Frankie Cooper Gives the Harrigans a Rival They Cannot Read in ‘MobLand’

Frankie Cooper is a London drug lord who emerges as a fresh threat to the Harrigans and to Harry. Colin Tattersall approaches him at the end of the season premiere, and he is being considered as Kat McAllister’s answer to Harry Da Souza. That setup alone gives ‘MobLand’ a different kind of opponent for its second run.

Tattersall picks him as Kat’s paladin, the man meant to wear the family down from the inside and the outside. The character works because he pairs a casual manner with real menace, and the show is careful about how it introduces both.

Who Plays Frankie Cooper in ‘MobLand’

Johnny Flynn plays Frankie Cooper, bringing a friendly smile and a cold stare to the part. Promotional briefings for the second season referred to the character only as Beast, and Flynn and Ophelia Lovibond were reported to have joined as series regulars.

Flynn arrives with a varied résumé that includes Dylan Witter in ‘Lovesick’, a young Albert Einstein in ‘Genius’ and Dickie Greenleaf in ‘Ripley’. He is also the lead singer and songwriter for the folk rock band Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit. None of that points directly to a London crime boss, which makes the casting one of the more interesting choices of the season.

The role also had a demanding start. Flynn told TechRadar that the final scene of the second episode was filmed on his first day, adding “That was my first day, so I was terrified.” In that scene Frankie arrives at the home of Kevin and Bella while Kevin is away and attacks her.

Frankie Cooper’s Character Inspirations

Flynn has been open about where the performance comes from. He told TV Insider that he drew on stories from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, including the Carry On films and Kenneth Williams. When TV Insider raised the cadence of the lead in ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Flynn responded that the comparison was interesting, and the outlet noted that the costuming and demeanor evoke an earlier generation of screen villainy by design.

Flynn also said Frankie references that older British culture later in the show, and that he becomes a product of everything he is into. He added that Frankie carries extra weight beneath a velour track suit, and that he changed his own routine before filming.

A more recent reference point sits alongside those. Flynn described Noel and Liam Gallagher as a reference point for the character. The mix of cheerful swagger and sudden threat explains why Frankie never plays like a standard gangster.

How Frankie Cooper Targets the Harrigans

Frankie’s method relies on pressure that is rarely spoken outright. Tattersall arranges to meet him in a nail salon, where Frankie is already having a pedicure. Frankie then gives Tattersall one himself and answers the officer’s warning with a thinly veiled threat about his wife.

The second episode sees Frankie launch a war on the Harrigans on the advice of Tattersall, and his men systematically take out key members of the family and kidnap Bella. Paul’s nephew Fergus is shot outside a pub, the bodyguards of Gina Da Souza and Eddie are killed, and Zosia is taken. When Conrad answers the phone, Frankie says just one word, “Bang.”

The third episode, “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg,” moves the conflict into a negotiation. Frankie gives his full name as Francis Lee Cooper and explains why he sees the Harrigan empire as ripe for takeover, with himself in charge. He does not ask for protection money or territory around the edges of the operation.

Kevin nearly shoots Frankie over Bella, although Harry stops him, and Frankie then releases Bella and walks away. The offer was never likely to be accepted, which is part of what makes the meeting so tense.

What Frankie Cooper’s Helmet Bomb Means for the Season

Frankie rides off on a motorized scooter, and a Harrigan henchman later notices that his helmet has been left under the meeting room table. The helmet holds a bomb, and the building goes up shortly after Dog finds it. Harry had warned Frankie that another attack would have consequences, and Frankie answers that warning only after he has left the premises.

Flynn has suggested the meeting is a template rather than a one off. In an interview with ScreenRant he said the scene sets a pattern for a series of encounters between Frankie and Harry that grow steadily more tense, and that Frankie is impressed by Harry and knows from the start that the Harrigans will likely refuse.

The wider alliances are also set to shift. Flynn told Collider that Frankie’s arrangement with Tattersall will unravel around the midpoint of the season, and when asked whether Frankie has a line he would not cross, he answered “Frankly, no,” crediting writer Jez Butterworth with raising the stakes. TechRadar’s review already calls Frankie a masterful addition, and a third season of the series is confirmed.

With the shipyard in ruins and Harry’s warning ignored, readers can say in the comments whether Harry can still outthink a man who treats every ceasefire as a setup for his next move.