Mayor of Kingstown Season 4, Episode 3 Review: A Crime Thriller Masterpiece In The Making

Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +

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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 3.

Mayor of Kingstown season 4, season 3, “People Who Died,” is further evidence that Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon are on track to deliver the best season of the Paramount+ crime thriller yet.

Following a shocking death at the end of Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 2, Mike McLusky finds himself at his most vulnerable and desperate point yet, fueled only by a commitment to keep his brother, Kyle, alive inside the walls of Anchor Bay. Now that Carney’s gone, Mike is forced to rely on a green CO named Cindy and Bunny’s inside man, Kevin, to keep Kyle safe. After finding drugs and a burner in Carney’s work locker, Ian and Stevie suspected he was framed by someone from within the prison to justify his murder.

Mike and Kyle aren’t the only main characters with new targets on their back this season. Both Ian and Robert have a major Evelyn problem, which could lead to them making a tough, and criminally lethal, decision. Bunny appears to have found a new ally and mentor in the veteran Detroit gangster Frank Moses, but Frank’s gestures of respect and trust are bound to have some sinister underlying motives brewing beneath.

Mayor of Kingstown’s latest villain, the psychopathic sicario Cortez, might be the show’s darkest antagonist yet – alongside the trickster AB leader Callahan and the corrupt CO Breen, who returns after attacking Kyle’s wife, Tracy, in season 3.

On top of all this, the immovable Warden Nina Hobbs and her shady deputy Torres also appear to be driven by factors other than maintaining law and order at Anchor Bay. These thrilling character dynamics and plot points combine to make Mayor of Kingstown season 4 an incredibly gripping, must-watch crime thriller – and one of the very best series on any streaming platform right now.

Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4 Is On Pace To Be An All-Time Great Crime Thriller

Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 proves that great TV writing is still alive and well. In the same spirit as The Wire, Game of Thrones, and Breaking Bad, Mayor of Kingstown season 4 reintroduces a masterful degree of texture and depth in its story that could quite literally be taught in TV seminars. The passion that goes into this show is wholly felt, authentic, and palpable, inspired partly by Hugh Dillon’s hometown of Kingston, Canada, a known prison town.

The first three episodes of season 4 have gradually built up to a head of tension and suspense, forming a bubble that should start popping in episode 4. Mike’s threats to the Warden continue not to land, as Nina strongly holds her ground with an iron will, quietly trying to disarm Mike’s sway in the prison while maintaining a stoic face. This is an “unstoppable force” versus “immovable object” conflict at its finest.

Unlike past seasons, every storyline and supporting character in Mayor of Kingstown is now essential to the main narrative, which appears to be the missing key that kept earlier seasons from being a full-blown masterpiece. Season 4 turned an enjoyable, nostalgic, guilty pleasure crime show into a full-bodied, expertly lean, and wildly entertaining series regardless of genre.

Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4 Must End Sheridan’s Shocking Emmys Cold Streak

Despite being one of the biggest names in modern television and having multiple streaming hits to his credit, Sheridan has remarkably earned zero Emmy nominations in major categories for any of his series, including Yellowstone.

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 is off to such an exceptional start that the Television Academy simply cannot continue to box Sheridan out from major awards consideration. Unless the season takes a total nosedive in episode 4 and beyond, there’s no ostensible reason why this crime thriller should not be acknowledged on TV’s biggest night.

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 has shifted its focus from the ground-level street gang and prison culture to specifically targeting those in power within these systems. This has elevated the scope of the series altogether. With more formidable foes with greater resources, Mike may begin to realize that protecting Kyle is not actually his top priority. Instead, it could be holding onto his status as Kingstown’s unspoken ruler – a title that feels increasingly up for grabs this season.

Release Date November 14, 2021

Network Paramount+

Showrunner Taylor Sheridan

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Mike McLusky

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Hugh Dillon

Ian Ferguson

Creator(s) Hugh Dillon, Taylor Sheridan

Pros & Cons

• Mayor of Kingstown keeps getting better in season 4
• The story is tense & gripping with a lean, relentless pace
• New & old characters smartly add layers to the main plot
• The passion behind this crime thriller is felt in every scene