Warning: Major spoilers ahead for MobLand episode 9

The penultimate episode of the first season of Ronan Bennett's powerful and mysterious Kat McAllister came to fruition, as Conrad came face-to-face with cartel boss Jaime Lopez (naturally, the Harrigan patriarch antagonized him in true Conrad fashion). As it stands, a deal may still move forward, but only if Harry is able to purge the Harrigan household of the rat in its midst.

Kevin was conspicuously absent from the negotiations, as he was finally able to confront his former jailer and tormentor, Rusby. His wife also managed to sneak away from the Harrigan manor to further her own shady plans. Finally, Jan's friend Alice, the informant who now works for Colin Tattersall after the deaths of Fisk and Mukasa at the end of episode 8, showed up to the manor to attend dinner at Conrad's invite. The meal imploded with a massive reveal, and was interrupted by a tactical squadron with air that saw Conrad and Maeve end up in handcuffs.

What Conrad & Maeve Are Arrested For At The End Of MobLand Season 1, Episode 9

Their Murderous Ways Finally Caught Up To Them

Tattersall sent Alice into Conrad's manor with a listening device planted in her phone as opposed to a wire, which was far too risky to her well-being given how easily it could be discovered. She never got a full ission of guilt or confirmation of any kind of criminal activity in the brief time she was there, but that wasn't ever her true goal. She was there to collect DNA from either Conrad, Maeve, or both if possible, to help get them convicted. They were arrested on "suspicion of murder", meaning the police had no concrete evidence yet.

Alice's Plan To Plant DNA Of Conrad & Maeve Explained

The Police Informant Had Experience Putting Criminals Away

However, Alice and Tattersall's ultimate plan was to create the evidence that they needed to put Conrad and Maeve away for good. Tattersall revealed that he knew that Alice (whose real name is evidently Nicola) had, on two occasions, taken money to help plant DNA evidence to set people up who may or may not have been criminals. The implication is that both Tattersall and Alice/Nicola are okay with bending the rules to get people properly convicted, which is the foundation of their plan for the Harrigans: get them arrested, then manufacture evidence to get them locked up.

The interesting wrinkle in that plan is that Tattersall is working directly with Richie Stevenson, who is actually the one pulling the strings. He has no intention of allowing Conrad and Maeve to rot away in a jail cell; Richie wants Colin to get them into a jail of any kind so that he can then murder them himself. With the blood of both his son and wife on Conrad and Maeve's hands, Richie was more than willing to partner with a corrupt investigator like Tattersall to exact his revenge once and for all.

What The Song Conrad & Maeve Sing In MobLand Season 1, Episode 9's Ending Is

The Irish Folk Ballad Rings Of Freedom And Independence

As they're being hauled out of their home, Maeve joyously breaks into song, and is soon after ed by Conrad. The song they sing in unison as they're loaded into police cruisers is an old Irish folk ballad titled "Twenty Men From Dublin", originally written by Arthur Griffith in the early 20th century. The song refers to the Irish guerrilla insurrectionists who fought the British Crown in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and was a famous battle song in Ireland that Maeve and Conrad would have grown up on. For them, it's a declaration of defiance against the police.

What Was Going On With Seraphina At The Dinner?

She Was As Combative As We've Ever Seen Her

With her confidence restored after her grueling encounter with Jaime Lopez, Seraphina essentially acts as her father's right hand at dinner. Conrad initially invited Alice to dinner because he was suspicious of her intentions; Maeve even outright asks him if he suspects her of being an informant earlier in the episode when they're in their sauna together. However, it isn't Conrad who grills Alice to discover more about her intentions--it's Seraphina. It's proof of her unquestionable loyalty to her father, who loves her the most of all his children.

Why Did Maeve Tell The Police About Archie?

The Harrigan Matriarch Is A True Agent Of Chaos

Maeve's ultimate objective has been obscured for most of the first season of MobLand, but that obfuscation now seems intentional on the show's part. Maeve may not actually have a concrete plan aside from creating chaos that lands at Conrad's feet. She's doing everything she can to endanger his position and destabilize him in general, which she essentially its to as they brandish sharp objects at each other just before being arrested. She told the police about Archie because she knew it would turn up the heat on Conrad, plain and simple.

Who Is The Rat That Harry Has Found?

It Hasn't Been Totally Confirmed, But Now It Seems Obvious

Richie Stevenson's rat in the Harrigan's criminal organization, and while it wasn't openly confirmed in episode 9, it was made fairly clear based on context. After Harry learns that the deal with Jaime Lopez is on if the rat in the Harrigan house is dealt with, Harry quickly makes a call to the Harrigans' lawyer, O'Hara Delaney (Lisa Dwan). When Seraphina asks what he's doing, he claims he's "dealing with something, fast."

Lisa Dwan previously worked with MobLand creator Ronan Bennett on the acclaimed crime drama series Top Boy as main cast member Lizzie Kilfauns.

He confirms the deal with Jaime is on, promoting O'Hara to opine that Archie was right about leaving fentanyl to Richie. That all but confirms that it was actually her working with Richie, and Harry seems to have only been confirming what Freddie told him. He asks O'Hara to meet him in the morning to go over things, and chances are good that O'Hara won't leave that meeting if she shows up.

What To Expect From MobLand's Finale

There Are A Ton Of Threads To Wrap Up Or Progress

There are still so many balls in the air at the end of episode 9 that there's no way they can resolve everything in just one more episode. The plan certainly seems to be for MobLand to at least get a second season, if not more. The catch will of course be the fact that the high-profile cast will be difficult to line up schedule-wise, but the runaway success of the streaming hit makes a green light for season 2 seem inevitable. At the very least, the season finale should wrap up a few key plot points, the biggest of which is certainly what happens to Conrad and Maeve.

Harry also has a meeting set with Kat, presumably to discuss the first favor that he owes her. It seems likely that Bella's plan involving a Syrian arms dealer, the Home Secretary, her father, and Antoine will be revealed, although it may end poorly for her given Harry's constant warnings against her involvement. We may see Jan hit her breaking point after the armed police raid she and her daughter were forced to endure as a by-product of her husband's job. The season finale of MobLand will certainly be explosive, and it seems safe to expect a hefty body count.