Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 Review: A Sopranos Star Elevates the Most Dramatic Season Yet

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Shows connected to Taylor Sheridan are generally successful for Paramount, but there was some question about whether this series would continue beyond three seasons. Unlike other dramas about wealthy ranchers or older criminals, this show delves into the deep-rooted problems of power and corruption in America. Previous seasons followed Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) as he struggled to keep a delicate peace in Kingstown. Now, in season four, Mike finds himself under attack from newcomers, and the show reveals that the town’s corruption can affect anyone.

Season 3 ended with some truly shocking moments, but the biggest one for me was seeing Mike’s brother, Kyle – a cop, played by Taylor Handley – actually shoot another officer. It wasn’t about malice, though; he did it to save lives. That other cop, Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley), was one of the guys willing to bend – or break – every rule to help Mike deliver his own version of justice. Remember, the whole season started with me worrying about keeping Kyle safe inside the prison. Things got even more complicated when a new warden, Nina Hobbs (Edie Falco), arrived determined to clean the place up after the previous warden’s death. And it wasn’t just inside the walls; new criminal players showed up in Kingstown, throwing the whole balance off. Being mayor is never easy for Mike, but all of this really threw him for a loop. Honestly, Mayor of Kingstown feels like a raw, unflinching look at power in America, and how messed up it can be. Take away the gritty setting and the modern details, and you could easily imagine this being a show like Game of Thrones – a world where people are constantly fighting for control, and the lines between good and evil are seriously blurred.

Kyle’s Prison Sentence Makes What Happens ‘Inside’ More Personal Than Ever

In Season 3, Mike attempted to save someone close to him, a theme that continues into Season 4 with his brother, Kyle, becoming entangled in Kingstown’s problems. Kyle’s decision to shoot Robert cost him his career and potentially his future. He chooses to plead guilty without revealing everything, driven by a desire to protect Mike, his colleagues—who have crossed too many ethical boundaries—and a sense of responsibility, as a bullet from his gun unintentionally killed his mother. He feels he deserves to be punished for this tragic accident.

The consequences of Kyle’s conflict put his entire family in danger, and no one is truly safe. While Season 4 focuses on outside threats, dangerous enemies also lurk within the city, including Richard Brake’s character, who once protected Mike in prison but was later betrayed by the mayor. As a white supremacist, Callahan is shaping up to be a particularly ruthless villain. Usually, Mike, Kyle, and their allies face opponents motivated by profit, but Merle is driven by pure hatred, and his followers are fiercely loyal. Mike tolerates the existence of the Brotherhood, seeing it as a necessary compromise, but Callahan doesn’t play by the same rules and will exploit any weakness to hurt Mike.

Throughout his career, Mike has seen many of his fellow guards die violently. When new officer Cindy Stephens, a single mother, arrives, she’s unaware of the corruption and danger hidden within the prison. She quickly becomes connected to Mike. Unlike many others, Cindy isn’t interested in bribes or personal gain; she’s a dedicated, by-the-book officer who simply wants to do her job and protect both herself and the inmates. But life in Kingstown is perilous. To survive and keep her children safe, Cindy needs to find a way to navigate the town’s dark undercurrents – either by aligning with Mike or someone else – or risk being consumed by its destructive forces.

Warden Nina Hobbs Is Possibly the Mayor’s Greatest Adversary Among Many

Perhaps the most crucial character is Nina Hobbs, portrayed by . Hobbs reveals she’s worked in five different prisons over the last decade. She’s brought in as warden to clean up corruption and restore order whenever an institution starts to fail – essentially, to prevent total collapse. Like everyone else in the city, she appears confident and unafraid. However, appearances can be deceiving, and Warden Hobbs is clearly connected to someone else, with someone seemingly controlling her actions. This raises the central question: is she genuinely trying to solve the prison’s problems, or is she there to manipulate things for her own purposes?

With Kyle now incarcerated, Mike tries to connect with the new warden, but the meeting doesn’t go well. Warden Hobbs views Mike as contributing to the prison’s corruption, which severely limits Hobbs’ ability to do her job. The fact that Kyle is an inmate complicates things further, as Hobbs’ own integrity is questionable and Kyle could be used against her. Falco’s character is a strong addition, effectively mirroring the intense performance of Jeremy Renner as Mike. While Mike is used to facing dangerous criminals, he finds a prison administrator to be an unexpected challenge.

Okay, let me tell you, Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown is easily the most visually striking and gripping we’ve seen yet. But, and it’s a pretty big ‘but,’ the storyline with Kyle as an inmate cop strains credibility. I mean, the show establishes Kingstown as a town built on prisons, and Kyle’s a former officer – everyone knows him. Even with all the corruption we’ve seen, the level of trouble he’s facing just feels… unlikely. It does create fantastic drama, and it really puts Mike in a uniquely vulnerable position, which I appreciated. However, I suspect some viewers will have a hard time buying it, especially given how closely the prison and Warden Hobbs are already under the microscope. It’s a compelling plot device, but it asks a lot of your suspension of disbelief.

More Than Ever Before, Kingstown Is a Focal Character In the Larger Drama

It’s shocking to think a mere four months ago. While Kingstown is supposed to take place in Michigan, the series is filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even those who know the city will find themselves buying into its place as Kingstown. Executive producer Antoine Fuqua is a Pittsburgh native, so he more than anyone understands how the locations can serve the story and make the city a character in the drama. Along with the warden, new criminal players from a Colombian cartel to Detroit criminal kingpin Frank Moses (Lennie James) arrive on the scene. These major players dismiss Kingstown at first, seeing it as a small-time pit stop. Yet, as Moses tells Mike in an episode, “There’s something about this place. It has a haunted nature.”

As a fan, I think Pittsburgh was a brilliant choice for filming Mayor of Kingstown. The area around the city just feels right for the show’s gritty atmosphere. They used these really rundown, almost forgotten industrial spots and streets like those in McKees Rocks – places that clearly haven’t had much attention. Some of the old factories seemed barely patched up, which honestly felt perfect for a town as desperate as Kingstown. But then you see the nicer parts of the city, the downtown areas, and it’s like a glimpse of what life could be, a stark contrast to the reality in Kingstown. The show really uses the locations to highlight that difference, it’s masterful.

The show explores the significant influence Kingstown holds over everyone who comes into the town. Not even Mike is unaffected by it. After witnessing so much death and violence over the past three seasons, viewers start to question if Mike’s leadership actually helps anyone. Characters even discuss this in Season 4, wondering if Kingstown would be better off without him. This is something Mike himself struggles with as the season ends. However, Season 4 also demonstrates why Mike is necessary, suggesting that despite all the questionable things he and his allies do, his departure would ultimately be more harmful. The season concludes by leaving audiences pondering how much longer Mike will endure the personal sacrifices his position demands.

Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown starts streaming on Paramount+ on Sunday, October 26th. New episodes will be released every week until December 21, 2025.

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2025-10-22 19:38