3rd episode on the chessboard of the 2nd season

So Bella is alive after all. For now, at least. The fact that we never actually saw her being killed at the end of the second episode was, to me, the biggest indication that Frankie was probably going to keep her as a hostage, and that is exactly what happened. It wasn't particularly difficult to predict, but the interesting part now is what Frankie intends to do with her and just how valuable a bargaining chip she will become in his war with the Harrigans.

The biggest question this episode left me with is Seraphina, who essentially gave herself away. Donnie, whom we also met as Jamie when he approached Harry's wife Jan, is Kat's man who has been assigned to handle her and pass information and instructions back and forth. That also explains why Seraphina already knew the name Frankie Cooper before Harry did. So when she mentions Frankie during her conversation with Harry, he immediately realises that something doesn't add up. Seraphina later tries to turn the conversation around by claiming that she heard the name from him, but Harry doesn't buy it. He doesn't confront her, he doesn't expose her, he simply keeps the information to himself. And with Harry, that is usually much worse.

Then there is Jan, Harry's wife, who unknowingly gets pulled into another part of Kat's plan. Donnie/Jamie initially approached her by staging the small car accident, and in this episode things go much further, with Jan going out with him and eventually ending up in his bed. On the surface, it looks like a woman who has reached her limits with Harry and her marriage and is looking for a little attention and a different kind of life. But for me, it is much more interesting because we already know that Jamie isn't there by accident. He is someone who now has access not only to Seraphina but also to Harry's personal life. And that could prove to be much more dangerous than any gun.

That is also something several episode analyses have pointed out: Kat isn't simply trying to attack Harry from the outside anymore; she has started finding ways into his actual life. Donnie is the link to Seraphina and now he has entered Harry's home through Jan as well. Seraphina, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have a romantic relationship with him; so far, their connection is presented as operational, with Donnie acting as Kat's man and handler.

And then there is Frankie. The guy shows up alone, riding an electric scooter, with that trademark confidence of his, walks into Harrigan territory and sits across from people who, under normal circumstances, should have already shot him. Instead of being intimidated, he presents them with what is almost a business proposal for taking over their empire. He wants Conrad and Maeve out of the whole game, Kevin in front, Harry in his position and Seraphina inside the system. He isn't talking like a man asking for something. He is talking like a man who believes the decision has already been made.

And eventually, even though the deal is rejected, Frankie releases Bella. Of course, he doesn't leave without leaving something behind. The helmet he left on the table contained a small bomb, and when Dog picks it up, the Harrigans' headquarters is blown apart. To me, that was the whole point of the scene: Frankie had the Harrigans right in front of him and could have killed them, but he didn't. He chose to let them walk away and then remind them that he can hit them whenever he wants. The message was much more important than the casualties.

And this is where the episode continues exactly where the previous one left off. We still haven't reached the major confrontation we're expecting. Instead, we're watching the chess pieces move into increasingly dangerous positions, with every episode opening another front. Seraphina is becoming more exposed, Kat has placed someone inside Harry's personal life, Frankie has now proven that he can strike the Harrigans whenever he wants, and the family continues to tear itself apart from within.

Then there is Maeve and Eddie, and one of the most uncomfortable scenes of the episode. You really never know with this woman. Her relationship with Eddie has now taken a very strange turn, because she isn't simply trying to protect him anymore; she is trying to shape him into what she believes the family's successor should be. And the more we see Maeve moving her own pieces around, the more I feel that eventually she may become the very problem she is trying to solve.

Critics seem to have responded positively to the episode, particularly to Frankie and the major confrontation with the Harrigans. On Rotten Tomatoes, Denis Kimathi of TV Fanatic rates the episode 3.8/5, arguing that the attack would have had an even greater impact if Frankie had killed someone more important within the Harrigan family, since the show sacrifices several characters the audience hasn't had enough time to become attached to. Other reviews, however, have treated it as one of the stronger episodes of the season so far, particularly praising Johnny Flynn and the way Frankie has completely shifted the balance of power in the series.

One nice piece of trivia is the title “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg,” which comes from the Ramones' 1985 song of the same name. The song was written in response to Ronald Reagan's controversial visit to the military cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, while “Bonzo” referred to the film Bedtime for Bonzo, in which Reagan starred alongside a chimpanzee. Even more interestingly, some analysis has interpreted the title as an indirect reference to Conrad, an old “king” whose judgement and control are now beginning to collapse.

So, for the second episode in a row, MobLand doesn't necessarily give us the chaos we're expecting, but it does show us exactly where the pieces are being positioned before the real game begins. Bella is back, Seraphina has now exposed herself to Harry, Donnie has moved even deeper into his life, and Frankie has proven that he doesn't even need to kill a Harrigan to make them understand who currently has the upper hand.

And at this point, I'm starting to want a little less chess and a little more war.