Mayor of Kingstown is similar to other Taylor Sheridan-penned dramas in that the writing and cinematography are superb, the worldview is bleak and female characters fare worse than anyone. 

 

That said, this is a terrific show that is exceptionally made and with a setting that is very different from most other Sheridan vehicles. Mayor of Kingston takes place in the fictional cold, grey prison town known as Kingstown, Michigan where prisons are the only business. 

 

The show’s star, Jeremy Renner at his lean, strong and perpetually worried best, leads a terrific cast in an action-packed and ever-perilous storyline that seems to dabble at times in testosterone-fueled toxic masculinity. In Mayor of Kingstown, the bad guys are very bad and the good guys… are also bad guys.

 

Renner plays Mike McLusky, the title character, who serves as unofficial “mayor” by continually keeping the peace between rival gangs, extremely corrupt police and white supremacist groups. Needless to say, it’s not an easy job and something terrible is always right around the corner.

 

Not since HBO’s acclaimed Oz has a prison or prison-adjacent drama filled the viewer with so much anxiety and dread. Mayor of Kingstown's season 3 premiere proves - among other things - that Jeremy Renner is back to full-strength badassery after his near-fatal snowplow accident in January 2023.

 

It’s an unbelievable testament to the actor’s resolve, grit and sheer physical strength that he was able to come back from an accident that serious to this degree of physical performance. He looks great, his acting is as intense and committed as ever, and he deserves awards for this role.

 

As a character, Mike McLusky is unable to allow himself even one morsel of pleasure or joy, but we the viewer derive both from watching him toil and struggle with the never-ending violence in his town.

 

The season 3 premiere begins on a somber note at the funeral of Marion McLusky - Mike’s mom, who was murdered last season. Through Mike McLusky’s voiceover, we hear that a reckoning or retribution is necessary to restore the balance of good vs. evil in Kingstown. 

 

The trouble is, there is always some kind of terrible retribution happening here - that’s the ultimate through-line of this show. Also, shout-out to the incredible, foreboding opening theme - it always sets the perfect mood for the show.

 

One other note: I found it oddly satisfying in the premiere that rotten cop Robert comes back bruised but ballsy as ever after surviving a beating and murder attempt that would have ended a mere mortal. When one character asks him, “Hey, how are you okay? You nearly died!” Robert merely responds gruffly, “I’ve got work to do.”

 

It seems likely that this was a nod to Renner’s accident last year and unbelievable resolve to survive and get back to this role. I’m sure I join the cast and crew of Mayor of Kingstown when I say that I am so very glad he was able to pull off a remarkable, superhero’s recovery and get back to telling this gritty, sometimes hard-to-watch but also utterly addictive story. 

 

Season 3 is off to a hell of a start. In Mike McLusky’s words, “A soldier never leaves the fight.” There’s a lot of fight left in this show, and take my word for it: something very bad is going to happen. It always does in Kingstown.