Spoilers for MobLand season 2 episode 2 ahead.

Start talking, copper. That's the delicious line we were left on last week, as MobLand season 2 episode 1 gave us our first look at the new villain, Frankie (Johnny Flynn).

He's been picked by Colin (Toby) as a "knight in shining armor" to ride into battle on behalf of Kat McAllister (Janet McTeer), allowing her to take control of London from the Harrigans without ever being directly involved herself.

At the moment, Conrad (Pierce Brosnan) is too busy fighting with Kevin (Paddy Considine) and paying no attention to Harry (Tom Hardy) to be able to fully recognize this. Even Kevin doesn't understand what's coming, with Harry describing Kat as "Her mob has eight trillion in cash and the world's biggest nuclear arsenal."

This week, they're in for a nasty wake-up call. MobLand season 2 episode 2 is now on Paramount+, so let's dig a little deeper into what's actually happened.

Jan has a suspicious car accident while Conrad's health worsens

We start episode 2 following Gina (Teddie Allen) and Eddie (Anson Boon) as they party the early hours away and arrive back at their flat with their bodyguards, with Harry watching them from a car further down the road.

Jan (Joanne Froggatt), meanwhile, is at a spin class, ignoring Harry's "urgent" calls as she begins to drive back home. Before she gets there, her bumper is hit from behind by another car, with the American driver incredibly apologetic. Jan, infuriated, is having none of it, and the pair exchange numbers before she angrily drives away.

At the same time, Colin visits his local library only to get a call from Kat as he's checking a book out (see, even gangsters think it's cool to utilise public services). She gives him the go-ahead to spring Frankie into action, telling Colin to "show her what he's got."

We've really got a lot of plates spinning at once, as Conrad goes to see a doctor. The doctor tells him that Conrad is showing signs of focal atrophy, meaning that his sense of instinct, strategy, and restraint is diminishing to allow any natural sense of anger and aggression to take over, unchecked. Conrad tells him to forget that the appointment ever happened, adding, "I'm f**ing fine."

Outside, Conrad threatens a parking ticket officer with a gun when a fine is left on his car window. Maeve (Helen Mirren) calls from home, suggesting that they should invite Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) out to dinner to "bury the hatchet." Zosia (Jasmine Jobson) is revealed to have been tailing Conrad the entire time at Harry's request.

Kavanagh works out a mole is in the force

At the police station, DCI Kavanagh (Ophelia Lovibond) assembles the few officers she feels she can trust to run through the events of episode 1. With the waiter witness recanting his statement after being threatened by Harry, Kavanagh is convinced that there's a mole in the force leaking information to him.

Not only is she right, of course, but she's also correct in assuming that Finch (Warren Brown) is among the potential suspects, leaving him out of the meeting. Her plan? Feed the rest of the team false information to make Harry think that the Harrigans are in the clear before they pounce.

The American driver, who we now know is called Jamie, calls Jan and offers to give her £5,000 directly, as his insurance company is saying they'll take months to process the claim. Jan barters for £6,000, to which Jamie agrees. He tries to take her out to dinner to do the handover, but Jan pushes back by suggesting a morning coffee instead.

Harry phones and Jan finally picks up, telling her that he's found Gina. The pair meet in a local park, where Harry tells her about Gina's YouTube shakedown scheme and that she's living with Eddie. Harry remains convinced that he can pull her back from the brink of being involved in organised crime, but Jan thinks the moment has passed. "You see yourself as the antidote, but you're the poison," she tells him.

At the Harrigan's house, Maeve tries to get Conrad's dogs put down, for no appropriate reason, without telling him. Paul (Emmett J. Scanlan) refuses to phone the vets without Conrad's knowledge, so Maeve organises a home visit. The doctor confirms that both dogs are in good health, leaving Maeve to unsubtly find out how to do the job herself (spoiler: with antifreeze).

Frankie is told about the Harrigan's as Seraphina squeals to Kat

Colin arranges to meet Frankie in a nail salon, where the latter is already getting a pedicure. Colin begins to tell him about the Harrigan's empire, and how the drugs and other criminal enterprises are "there for the taking" because the family itself is spiralling into chaos. The way to get to them, obviously, is through Harry.

In an unnerving power move, Frankie decides to give Colin a pedicure himself. He asks what would happen if he was to say no to "f**king Harry up," with Colin responding that he's got enough evidence on Frankie to "get him locked up for the rest of his life." Frankie responds with a thinly-veiled threat concerning Colin's wife.

We get another history lesson from Colin when Frankie asks about the best way to get to Harry, this time about the French Catholic who assassinated King Henry IV of France in 1610, François Ravaillac. Ravaillac's execution was to be tied to four horses who each pulled his limbs in different directions, implying that the Harrigan's have four horses that would have the same metaphorical impact on Harry.

Conrad invites Seraphina to dinner, who is immediately suspicious of Maeve's intentions. She reluctantly agrees, but immediately phones the number Kat gave her in episode 1 to reveal Conrad's plans. The voice on the other end of the phone is revealed to be Jamie, Jan's car accident stranger.

Gina and Jan meet, with Gina laying on the success of her YouTube shakedowns thick. Jan tells her about the divorce, with Gina trying (badly) to hide how much her family's dysfunction has been affecting her. Eddie arrives to meet Gina, immediately getting feisty with Jan, who mildly threatens him in return.

Colin correctly guesses that Bella will be the best way to get to Harry

While Colin is at home watching TV with his wife, Frankie rings to ask who Harry's four horses might be. Colin lists off the Harrigan's who are most likely to crack, while also telling him about Jan and Gina. However, he guesses that Kevin's wife Bella (Lara Pulvey) will be the best bet... and he's right.

As luck would have it, Harry makes his way to see Bella to discuss what Gina and Eddie have been up to together. They have a stilted conversation about parenthood, with Harry opening up about Jan asking for a divorce. Bella thinks that Kevin would feel insecure if he were to know that Harry was there with her alone, despite nothing going on between them.

As he leaves, we see Jamie and Jan meet up for coffee. Jamie gives her £7,000 in a white envelope, which is even more than she asked for. Jamie tries to get to know her and ask about her life, but Jan immediately leaves once she's got the money.

We also see Eddie take a call from Maeve to ask if he's got rid of Gina, which was her request in episode 1. Eddie says that he doesn't want to, claiming that the pair work well together as a team.

Frankie leaves Bella for dead — and makes sure Conrad knows it

Jamie rings Seraphina as she gets ready to meet Maeve and Conrad, and tells her not to go to the restaurant. He doesn't say why, but claims it's important... and she obliges.

Then, a lot of things happen at once. We see Maeve and Conrad arrive at the restaurant, with Maeve remarking that Seraphina is "rude" for being so late. As more time passes, Conrad is inclined to agree, but he's then called away when a waiter says there's a call for him on the main phone. He's confused as to how anyone would know he's there, but we know it's not Seraphina — she's tried calling Conrad's phone, which Maeve declines.

At the same time, Paul and Fergus (Jack Archer) go for a drink outside a nearby pub. As Fergus admits that he's worried about his family's safety now that he's working in organised crime, Paul heads in to get another drink at the bar. While he does, a man in a van arrives as asks Fergus for directions to the nearest A-road. As Fergus approaches, the van door opens and a masked man shoots Fergus point-blank in the head.

Also at the same time, Harry tries to leave Jan a voicemail about moving abroad for a fresh start as Kevin calls Bella to check on her. Harry is sitting outside Gina's flat, shooting a bunch of masked men arriving nearby. He checks that the pair aren't hurt before leaving.

Bella, meanwhile, isn't so lucky. Masked man shoot down the outside security before storming the house, leaving Bella to make a run for the basement while still on the phone to Kevin. Kevin says that he's on his way, but it's too late... Frankie, who appears once the rest of the men have gone in, gets to her first.

As Conrad reaches the restaurant phone, Frankie finds Bella cowering in a downstairs bathroom, pointing a gun with a silencer directly at her. Conrad answers the phone, as Frankie picks up his to say just one word: "Bang."

Now that MobLand season 2 has started streaming on Paramount+, I'm glad we've got more insanely epic television to watch. Nonetheless, in recent times, we've been preoccupied with the unverified Tom Hardy rumors that dogged this season's filming schedule.

In late May, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) claimed that, if MobLand season 3 was to be renewed — which it has been — shooting would begin later this year. However, gossip about Hardy's behavior on set was not only said to have "spooked producers", but even led to the star's firing from the hit crime drama.

THR's source said: "He refused to come out of his trailer for hours at a time. He kept the cast waiting, [which is] a power play. Keeping Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and others waiting is career suicide, I would wager.”

However, speaking to Variety a separate source refuted those accusations, adding: "Tom was not fired, the door is not closed for season 3, and things are being worked through creatively."

We now know that Hardy is confirmed to return for MobLand season 3, and the cast has moved quickly to shoot down any supposed tension on set. Indeed, Anson Boone (Eddie Harrigan), Mandeep Dhillion (Seraphina Harrigan), and Teddie Allen (Gina Da Souza) all confirmed to TechRadar that the cast is "all family."

'It feels like family'

"Just fun, isn't it? Because we all know each other so well," Dhillon replied when I ask what the on-set vibes were like for season 2. "More playful. It's nice coming back for a season 2, because everyone's just so comfortable."

Boone added: "In season 1, we were all getting to know each other. To then come back for season 2, you have that added level of comfort. We're all pals now."

Honestly, it's easy to see how this is the case. When rumors initially surfaced, it was Helen Mirren who posted a message of support for Hardy on Instagram, with the post reading: "love you now and always, Helen."

"It feels like family," Boone continued, as Dhillon and Allen nodded in agreement. "It's so satisfying when we get to do big group scenes together. When you start season 2, everyone is banished to the four corners of the kingdom.

"No one's talking to anyone. We're a little team [pointing to him and Allen], Seraphina is a little team on her own, also, then you have Kevin (Paddy Considine) and Bella (Lara Pulvey), Maeve (Mirren) Conrad (Brosnan), and Harry (Hardy) all trying to piece it together.

"Obviously, in reality, that means that we're all filming scenes separately. Keep tuning in season 2 and you'll see when people do come together. It's so much fun to film. It's the best days knowing that everyone's in."

Even for a potential PR line, this doesn't feel like the energy of actors who genuinely have had a bad time at work. Perhaps we can finally draw a line under the so-called MobLand scandal and focus on what's really important: the show itself.

Spoilers for MobLand season 2 episode 1 ahead.

Unsurprisingly, Guy Ritchie has wasted no time getting stuck into absolute madness in MobLand season 2.

Helpfully, he's included a season 1 recap montage before any of the new action gets underway. Conrad's (Pierce Brosnan) feud with Kevin (Paddy Considine) has reached civil war levels, with Jan (Joanne Froggatt) accidentally stabbing Harry (Tom Hardy) in the stomach while daughter Gina (Teddie Allen) made a run for it.

They've all made it through to a new season unscathed, but for how long? With MobLand season 2 episode 1 now on Paramount+, let's dig a little deeper into what's actually happened.

Conrad and Maeve open fire on the dog track after Kevin goes behind their back

As episode 1 picks up, we're down the dog track. Conrad, Maeve (Helen Mirren) and a handful of their cronies have arrived for a 'sit down' with Turkish gangster Gakbu, who we understand has entered into a drug partnership with the family.

However, Gakbu himself hasn't shown up to meet Conrad. Instead, he's approached Kevin to strike a deal, having considered Conrad to be "old news." In the heat of the moment, Kevin's only too happy to betray his dad, leaving Gakbu's brother Luca to attend the dog track face-to-face.

Within the first 10 minutes of the episode, Gakbu's henchmen are all dead, with Conrad and Maeve opening fire on the group as if they're "a real-life Bonnie and Clyde." Staff cower behind the bar in fear, while Conrad screams "We are the Harrigans! Don't know the name? Then f**king Google us."

Harry and Jan start divorce proceedings as the Harrigans hit a 'death spiral'

We then cut to Jan and Harry, who are sitting in a therapist's office. Jan discusses their "rough patch," explaining that they've struggled to make quality time for each other thanks to Harry's work, including the admission that Jan stabbed him in the stomach.

Jan reveals that Gina left a note before she left, reading "Mum, you saw a way out. There's another one… it's called a door. Gina. P.S. I wish you'd killed the c***."

Their session is interrupted when Harry gets a call from Paul (Emmett J. Scanlan) who briefs him on what's happened at Green Park Dogs. Harry, surprisingly, didn't have a clue that a meeting with Gakbu was taking place.

As DCI Kavanagh (Ophelia Lovibond) arrives at the scene, Harry tells police mole Finch (Warren Brown) to clean up the mess from the inside. Bella (Lara Pulvey) is across town meeting with a prospective team of lawyers, but Kevin pulls her out of the meeting — he's heard too, and it's no longer safe for Bella to leave in a known car.

Harry arrives at Conrad and Maeve's house, as Paul tells him that they've gone into a "death spiral." He believes that the chain of command has gone completely out of the window, and everyone is terrified of what's to come.

Harry questions Conrad about why he didn't know about the Gakbu meeting, but Maeve admits that it was her idea. She believes that his closeness with Kevin means that sensitive plans must be on a "need-to-know basis." Harry tells them at the family is now "surrounded by sharks, ripe for the picking," and theorizes that Gakbu was being controlled by Kat McAllister (Janet McTeer).

In Harry's eyes, the opposition is capitalizing on the fractures between Kevin and Conrad, meaning that a war on the family has already begun.

A witness comes forward while Maeve secretly meets with Eddie to try and get rid of Gina

As Harry leaves the house, one of the dog track waiters arrives at the police station. Finch clocks him and alerts Harry, as the waiter tells Kavanagh exactly what Conrad did.

As Maeve leaves for London, Conrad insists that new recruit Fergus (Jack Archer) goes with her. Maeve drives down the road before ordering Fergus out of the car, who chooses to spend the afternoon hiding in the bushes so he doesn't get in trouble with either of them. Harry asks Zosia (Jasmine Jobson) to follow her from a distance.

Jan officially asks Harry for a divorce, telling him "I know you love me. I know you love Gina. But it's not enough." Harry leaves once Dean, the waiter who went to the police, is found trying to return to his flat. Harry packs him into a van and drives him to an empty warehouse unit.

Dean is told to return to the police station to retract his statement, and instead claim that he was coerced into making it by Gakbu. If not, he "won't be needing his bicycle anymore."

We then see Maeve meeting Eddie (Anson Boone) in a Greasy spoon, with Zosia watching on outside. Eddie gives her a bag with £30,000 inside, claiming that it's "her cut." Eddie explains that he and Gina have been shaking down prolific YouTubers with cash to spare, offering them security in exchange for a hefty fee.

Maeve, however, isn't happy with this. She claims that she has "big plans in store," for Eddie, and they involve Gina being in the "f**king rear view mirror." Next time they meet, Maeve wants Gina taken care of... and another £50,000.

Seraphina tries to make her move on Kat McAllister as Kevin admits all to Harry

Harry pays a visit to Kevin, who explains what happened with Gakbu. He explains his theory that Gakbu is being controlled by Kat, though Kevin doesn't seem phased by this.

"She's gonna eat us piece by piece," Harry explains. "Her mob has eight trillion in cash and the world's biggest nuclear arsenal." Kevin remains convinced that "he can look after himself," despite everyone else thinking that he's the weakest link in the family.

We cut to Kat, who is giving a speech at the London Imperial College. Two notable people are in the audience: Seraphina (Mandeep Dhillon) and Colin (Toby Jones).

Seraphina gets to her first, who tells Kat that it's time for Conrad to move on. She's convinced that Harry feels the same way after saving her life at Antwerp. Kat tells Seraphina that she'd want half of all Harrigan revenue for the next five years, if she's to be trusted as a business partner.

Seraphina tries to barter this down to four, convinced that Kat is out of other options after her attempts to corrupt Harry proved futile. Kat gives her a number and tells her to call it whenever she has a conversation with another family member, and to repeat it word for word. "You wanna play in the f**king big league? Honey, you're here... and you're up to bat."

Colin offers Kat her own Harry Da Souza as Gakbu meets his maker

As Seraphina leaves, Colin arrives. Through one of his infamously long-winded historical references, Colin offers her "a brave knight to ride into battle for you," allowing Kat to keep her nose, and reputation, clean.

Describing himself as a "lowly middleman," he wants a fee to find the right person to act in Kat's interest... much like Harry does for the Harrigans. "In five years time, this man will run London with your help, and as such, you will own him. The Harrigans will be consigned to the dustbin of history" he claims.

Kat doesn't give an answer as Colin leaves, but she's clearly mulling it over. Harry, meanwhile, has gone to pay Gakbu a visit, taking every last remaining family member — and the main man — out. Zosia rings, telling Harry that he's found Gina.

Colin arrives at a house full of young men, approaching a man called Frankie (Johnny Flynn) while he uses a barbecue. "Start talking, copper," Frankie says as the scene closes out.