With new projects like Marshals and The Madison on the horizon, it’s a good time to remember Taylor Sheridan’s talent for crafting compelling crime stories, a skill he’s demonstrated since his work on films like Sicario and Hell or High Water. Many consider Wind River to be his best film, largely thanks to Jeremy Renner’s powerful performance and the film’s important focus on violence against Native American women.
Sheridan and Renner teamed up again in 2021 for a fantastic crime series, praised for its acting, direction, and writing. It’s been renewed for a fifth and final season on Paramount+. Though it started slowly, the show has steadily gotten better and become incredibly compelling, revealing the dark side of the American dream in the Midwest. Long live the Mayor of Kingstown!
‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Is a Gritty Account of the American Prison System
Paramount Pictures
I’m really hooked on this show, Mayor of Kingstown! It was created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon and dropped on Paramount+ in late 2021. It’s set in this made-up town in Michigan, Kingstown, where one family, the McLuskys, basically runs everything. The story kicks off with a huge shock – the mayor, Mitch McLusky, gets killed, and his brother Mike (Jeremy Renner is amazing in this role!) has to step up and take his place. It immediately throws you right into the drama!
As a film buff, I’m really intrigued by the setup in Kingstown. It’s fascinating how the local economy basically revolves around the prison, and the McClusky family is deeply woven into its fabric. It’s not just that they benefit from it, but they are it, in a way. For example, Mike’s brother, Kyle, is a lieutenant with the Kingstown police, and their mom, Miriam, actually teaches history to the inmates, focusing on all the dark stuff that’s happened in the area. It’s a really complex dynamic and sets the stage for some intense storytelling, I think.
This show follows a family working to maintain order in their town while confronting difficult issues that contribute to high rates of re-offending. It explores tough topics like systemic racism, flaws within the prison system, corruption, police misconduct, and mental health, all as the family interacts with a diverse range of people – gang members, prisoners, guards, police, politicians, teachers, and others – who make up the city’s core structure and community.
‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Gets Better With Each Season
Paramount+
With a tone as cold as the gray Midwestern winters, Mayor of Kinsgtown is a hard-hitting crime drama that reveals the dark side of the American dream. It’s similar to shows like The Wire and The Shield, with a bit of the suspense of Prison Break. The series explores how the pursuit of profit in prisons, a flawed legal system, and failing schools create a world where success depends on who you are and what you’ll do. While tackling important social issues, it doesn’t feel like a lecture, and balances those themes with plenty of thrilling action.
The show’s serious and somber mood might not appeal to everyone initially, but viewers who get past the first season will definitely find it enjoyable. Interestingly, despite Taylor Sheridan writing every episode of Season 1 himself, it actually has the lowest approval rating (33% on Rotten Tomatoes) compared to later seasons.
Despite a common trend of TV shows declining in quality, Mayor of Kingstown has consistently improved. While Season 2 received a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Seasons 3 and 4 saw significant jumps to 78% and a perfect 100%, respectively. This consistent growth makes the show increasingly captivating, and fans are eagerly awaiting the fifth and final season, expected to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027.
Jeremy Renner delivers a standout performance in Mayor of Kingstown, which is possibly Taylor Sheridan’s most impactful work yet. Like Sheridan’s Wind River, it’s a compelling and well-crafted show that tackles important, current issues with honesty and depth.
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2026-03-11 20:03