being the case. However, there is a far different and perhaps more worrying possibility for everyone connected to the Harrigan family. That being that Eddie is not only Maeve’s son, but Maeve’s son with Richie.

This would mean that Eddie’s true parentage is an open secret between Kevin, Bella, and Maeve, but it wouldn’t be the first time Bella and Kevin have turned a blind eye to horrific things, and while it would have been difficult for Maeve to hide, perhaps Conrad knows himself. The overwhelming evidence in favor of this theory is that Maeve said how close she and Richie used to be, even “too close,” which only Eddie was in the room to hear, and perhaps that was Maeve implying something at that moment. Furthermore, Maeve cares little about Seraphina, who is Conrad’s daughter with another woman, so why would she care about Eddie in such a maternal way unless he is actually her son?

This Reveal Could Create a Huge Wedge Between Kevin and His Family in ‘MobLand’

Maeve sits flanked by Conrad on her left and Kevin on her right during a family meeting in MobLand

Image via Paramount

If this reveal is indeed confirmed, the consequences could be huge. This could create a divide within the Harrigan family at a time when tensions are already high. If Kevin loses faith in his family, it could provide Harry with a way out from under Conrad’s thumb, as he wouldn’t be without support anymore. However, if Maeve is able to manipulate Conrad to favor Eddie over Kevin, especially with the suspicion of a rat in the family, and Kevin refuses to leave his family’s side, the bloodthirst of Eddie and Maeve would put anyone who isn’t 100% loyal to them at risk. As someone who is currently going through enough psychosexual issues as it is, with Kevin’s trauma over the sexual assault he suffered as a boy in prison, this reveal is coming at the worst possible time.

As previously mentioned, it could be Conrad or Richie who is the father of Eddie. Either way, it does a lot to develop our perspective of Eddie’s character. If Conrad was the father, it would link Eddie’s behavior back to Conrad’s natural aggression. It would make Eddie’s murder of Tommy seem far more of a sign of a lost cause of a human being, as this was simply inevitable. However, if he is Richie’s son, it creates huge dramatic irony and a tragedy around Tommy’s death, which would create far more sympathy for Eddie.

Rather than killing someone who was a family rival, Eddie would have killed his half-brother and would have been completely manipulated into doing so. This is coming at a time when he is already undertaking a journey where he is being put down by Harry and everyone around him, becoming less cocky as the season goes on. Somehow, this frightening young man could become intensely conflicted by the end of this season.

While this is all coming from one line, the potential impact this could have on multiple characters’ stories could make it one of the most significant moments of the entire season. For Maeve, Conrad, Eddie, Kevin, and everyone else, the final reveal of what Maeve meant will change everything they thought they knew. Especially for Eddie, if he learns that almost his entire life was all a lie, he’ll be confronted with the choice of siding with his biological parents or the man he’s called his dad his entire life.