Mayor of Kingstown season 4 has set itself up for an emotional ending with its latest twist, and there’s a lot to break down. Mike McLusky’s (Jeremy Renner) never-ending struggle to bring peace to Kingstown may have seemed possible after the death of Milo Sunter (Aidan Gillen), but as is often the case in a power vacuum, new threats have arrived to take Milo’s place. Nina Hobbs (Edie Falco) is the new prison warden, and her curious connections to Colombian crime suggest there’s something more sinister going on. Meanwhile, Bunny Washington (Tobi Bamtefa) has a violent new ally in career criminal Frank Moses (Lennie James).
With numerous factions at play in Kingstown, it will be more difficult than ever for Mike McLusky to keep up with the conflicts closest to him. Assistant District Attorney Evelyn Foley (Necar Zadegan) has increased pressure in her investigation on SWAT Robert Sawyer (Hamish Allan-Headley), a psychopathic cop with increasing violent tendencies, leading to conflict with Ian Ferguson (Hugh Dillon). Episode 4 saw Ian drop an air conditioner on Evelyn’s car, landing her in the hospital after she threatened to expose him for using a convicted serial killer to deal with a witness in the Sawyer case.
Evelyn’s Hospitalization Increases the Stakes in ‘Mayor of Kingstown’
With Mayor of Kingstown reaching a point where two of Mike’s closest friends and allies are going head-to-head, he’s going to be forced to choose a side. Evelyn has been hospitalized, but this has only strengthened her resolve. Her scenes with Mike in Episode 4 demonstrate that she’s not backing down, and that she has a witness and plans to take down Ian, Robert, and anyone else involved with the cover-up. While that doesn’t directly implicate Mike, given that Ian has also operated behind his back, it definitely puts him in a dire situation as his list of allies runs thin.
I spoke with actress Necar Zadegan regarding her character’s decision to defy Mike and Ian, and she explained, “I think (Evelyn’s) found herself in a powerless position playing ball with these guys and not getting a return.” She went on to share that Mike has continued to ask Evelyn for favors, and she’s constantly helped him and followed his lead, leaving her in a position of waiting for something in return, adding, “And eventually, you get sick of waiting for all kinds of reasons. But also, I think the power he has over her, too, right? Because they have a toxic relationship.”
It’s true that Mike has demanded that Evelyn tolerate a degree of evil that she’s clearly uncomfortable with. Her idealistic views and position of authority in Kingstown’s legal system constantly put her at a conflict of interest with Mike, and that reached a climactic point when the District Attorney was assassinated in Season 2. It’s going to be almost impossible for Mike to convince her to stand down, especially if this threat on her life hasn’t scared her away.
If Mike can’t break through to Evelyn, who’s much more understanding and amiable, it will be impossible with the hard-nosed Ian Ferguson. The veteran detective is so jaded by Kingstown that he’s willing to bring a violent killer out of prison to serve his interests. Now, backed into a corner, violence will become increasingly easy for Ian as Evelyn’s case threatens his life and career. Ian is a loose cannon who’s willing to lie straight to Mike McLusky’s face about his devious actions.
Mike McLusky Will Have to Choose Sides in ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Season 4
Mike McLusky’s life is a series of impossible choices, and Season 4 will see him forced to pick sides between Ian and Evelyn. In a sense, there’s a critical moral and psychological dilemma here. Ian is Mike’s pal, and someone who’s been a crucial ally throughout the series in maintaining a semblance of peace, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a good man. Evelyn has done bad deeds when her position demanded it, but she’s ultimately the most idealistic person in Kingstown, and one of the few moral compasses Mike has in his life. If Episode 4 proves anything, it’s that she values doing the right thing over her own well-being.
Mayor of Kingstown is, in many ways, a series about Mike McLusky’s morality. Is he a good man who does bad things, or a bad person with a sense of nobility? While Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon typically lean toward the former, Kingstown constantly prompts its citizens to participate in evil, be it small or great acts. This is a harsh setting, and what Ian has done in episode 4’s twist is simply the latest demonstration of the cost of goodness. If Mike is forced to choose between Evelyn and Ian, this will be the moral conundrum for him.
This sets up Mayor of Kingstown season 4 to be one of the most devastating yet, as Mike McLusky will have to sacrifice something in any situation. Nearly halfway along, we’ve yet to see the major new players reveal their hand, but the intensity is already heating up.
- Release Date
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November 14, 2021
- Network
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Paramount+
- Directors
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Stephen Kay, Guy Ferland, Christoph Schrewe, Clark Johnson, Paul Cameron, Tasha Smith, Taylor Sheridan
- Writers
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James Arcega Tinsley
