Warning: Major spoilers ahead for episode 5 of MobLand

Episode 5 of the Paramount+ crime drama end of episode 4, episode 5 opened with Conrad summoning some of his children to the Cotswolds to determine how to handle the situation. An invite of that nature coming from their hated rival reeks of a trap, as everyone was happy to point out.

However, Harry rationalized that assuming Richie bought their gambit in getting Valjon to take the fall for Tommy's death, he would not attack the Harrigans in such a public setting, as it would not only invite near-certain law enforcement intervention, but it would be bad for overall business within London's crime empires. While they reached an unsteady agreement that it would be in their best interest to attend the funeral (and ideally further throw the scent off Eddie's responsibility for Tommy's death), they were certain not to show up to the Stevenson house without some dangerous gifts for the host.

Why Nothing Happened At Tommy's Funeral Or Wake

The Ultra-Tense Encounters Resulted In No Violence

Ultimately, Harry's instincts proved correct in that the Harrigans attending both the funeral and the wake resulted in begrudging respect from Richie. Had nobody from their family shown up, it would have essentially been an ission of guilt and a simultaneous declaration of war, as it would have confirmed that there is no trust or peace between the families. Richie knew that would be the case, which is what prompted his somewhat brilliant invitation; he either got a reason for retribution against the Harrigans or he got them under his roof to look them all in the eye.

After Eddie unsurprisingly made a scene at the wake, Richie summoned Harry, Kevin, and Conrad to a back room with him and two of his men to clear the air. He noted that the Harrigans showing up did earn his respect, but he also made it perfectly clear that he knew exactly who was responsible for killing Tommy. At no point did he buy any of the Harrigans' other schemes, including the misdirect with Valjon. He wanted to look the Harrigans in the eyes, Eddie and Conrad especially, and see for himself if guilt lay there.

Interestingly, Richie also drew a line in the sand about retribution. He emphasized that if he or his men saw Eddie anywhere in public, he was fair game, which is perfectly fair in the crime world's eye-for-an-eye culture. However, Richie understood that no good could possibly come out of an all-out gang war, as it would only result in lost lives and lost income for both the Harrigans and the Stevensons. It's interesting to see Richie, who has been presented by the Harrigans as a wild dog essentially, being the calm and reasonable one in the situation.

How Richie Knew Who Really Killed Tommy

Richie Wasn't Fooled By The Valjon Charade

Eddie refused to take his sunglasses off when he approached Richie, which was likely just confirmation of what Richie already knew. He has said multiple times since episode 1 of MobLand that what he wanted was to look Eddie in the eye and have him tell Richie that he didn't kill Tommy, so he could see the truth directly. What he clearly wanted was to get Eddie close so he could kill him, as Richie knew all along that Eddie was responsible for Tommy's death, either thanks to a witness or sheer intuition based on the situation and people involved.

How Harry Got Guns Into Richie's House

A Highly Valuable Piece Of Blackmail Got The Harrigans Protection

While Harry was fairly sure there would be no attack at the Stevenson house, he and Conrad still had no intention of waltzing into the lions' den empty-handed. Harry found a way to get weapons into the Stevenson house by having Freddy, one of Richie's associates, place a bag of guns and grenades in Richie's garage. Harry somehow got his hands on Freddy's phone, on which he found some scandalous photos proving that Freddy had been having an affair with Richie's wife Vron. For Freddy, it was either placing the guns or losing his life at Richie's hands.

What Brandon Is Plotting With Serafina

He Believes He Has A Way Back Into The Family's Good Graces

Despite being the eldest, Maeve and Conrad's son Brandon is the perpetual odd man out in the Harrigan family because of his extensive history of boneheaded business ventures. He has pressed his half-sister Serafina for her help with another scheme that he believes could get them back in the family's good graces, and it was finally revealed in episode 5. Brandon apparently has a with access to a number of rare Mozambiquan rubies, and he already has a buyer for them. He simply needs help fronting the cash to make the deal happen.

Who Actually Made The Decision To Kill Vron

Her Direct Insult To Maeve Was The Breaking Point

Vron insulting and laughing in Maeve's face at Tommy's wake was about the worst thing she could have done, as Maeve was already planning on targeting her as the next major chess piece to fall in her plot to kick off a war with the Harrigans. After pushing Eddie towards conflict once again by having him shoulder-bump a Stevenson guard, Maeve was drugged by her son Kevin. It was a precaution to take her out of the game, given that everybody knows what an antagonistic wild card she is.

Eddie attempting to kiss Vron on the cheek was either a meta reference or a direct reference on Eddie's part to "Il bacio della morte", or "the kiss of death" in the mafia. It is typically a sign from a mafia boss that a member of the crime family has been marked for death, usually due to some kind of betrayal.

Once Maeve wakes up, she quickly blames Conrad for drugging her, and despite his denial she storms out and quickly calls their man Paul. While the conversation occurs off-screen, the very next scene features Vron leaving her house to go shopping, and her car blowing up when she attempts to start it, so we can make some inferences about what Maeve and Paul discussed. With her scheme to start a clash of clans using Eddie to kill Tommy finally proving unsuccessful, Maeve moved right on to the next, more extreme attack.

Why Maeve Is Desperate For War With The Stevensons

She Clearly Has Her Own Ambitions

Maeve has continued to manipulate everyone around her, especially Conrad and Eddie, to bring the Harrigans closer to war with the Stevensons. She's pointed a finger at Harry as a rat, continued to alienate Brandon and Serafina, and doesn't seem to want anything but chaos; as Richie knows, a war between the two families is just bad business. It seems as though she has something deeper in mind, especially given that it looks more and more like she is the rat in the Harrigan house. Maeve could be angling to take over the crime empire at the center of MobLand.

She could also be acting purely out of spite and vengeance, as it has been conspicuously mentioned on numerous occasions that Conrad has been a serial adulterer his entire life, and seems to rub her nose in it. Serafina is a product of his infidelity and he adores her, and after cheating on Maeve with a frighteningly young Bella, he brought her into the family as well. Maeve seems just angry, unhinged, and lubricated enough to act on her worst impulses and bring ruin to the Harrigans.