MobLand Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Jigsaw Puzzle

Critic’s Rating: 3.75 / 5.0

3.75

Tommy’s fate was revealed on MobLand Season 1 Episode 2, but I wonder how easy it will be to convince Richie Stevenson to stand down.

The second episode follows the lead of the first by humorously unfolding serious drama so that no matter how brutal the story becomes, everyone can find a way to laugh about it.

For those of us doing it right, that’s life in a nutshell.

The most remarkable part of “Jigsaw Puzzle” is how Harry remains so incredibly calm through every circumstance.

He’s become so used to cleaning up after the Harrigans that it doesn’t even faze him. When he was called into the house to get rid of the bits of Archie that remained behind, he tackled it as if it were any other dirty mess.

Burn the carpet, replace the floorboards. He’s just an interior designer doing his thing to restore the home to its former glory. It’s not a place most of us would be comfortable.

You’d expect it from him, but the true surprise is how similar events failed to affect his family. Seconds after Harry finally put his head on his pillow for a little rest, the cops busted down his door to take him away.

His daughter, Gina, railed against the intrusion, not because she was frightened but annoyed at the disruption. It’s as if these things happen so often, they’re expected.

Jan was more concerned that Harry would miss their counseling session than him getting taken away in cuffs. And when Harry thanks the cops before they go, you know this is just another day in the Da Douza life.

But things aren’t going as planned. Somehow, the cops are on to what happened with Archie. Once Harry is gone, they admit they got a tip, and now they’re following Harry to find the informant. 

Harry had other fish to fry before digging into that mess. Tommy was still missing, and since Harry missed the noon deadline Richie set, Richie upped the ante a bit, sending his guys after Eddie.

At this early point in the story, Maeve is the most problematic character for me. I can’t stand how she treats Eddie, and her relationship with Conrad isn’t much better.

She’s the string puller, and I don’t mean she controls Conrad. She’s planting information in others’ brains so they’ll do what she wants, Conrad included.

Only a grandmother can see something to cherish in Eddie. The way she coddles him makes me nauseous. Later, she revealed her reasoning behind it to Conrad. Eddie is a true Harrigan. He sees who they really are. He’s the future of the family.

That dipshit? A dipshit that needs to be coddled, called darling, and having his back rubbed soothingly? 

It turns out that he probably had nothing to do with Tommy’s death (RIP to that well-endowed fella), but he’s so far shown he’s nothing but trouble.

That’s a sentiment Conrad shares, but he’s so pussywhipped that he won’t do anything about it. I imagine a future where he grows a pair and takes out the woman he loves, if he loves her.

He’s more like a child in her presence, asking for approval. It’s not a good look for the figurehead of a major organization. And the ludicrous part of me wonders how bad it will be for the public if he gets involved in fentanyl. 

That’s where my mind goes. Gotta love TV!

Richie has no idea about Tommy, and Harry knows that Gina will be a target if he doesn’t produce him.

But Tommy is in pieces, and the club owner is accepting the blame. There has to be more to this story because it makes no sense that anyone would walk right into Richie’s arms without a fight.

MobLand Season 1 Episode 1 showed Tommy running away from Eddie. We have no evidence they ever reconnected. Did Eddie clam up only because he wasn’t supposed to be with Eddie? 

He was practically charged with murder, and that’s what he’s worried about? Maeve would forgive any of his trespasses, and spending the night with Tommy is nothing compared with how he gutted a guy. Maeve praised him for that.

Maybe that’s just how Maeve ticks: pleased as punch if Eddie follows in the family’s footsteps but angry if he steps out on them.

Conrad described a similar scenario with Archie. He can respect someone who wants to get the jump on him, but going behind his back is another story. Is that how he’d treat Eddie hanging with Tommy?

Let’s not forget Bella, who is maneuvering something between a Frenchman named Antoine and her father, who has diplomatic ties. 

Harry warned her to stop because the timing is off, but she will plunge forward nonetheless. 

Harry’s hands are full, but that’s not stopping Jan from considering divorce proceedings. At least he told her about Tommy. If he kept her in the loop, maybe it would temper her unhappiness a bit. He takes on a lot to provide for them.

I understand why he doesn’t loop her in more often, though. The more she knows, the bigger liability it could become for her and Harry.

If someone does come for Gina, and with Tommy’s death, it’s a real possibility, it will either be game over for them as a couple, or she’ll respect what he withholds for their protection.

Time will tell.

The second episode kept things moving along nicely.

The balance between drama and action and the humorous way they handle it has become the sweet spot for Paramount+ shows, and MobLand fits in perfectly.

Shoot me a comment below if you’re enjoying the show so far!

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