Lara Pulver Unpacks Bella's Shocking Motivations in 'MobLand'

With four episodes out, MobLand already has more twists and turns than most shows can pull off in an entire season. And, one of the reasons the series is so compelling is that it's hard to know what any of the characters are going to do at any given time. But more than that, with Episode 4, "Plan B," MobLand dropped a jarring bit of backstory about Kevin's (Patty Constantine) wife, Bella (Lara Pulver), and her previous relationship with his father, and this mafia family's patriarch, Conrad Harrigan (Pierce Brosnan).

But what does it all mean? Does Bella hate the Harrigans? Does she secretly love Harry (Tom Hardy)? And why is she so obsessed with this political blackmail scheme? Speaking to Men's Journal, the brilliant actress Lara Pulver—famous as Irene Adler in Sherlock—explains that her character is even trickier than we thought.

"She's looking down the barrel of an uncertain future," Pulver explains. "And when it comes to Tom's character, I don't think she necessarily wants to sleep with him. I don't think she's in love with him, but I think she's just seeing where that boundary is going to go."

Lara Pulver at the Paramount+ "MobLand" New York Premiere at SVA Theatre on March 31, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)

Kristina Bumphrey/Getty Images

In Episode 3, Bella makes it clear she wants Harry to be more than just a glorified helper, she's willing to cheat on her husband with him. But, in Episode 4, we find out that she got herself into the family by dating her husband's father, which makes everything suddenly way more loaded. 

"I think she's not wholly comfortable with her past," Pulver explains, in reference to this latest revelation about Bella and Conrad Harrigan. "She's trying to have moments of just owning the present."

Pulver also hints that Bella's impulsive behavior—lying to her husband, trying to seduce Harry, trying to blackmail politicians—will likely only get worse. And it's all because she's trying to dig herself out of the hole she's in.

"As the series goes on, she wants to earn her status and find her identity in the present," Pulvers says. "And so, she starts making choices. Not necessarily great choices, either."

MobLand streams new episodes on Sundays on Paramount+.

Related: Tom Hardy Reveals 'MobLand's' Secret Weapon