MobLand’s Mandeep Dhillon Talks Seraphina’s Trauma, Maeve’s Hug, and the Road to the Finale

There are few characters on television this season as complex or compelling as MobLand‘s Seraphina Harrigan. 

The bastard daughter of mob patriarch Conrad Harrigan, Seraphina wasn’t exactly welcomed into the fold by her stepmother, Maeve.

But it was the gruesome death of her brother Brendan, chainsawed beside her while she sat helplessly tied up, that pushed Serafina’s world into something even darker than before.

Mandeep Dhillon, who brings Serafina to life with a chilling balance of emotional depth and hardened resolve, admits the role is “the most fun” she’s had — despite the harrowing turns her character has taken. 

“It’s like being on a playground,” she laughed. “You never know what you’re going to get.”

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Still, for Serafina, playtime is long over.

“She’ll never be the same Serafina as before,” Dhillon explained. “That traumatic experience will live with her forever. But she’s someone who doesn’t even allow herself time to grieve. When she broke down at the house, that was probably the weakest she’s ever allowed anyone to see her.”

It’s that return to the Harrigan home that raised alarms for many viewers — not just because of what Serafina had survived, but because of who greeted her. 

Watching Brendan get chopped up was rough, but I felt more concerned seeing Serafina walk into Maeve’s arms.

Turns out, Serafina felt the same.

“She thought Maeve was going to blame her, try to push her out,” Dhillon said. “But Maeve pulled her in for a hug. It wasn’t what Serafina expected. And even though she’s still in this state of shock, she accepts the hug. She needs it. But she also gives Harry a look. Like, ‘Something’s not right here.’”

That moment was brief but powerful — because only the audience knows the truth. Serafina doesn’t yet realize that Maeve had just put a hit out on her. “The only person who really knows is Eddie,” Dhillon said. “Conrad and Kevin suspect it. But it [hasn’t been confirmed].”

For Serafina, survival means pushing forward without certainty. “She’s always had to sleep with one eye open,” Dhillon said. 

“She’s known Maeve doesn’t like her. That’s not new. What is new is the numbness inside her now. That part of her that used to feel empathy — it’s switched off. And that’s the scarier Serafina.”

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The Harrigans may be dysfunctional, but they’re also tightly coiled — ready to spring into action even as their world falls apart. 

Which is exactly where we find her by the end of Episode 8: drugged, vulnerable, and sleeping off the emotional wreckage. But according to Dhillon, that quiet moment is merely the calm before the storm.

Dhillon teased that Seraphina won’t get much time to consider what she’s just experienced before getting back to business, but she promises things aren’t going to get easier.

Looking ahead to the finale, things only get more chaotic. 

“There’s a lot of cleaning up to do,” Dhillon teased. “…And they’re all in danger.”

Despite the heavy material, Dhillon says working on MobLand has been an absolute joy. “We had the best time shooting it,” she said. “Everyone’s work ethic is incredible. If we get a second season, we’d all be thrilled.”

As for characters she wishes she could spend more time with? “Eddie, because I love Anson,” she laughed. “We get on so well. I also loved working with Daniel, who played Brendan. And Maeve — I think Seraphina and Maeve still have so much to unpack. That dynamic is so fun.”

And yes, she’s aware that whatever happens next is still under wraps — even to the cast. “I haven’t seen Episode 10 yet,” she said. “You never know how they’re going to cut it. But I do know it’s going to be very eventful.”

With Seraphina holding the weight of the family’s survival on her shoulders, and Maeve’s intentions still chillingly ambiguous, MobLand is barreling toward a finale where anything — and anyone — could be sacrificed.

So maybe skip the snacks when you watch. As Dhillon put it: “Snacks? No snacks.”

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Seraphina’s and the rest of the Harrigans’ journey continues Sundays on Paramount+.

Interviews like this take time and care — and we hope it shows.

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