Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +
By
Greg MacArthur
Published 17 minutes ago
Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant who also covers Movies and Music. He's published over 2400 articles at SR and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.
Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently resides in the Greater Boston area.
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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 5.
Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 5, "Damned," picks up right after the discovery that Callahan was seemingly intentionally placed right next to Kyle in Ad Seg in episode 4, only for Kyle to be transferred to Gen Pop at the season's midpoint.
This Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon crime series on Paramount+ has been on another level this season, and episode 5 only further proves this case. Mike is starting to realize that his conflicts with the new warden of Anchor Bay, Nina Hobbs, as well as Bunny's difficulties with the Colombian cartel, are far from a series of unfortunate events – and are likely part of an elaborate, deliberate attack on his reign in Kingstown.
Even though Kyle's the one with the prison bid, the walls have slowly been closing in on Mike all season. Whoever Mike's biggest adversary is right now, whether someone is calling the shots above Nina's head or Frank Moses is shaking Mike's hand with his right while holding a dagger in his left, it's clear as ever that they are coming at Mike with full and calculated force.
What has elevated Mayor of Kingstown season 4 from its previous installments – and arguably against all other crime dramas on streaming right now – is the incredible tension it's able to sustain in each and every scene. There's been a gradual yet firmly consistent intensity brewing since the premiere's opening frame that has not let up one bit over five episodes.
Every character feels like they're on the chopping block at all times, and judging from the show's history with killing off big characters in the blink of an eye, they really are. Any character's scene could truly be their last, and that's why Mayor of Kingstown season 4 is the most gripping must-watch series on television right now.
Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4, Episode 5 Extends The Taylor Sheridan Show's Hot Streak
Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +
Mayor of Kingstown continues to sustain its high-bar momentum thanks to its riveting plot, compelling characters, and exceptional dialogue. One-liners like Ian's, "Keeps us both in business," in response to Nina's comment about random violence happening all over town, and Mike's "The only calm I know is before the storm," are cherries on top of a fascinating, nearly addictive story.
It's not only the sharp dialogue that keeps Mayor of Kingstown's engines revving. The series also expertly employs sequences of pure visual storytelling that would likely earn Vince Gilligan's praise. Brief scenes that come and go in less than 60 seconds reveal a wealth of information. For example, when the ruthless sicario Cortez is shown overseeing the drug smuggling operation into Anchor Bay – using the same trucks that CO Kevin witnessed in a previous episode – connecting Cortez to deputy warden Torres and CO Carney's death.
As great an anti-hero protagonist as Mike has been throughout 3.5 seasons, season 4 proves that Mayor of Kingstown is becoming Ian's show as well. His ability to be hilarious and likeable while also being corrupt and despicable is a true feat. If Evelyn survives long enough to put Ian behind bars, the sky is the limit for this series, as he would be a phenomenal, although maybe short-lived, inmate.
Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4 Is Putting On A Crime Drama Masterclass Right Now
Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +
Mayor of Kingstown has impressively scaled into a crime drama epic, with several characters who could realistically carry their own spinoff series. This feels ironic, since it's one of the few Taylor Sheridan shows that doesn't have a spinoff series in development right now, and yet, it's the only Sheridan show besides Yellowstone to hit four seasons.
It's also somewhat strange that Mayor of Kingstown season 4 feels more and more like an endgame with each new episode, which may be concerning to some fans since Paramount+ has not yet confirmed a fifth season. All things considered, this series is hitting a remarkable stride with its fourth season, but let's hope that it doesn't mean the show's in its fourth quarter.
The end of Mayor of Kingstown season 4 may not completely reveal who Nina is, but it definitely shows the type of player she can be by tossing Kyle to the wolves in Gen Pop. Meanwhile, Ian and Robert get their hands dirty by killing the witness who could have sent Ian to prison for life. If that doesn't scare Evelyn enough, then Mike may have to silence her for good.
Mike may be full of charm, which may work for CO Cindy, but as Nina poignantly reminds him in Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 5, he is and always will be MDOC inmate #068419 in her eyes.
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9.6/10
10/10
Mayor of Kingstown
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Crime Release Date November 14, 2021 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Taylor Sheridan Directors Stephen Kay, Guy Ferland, Christoph Schrewe, Clark Johnson, Paul Cameron, Tasha Smith, Taylor Sheridan Writers James Arcega Tinsley
8 Images
Jeremy Renner's Mike sitting a table and looking off to the side in Mayor of Kingstown season 4
Hugh Dillon as Ian and Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky in Mayor of Kingstown episode 3, season 4.Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +
Taylor Handley as Kyle McLusky and Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky in Mayor of Kingstown episode 1, season 4Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount+
Jeremy Renner's Mike being held back by multiple officers in Mayor of Kingstown season 4
Jeremy Renner's Mike comforting Nishi Munshi's Tracy in Mayor of Kingstown season 4
Jeremy Renner's Mike walking away from a burned-out building in Mayor of Kingstown season 4
Lane Garrison's Carney talking with Laura Benanti's Cindy in Mayor of Kingstown season 4
Jeremy Renner's Mike shaking hands with Edie Falco's Nina in Mayor of Kingstown season 4Close
Cast
See All-
Jeremy Renner
Mike McLusky
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Hugh Dillon
Ian Ferguson
- Mayor of Kingstown is the most gripping crime drama on TV right now
- Every scene is purposeful, intense, and masterfully executed
- All aspects, from writing, acting, and direction, are at all-time highs
- Characters are compelling & mystery is sustained throughout
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Mayor of Kingstown
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