Who Is Frankie in ‘MobLand’ and Why Johnny Flynn’s Villain Unsettles the Harrigans

Frankie is a London drug lord who emerges as a fresh threat to the Harrigans and to Harry, and Johnny Flynn plays him in the second season of the series. He appears in the final scene of the second season premiere on Paramount+.

For viewers asking who Frankie is in ‘MobLand’, the answer is still unfolding, but the early picture is clear enough. The character is named Frankie Cooper, although promotional briefings for the second season referred to him only as Beast. That mix of mystery and menace makes him one of the more talked about additions to the drama.

Frankie Cooper and the Harrigans’ New Enemy

Frankie Cooper is the new gangster Colin Tattersall approaches at the end of the season premiere, and he is being considered as Kat McAllister’s answer to Harry Da Souza. The episode introduces him late, so his full history and loyalties are not yet confirmed.

The pitch for his skills comes from Tattersall himself. Tattersall describes Frankie as intelligent, ruthless, cunning and violent enough to control London within five years if he receives proper support. That is a heavy endorsement for a man the audience barely sees at first.

Frankie is shown at a barbecue surrounded by younger men, which suggests a following rather than a lone hired gun. The latest trailer shows him cornering Bella, blowing up a building and promising that the fairy tale is over for the London crime family.

Johnny Flynn Joins the ‘MobLand’ Cast

Flynn and Ophelia Lovibond were reported to have joined the second season as series regulars, with Flynn billed as Beast. He is also set to play Lucius Malfoy in the new Harry Potter television series.

Flynn arrives with a varied résumé. He played 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.

The actor has spoken about the pressure of joining an established hit. He told the Press Association that stepping into the world was daunting after watching the first season, and that his character is trying to take over the Harrigan empire. The first series was watched by 26 million viewers around the world, and Flynn said Jez Butterworth called him to ask if he had seen it.

The ‘Get Carter’ Influence Behind the Villain

Flynn did not build Frankie from nothing. He said he wanted the energy of Michael Caine in ‘Get Carter’ and described the character as strange and mercurial. That British gangster lineage explains much of the character’s unhurried, slightly theatrical menace.

The references run wider than a single film. In an interview with TV Insider, Flynn said he drew on stories from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, including the Carry On films and Kenneth Williams. He added that Frankie later talks about everything he is into, and that he is a product of all that culture.

The look follows the same logic. Flynn said Frankie carries extra weight beneath a velour track suit, and that he changed his own routine before filming. The result is a villain who looks relaxed, which is exactly what makes him difficult to read.

Kat McAllister’s Plan and What Frankie Does Next

Frankie did not appear in a vacuum. Kat McAllister pulls the strings from the shadows so the Harrigans start falling apart on their own, and she will eventually return to America, which means she needs someone to do the dirty work. Tattersall has not told her that he is already working with Frankie, who has his own plans in motion.

The second episode showed how quickly he moves. Frankie arrives at the home of Kevin and Bella while Kevin is away and attacks her, then pulls a gun and only makes the sound of a gunshot. He leaves Bella for dead and makes sure Conrad knows about it.

Flynn has been candid about that scene. Speaking to TechRadar, he said it was his first day on set, so he was terrified. Elsewhere in the episode, Frankie gives Tattersall a pedicure himself and answers a defiant remark with a thinly veiled threat about Tattersall’s wife.

With the Harrigans divided and Kat McAllister content to let others take the risks, Frankie looks like the one player who answers to nobody, so do you think Harry can outthink a villain who treats violence like a punchline, or will Frankie finish what the family started on its own?