MobLand Season 1, Episode 8 Ending Explained: What That Richie Twist Means

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for episode 8 of MobLand

This article contains a discussion of rape.

Paramount+’s popular crime drama MobLand is hurtling towards what is sure to be an explosive conclusion of its first season, and episode 8 features a twist that completely changes the landscape of the escalating Harrigan/Stevenson war. In the wake of Harry’s last-second rescue of Seraphina Harrigan with the help of the mysterious Kat McAllister, the Harrigans regroup briefly. However, Conrad immediately attempts to parlay Brendan’s murder into a business opportunity; Jaime Lopez’s betrayal of Richie opens the door for Jaime and Conrad to establish a hold over fentanyl in London. However, it costs Harry another favor to Kat.

Meanwhile, Richie was presented with an opportunity of his own thanks to a veteran player in the never-ending gangland struggle in London: former Deputy Chief Inspector Colin Tattersall of Scotland Yard, played by the legendary Toby Jones. Tattersall provides guidance for DS Fisk and DC Mukasa in their pursuit of Conrad Harrigan, ultimately telling them that the key to bringing down a crime family, based on his decades of experience, is to ally with their rival. That yields a sit-down with Richie Stevenson himself, which ends with one of the most surprising twists yet in MobLand.

Why Richie Killed The Two Police Detectives

DS Fisk And DC Mukasa Give Offense At The Sit-down

After justifiably asking the two agents who owns who in their proposed “pooling of resources”, a defiant Mukasa spits out that Richie would never own them, which Fisk quickly agrees to, mostly to not seem weak. Richie shoots and kills both of them, ensuring that the last thing they hear is that “No one–no one–owns Richie Stevenson.” While they certainly didn’t help their own cause by insolently insinuating that Richie would be owned by the police, effectively making him a grass, the real reason for their murder is deeper.

MobLand – Remaining Episode Schedule

Episode
Episode Title
Release Date

9
“Beggars Banquet”
Sunday, May 25th

10
“The Beast In Me”
Sunday, June 1st

Fisk and Mukasa made it clear in just a few minutes that they were on the straight and narrow, and wouldn’t be a proper partner in a joint venture. Rather, they would be a thorn in Richie’s side more than anything; they would have oversight into his activities, and even if he was given immunity from prosecution, Fisk and Mukasa likely wouldn’t stand by a let him slaughter people as he intends to. Richie knew that they were non-starters, but the experienced, and therefore more pliable, Deputy Chief Inspector Tattersall knew how to play ball.

What Richie Working With Toby Jones’ Colin Means

Richie’s Resources Just Grew Significantly

Colin Tattersall makes it clear directly after the murders of Fisk and Mukasa that he knows his role in an arrangement with Richie. He and Richie go “all the way back to ’75”, and while he claims to have put Richie away twice already, it seems as though Tattersall might have been much friendlier to Richie than a proper police inspector should be to a murderous crime lord. With Tattersall now theoretically taking the reins of the investigation and deal with Richie, Conrad’s primary rival now has the backing and resources of the London police, along with freedom to operate.

What Will Harry’s Two Favors To Kat Be?

Based On Context, They Could Be Disastrous For The Harrigans

As Conrad tells Harry, “a man thinks twice before picking up the phone to Kat McAllister.” Based on the context from everyone who mentions her name, along with the fact that even an international cartel does her bidding with no questions asked, it’s clear that Kat McAllister is some sort of extremely high-ranking official, whether of a larger criminal enterprise or perhaps a shadow agency like the CIA. Owing a favor to someone with that much unfettered power all but guarantees that it will not only be cashed in, but cashed in for something dangerous and illegal.

Again, regardless of what Kat’s actual position is, it’s clear she has a stake in the movement of drugs, guns, and other illicit materials across the globe. She’s offered 50% of the fentanyl money that Conrad intends to move just to broker the meeting between him and Jaime, which she accepts. The willingness to accept money from such a source likely points her more towards the criminal underworld than the CIA, but a corrupt government official certainly wouldn’t be a shocker to anyone.

She clearly intends to use Harry for something to further her own business, and the fact that she’s already approached him to work for her makes it clear that she knows what skills he possesses. Harry could be called in to work for her as a black operative, or perhaps to infiltrate another criminal organization. He could even be called upon to give up the Harrigans if it’s what Kat wants, which would explain why Kevin believes a favor to Kat would be disastrous for the Harrigans. Kat’s favors will surely come to light in the near future in MobLand.

Why Harry Kills Freddie & Who Is Secretly Working For Richie?

Freddie Is A Loose End, And He Knows Too Much

Freddie, Richie’s right hand, has been under Harry’s thumb since Harry obtained photos of Vron cheating on Richie with Freddie, and he meets with Harry one final time in episode 8 of MobLand. Harry acts as if he and Kevin intend to take over the Harrigan crime empire, and in doing so will kill Richie as well, which would open the door for Freddie to join forces with Harry and Kevin. That earns Freddie’s trust, and he quickly gives Harry the information he needs about Richie’s fentanyl operation for Conrad to use with Jaime.

The term “fire” or “the fire” is used often in MobLand as a regional slang term for fentanyl.

However, Freddie also reveals the identity of the member of the Harrigans who had been working directly with Richie to Harry off-screen. That information causes Harry to throw Freddie off the top of the building to his death. Freddie had served his purpose, and was nothing more than a loose end to tie off at that point, which is why he caught the express elevator to the bottom floor.

It seems all but certain that it’s been Maeve working with Richie the entire time. Her call to Richie about the location of Brendan and Seraphina in Antwerp seems like the height of stupidity, but not if she had been working with him up to that point, and sincerely believed that he would spare Brendan. That would also explain why Richie didn’t tell Conrad about Maeve’s call at the ending of episode 7. If she’d helped him up to that point, it would benefit Richie to keep her as a mole within the Harrigan house as he tries to ruin Conrad.

Who Is The Other Brother Maeve Mentions

Kevin’s Reaction Could Be The Clue To His Identity

While Conrad has called Harry his “son” before thanks to all the loyalty he has shown him, Kevin’s reaction to Maeve referring to his “other brother” points in a different direction. Just as he begins to curse her out for even mentioning it, they’re interrupted by a cheerful Eddie, which earns an eye-brow raise from Maeve in Kevin’s direction. The “other brother” she refers to as another possible heir to the Harrigan throne could be Eddie, who is not actually Kevin’s son, but rather Conrad’s son with Bella, who we know Conrad had relations with before Kevin married her.

What Is Kevin Planning For Rusby?

Kevin Almost Certainly Has Murderous Intent

Kevin’s dogged pursuit of the address of the former prison guard Rusby in episode 8 makes it pretty clear what his intentions are. He’s willing to pretend to know Rusby’s wife, who is suffering from dementia, in an effort to find out what time he comes to visit her, so he’s at the point of desperation in his pursuit. The former prison guard raped Kevin when he was institutionalized as a teenager, and it seems unlikely that he’s seeking an apology from him. Kevin wants to kill the man who tormented him, regardless of how old he is now.