This post contains a discussion of rape.

Paramount+'s gritty crime drama cast full of heavy hitters including Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and Tom Hardy, but perhaps the most underutilized talent through the first four episodes was the revered dramatic actor Paddy Considine. The 51-year-old actor is a Tony Award-nominated actor with an extensive history on both stage and screen. While he's appeared in high-profile shows like Peaky Blinders, The Outsider, and The Third Day, he is most well-known across the world for his role as Viserys I Targaryen in HBO's ultra-popular Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon.

While the other megastars who portray major players in the episode 5 of MobLand. However, the latest episode made it clear why Considine was selected for the role, and proved how much more he'll get to flex his dramatic chops moving forward.

MobLand Hasn't Made Much Use Of Paddy Considine

His Performance Is Great, But His Character Hasn't Had Much Depth

Through the first four episodes of MobLand, Kevin Harrigan has basically had two modes: incredulous comic relief, or a father furious about the idiotic and arrogant actions of his son, Eddie. Most of his best interactions come via one-on-one encounters with his best friend Harry or the aforementioned son, although he does have some vulnerable, cowed moments with his father Conrad, who clearly views him as inferior to Harry in of value and significance to the Harrigan crime empire. However, there hasn't been much actual development to the character.

Simply put, Considine wasn't asked to do much serious acting in the early stages of season 1 of MobLand. The focus has been on building the war between the Stevensons and the Harrigans, and establishing all the major players on both sides of the war. The character of Kevin Harrigan simply wasn't explored up until episode 4, in which part of his backstory was revealed when he told Harry about how he and his wife Bella actually met, and the audience was shown a flashback of his traumatic time in a detention facility as a young man.

Paddy Considine Truly Excels In MobLand Season 1, Episode 5

His Ability To Convey Emotional Vulnerability Shines Through

There's certainly nothing wrong with Kevin Harrigan as a source of mild comic relief amidst the grim events at the center of each episode of MobLand, and Considine has been terrific in that role. After the revelation that not only did Kevin their former prison guard and tormenter that Harry saw in the nursing home, but that he was raped by him, it's clear that Kevin is not intended to be a side character. Kevin Harrigan has much more to reveal as a character, and the insight into his past seems like the tip of the iceberg.

The moment in episode 5 that confirmed why such a talented dramatic actor like Considine was cast came around a third of the way through the episode. Kevin is throwing rocks into the pond behind the Cotswolds manor, growing angrier and more uncontrolled as he recalls the prison guard, Rusby, mocking him in the time after his initial rape. When the memory reaches a crescendo, Considine's face melts from anger and frustration to sheer pain, before finally progressing to tears in a brilliant piece of acting. It's immediately clear why an actor of Considine's caliber was needed for Kevin Harrigan.

Kevin's Past Could Be More Important In MobLand

The Show Has Now Used Flashbacks To His Youth With Harry Multiple Times

With as much time as has now been dedicated to Kevin and Harry's past incarceration, it seems inevitable that it doesn't snowball into something more consequential as the show wears on. While MobLand's primary focus is on the brewing war with the Stevensons, there could be a vengeful detour in Kevin's future, especially given that he now knows where his former assailant is, and that he's in a vulnerable state in his old age. Chances are the thread with Rusby is nowhere near over yet, and could set the stage for more of Kevin and Harry's backstory to be revealed.

It's clear that Kevin Harrigan is a much more complex character than we saw in the earliest episode of MobLand, and Paddy Considine should have plenty of opportunities to stand out in the show's terrific cast moving forward.

With Kevin's wife Bella and his father Conrad both seeming to prefer Harry, it seems plausible that there is a long-gestating conflict between Kevin and Harry on the horizon as well. Whether that involves Kevin plotting to undermine Harry specifically or turn against the entire Harrigan family, there is heavy drama ahead. It's clear that Kevin Harrigan is a much more complex character than we saw in the earliest episode of MobLand, and Paddy Considine should have plenty of opportunities to stand out in the show's terrific cast moving forward.