Last week, to prevent all out war between the Harrigan and the Stevenson clans, fixer Harry Da Souza threw a Hail Mary hoping it would connect. On the most recent MobLand, we find out if its successful.
One aspect that “Rat Trap” does well is play several conversations against each other. The first happens fairly early in the episode as Harry and his wife have a heated discussion over their current living arrangements. The argument is intertwined with Conrad and Maeve going over trust issues within their criminal enterprise. The scenes emphasize the contrasts between the two couples. One side prefers to live in ignorance while the other is more of an united front serving as confidants and advisors. An added nice touch is linking the separate dialogues through morning tea.
The other paired conversations are between Harry and Kevin and Harry’s wife Jan with her new friend Alice regarding relationship issues. These have a more humanizing effect due to the earnestness and frustration behind the words. It comes off as very relatable since it is merely venting with close friends. Only if the people had the courage to say these things to the intended person. Kevin’s story in particular is peculiar because it demonstrates his blind level of devotion, but also how messed up MobLand’s Harrigans are.
Interestingly, the episode also marks a turning point of sorts. Early on, it seemed as though it would be a Harrigans versus the Stevensons with Harry helping his side. Now, there is so much mistrust in the air that loyalties are questioned. We have already seen how cold and heartless both Maeve and Conrad can be. Add to that Conrad creepily strong arming Jan and Maeve’s scheming, they have their own agendas which might not coincide with Harry.
Speaking of, Harry meeting with Richie is a powerful scene. First, we witness how hardcore he is doing things his own violent way. More importantly is the pain and shock in his eyes afterwards. As a fixer, he can’t avoid doing dirty work, but there are lines that even affect him. He is not totally desensitized by his job and the company he keeps. The offer to clean up, on the surface, comes off as a professional courtesy. But upon deeper inspection through Tom Hardy’s subtle cues, it is more a gesture for himself than anything; he literally needs to wash the blood from his hands.
MobLand still tries to juggle too much regards to the plot. Some of the side stories progress, but it’s difficult to be invested in all of them. At this point, Bella’s side hustle, like for Harry, is more a minor annoyance than something of impact. Potentially, it can add to the overall aura of distrust, but in a clumsy way. Also, as if Harry doesn’t have enough on his plate, we are introduced to a mysterious man looking for him.
“Rat Trap” has some fine moments, but excessively piles on the troubles for its protagonist making it difficult to keep track or care for all the subplots.
New episodes of MobLand release Sundays on Paramount+.
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