After Mobland episode 5, I'm convinced Vron's death was a setup (and Stevenson was never the real target)

After watching Mobland episode 5, Funeral for a Friend, I was left stunned,and increasingly suspicious. The episode delivered one of the most explosive moments of the season so far, but beneath the literal blast was something far more sinister: a shift in the show's power dynamics that felt intentional, methodical, and disturbingly quiet until it wasn't.

Vron Stevenson's shocking death might read as a moment of impulsive retaliation at first glance, but it soon becomes clear it was anything but. Richie Stevenson, Vron’s husband and the patriarch of the Stevenson crime family, is the figure often assumed to be the primary target of Harrigan aggression. But in truth, Mobland episode 5 suggests otherwise.

As the funeral of Tommy Stevenson unraveled into a simmering display of restraint and rage, one thing stood out: everyone was playing a part, but Maeve Harrigan was writing the script. What looked like emotional fallout from an emotionally charged encounter was, in my view, the carefully orchestrated beginning of Maeve’s ultimate power play.

Stevenson was never truly the mark. The real target,strategically chosen and fatally exposed:was Vron. Not just because she insulted Maeve, but because of what she represented: influence, stability, and the last tether keeping Richie from losing it all. Mobland episode 5 may have closed with an explosion, but what truly detonated was the fragile illusion of diplomacy between the Stevensons and the Harrigans, and there’s no coming back from that.

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Mobland episode 5: The funeral that sparked a firestorm

Mobland episode 5’s most charged moment: Maeve confronts Vron at the funeral (Image via Paramount)

Tommy Stevenson’s funeral wasn’t just a memorial, it was a stage set for chaos. Richie, in a surprising move, invited the Harrigans to attend. Harry, ever the tactician, anticipated trouble and arranged for weapons to be smuggled in, just in case things turned violent. But even his foresight couldn’t account for Maeve’s volatility.

Despite Harry and Kevin drugging her to prevent an incident, Maeve managed to provoke Vron Stevenson in front of everyone. Their exchange ended with Vron humiliating Maeve in public, an insult that would have deadly consequences. The next morning, Vron, still grieving and barely functioning, left home for what seemed like a mundane errand. She never returned. Her car exploded moments after she got in, in what now feels like a meticulously planned hit.

It wasn’t just about vengeance. This was about sending a message. Maeve Harrigan doesn’t forgive, and she certainly doesn’t forget.

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Maeve Harrigan Plays to Win (But She Wasn’t Working Alone)

The final moments of Vron’s life unfold in Mobland episode 5, as she walks unknowingly toward a fatal trap. (Image via Paramount)

Maeve has proven time and again that she thrives in manipulation and long-game tactics. Her move against Vron wasn’t simply personal,it was strategic. Or so it seemed at first. New revelations from episode 6 change the narrative entirely. According to the latest episode, it wasn’t Maeve who masterminded Vron’s death, it was Conrad. The Harrigan patriarch had been growing increasingly frustrated by Maeve’s reckless schemes and Harry’s attempt to broker peace.

With the Stevenson-Harrigan feud simmering instead of erupting, Conrad took matters into his own hands. He ordered the hit on Vron without Maeve's knowledge, manipulating the volatile situation to accelerate the war he’s been angling for since episode 1.

Maeve’s influence may have sparked the fire, but Conrad ensured it burned down the house. And he used Paul, Maeve’s go-to cleaner, to make it happen, further muddying the waters and deepening suspicions against Maeve. The events leading up to Vron’s death were orchestrated with chilling precision. Conrad saw her as the final emotional barrier standing between Richie and a full-blown war.

With Tommy already gone, removing Vron would push Richie past the point of no return. By targeting her while she was most vulnerable, and unaware, Conrad ensured maximum impact with minimal suspicion. It was the kind of ruthless, behind-the-scenes maneuvering that only someone like Conrad could pull off without leaving fingerprints.

By bypassing both Maeve and Harry, Conrad revealed just how far he’s willing to go to assert dominance, not just over the Stevensons, but within his own crumbling family. This move not only distances him from the blame but also reframes Maeve as a pawn in a much larger, colder game of power.

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Mobland episode 5 reveals the real endgame

In Mobland episode 5, Maeve whispers to Conrad during the funeral, unaware that he’s already taken matters into his own hands by orchestrating Vron’s assassination. (Image via Paramount)

Vron’s death in Mobland episode 5 wasn’t about retribution. It was a seismic shift in Mobland’s underworld power play. While Maeve Harrigan initially appeared to be the one pulling the strings, episode 6 reveals that the real mastermind was Conrad Harrigan. Maeve didn’t need to kill Richie to dismantle him, Conrad did. And he achieved that by removing the emotional anchor that held Richie together.

First Tommy. Then Vron. With nothing left to lose, Richie is now spiraling into dangerous, unpredictable territory. That chaos is exactly what Conrad wanted: not just to incite war, but to fracture both families from within.

Conrad’s tactic was simple but ruthless: provoke Richie into self-destruction by taking away the only person who could tether him to reason. With Vron gone, there’s no voice of restraint left in Richie’s orbit, only grief and rage. What Maeve might have done to hurt Richie emotionally, Conrad has now amplified to strategic levels.

So no, I don’t think Vron’s death was collateral damage. I believe she was marked the moment she stood between Conrad and the chaos he craved. Richie may have seemed like the target, but it was Vron’s absence that would cause the real damage.

Mobland episode 5 didn’t just deliver a twist: it detonated the fragile balance of power in London’s criminal underworld.

And Conrad? He’s not just playing to win, he’s playing to annihilate.