⁠⁠From MobLand to Peaky Blinders: How iconic female crime characters are shaping organised crime for TV

Women have frequently been relegated to supporting positions in the realm of organized crime. MobLand and other modern crime shows are changing the criminal empires. Female characters are now in charge of their operations with wit, strength, and brutality rather than only serving as accessories to the male-dominated criminal world.

An excellent illustration of this change is Maeve Harrigan from MobLand, who personifies the difficulties of female leadership in the criminal genre. In addition to discussing other well-known female characters who have raised the bar for organized crime fiction, this article will discuss how MobLand and other iconic female characters represent these relationships.

Maeve Harrigan in MobLand

Maeve Harrigan (Helen Mirren) is a tough MobLand cookie with strategic chops and brutal leadership skills. Maeve stands out as the “White Queen” of London’s criminal underbelly and has a gift for cunning and intelligence that most standard crime bosses can only dream of. Unlike her male rivals, who often resort to violence, Maeve climbs to the top of the criminal empire through persuasion, psychological warfare, and strong business acumen. Maeve’s character defies assumptions about women in the crime realm by showing that they can be just as clever, cruel, and calculating as their male counterparts. MobLand is a bold statement of women taking ownership of the crime drama genre.

Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders

One of the most recognizable female crime bosses in more recent memory is Peaky Blinders’ Polly Gray. Portrayed by the late Helen McCrory, Polly was the matriarch of the Shelby family and a key player in much of the family’s financial success. Her role within Peaky Blinders is as much emotional support for her wayward relatives as it is for the management of the family business. Polly is a strong, wise, and intelligent lady who skillfully strikes a balance between fierce pragmatism and familial loyalty.

Polly's capacity to flourish in an environment of toxic masculinity and perilous power conflicts is what sets her apart as a female character. Even amid her family's infamously aggressive males, she is a formidable force due to her icy attitude and keen business sense. Internal conflicts within Polly herself, particularly with her relationships and what she gives up to chase her dreams, add additional levels of complexity. A mob boss, sure, but also a mother and a sister and a survivor; one of the most nuanced and endearing characters on crime drama television.

Carmela Soprano in The Sopranos

Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) does not play a violent role in the mob’s day-to-day operations. Her role in The Sopranos is integral to keeping the family going. As Tony Soprano’s wife, she exerts power in her own quiet way. Carmela’s power over Tony is absolute, and she plays the game of organized crime from a more intimate, emotional space, using her status as his wife to gain her own kind of power.

Carmela is often primarily identified as the “mob wife,” but she is not a passive figure at all. She knows what kind of criminal empire her husband runs and sometimes uses that information to her advantage. Whether securing the family’s luxurious lifestyle or leveraging her power to shield and protect her children, Carmela’s role in The Sopranos, rather than confining women in organized crime to the margins, demonstrates how they are central to the maintenance of the family’s empire.

Veronica Duran in The Queen of the South

Veronica Duran (Alice Braga) from Queen of the South displays how a woman can take charge of a drug empire. At first, we see Veronica as an innocent victim of violence. But by the show's end, she's in control of a drug cartel and has reached a top spot in the U.S. drug trade. Her journey from a vulnerable woman to a tough crime boss stands out as one of the best in TV shows about organized crime.

Trending

Veronica is so captivating because she is smart, ruthless, and ambitious, elements that allow her to traverse the treacherous world of drug cartels. While many female crime leaders use family loyalty or emotional manipulation to command cooperation, Veronica’s rise is driven strictly by her survival instincts and relentless desire to win. She shows that women can rise to the top of the criminal world as well, defying gender norms and the expectations of the men around her.

From MobLand's Maeve Harrigan to Peaky Blinders' Polly Gray and Queen of the South's Veronica Duran, female crime bosses now claim their spot at the pinnacle of the underworld. These women are changing the crime drama scene, proving that leadership in organized crime goes beyond violence and intimidation. It also involves strategy, smarts, and the ability to understand and manage emotions.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback