Jeremy Renner's Mayor of Kingstown Delivers Massive Twist in Series Premiere
Two weeks ahead of Hawkeye's debut on Disney+, Jeremy Renner's other major series arrived on Paramount+. Mayor of Kingstown, from the creators of Yellowstone, tells the story of a couple of brothers who call the shots in the prison town of Kingtown, Michigan. The series has had a lot of hype behind it, given its all-star cast and the creative team of Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, whose other series just happens to be the biggest hit on cable. The premiere episode of Mayor of Kingstown finally debuted on Sunday, and it brought with it a shocking twist that none of its new fans expected to see. One of its main characters was killed just 40 minutes into the series.
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for the series premiere of Mayor of Kingstown! Continue reading at your own risk...
Renner's character, Mike McLusky, declares in the show's opening monologue that he is the titular "mayor" of Kingstown. This doesn't mean he's the actual mayor, but that he runs the world of the prisons and the organized crime throughout the city, making decisions to try and keep it all moving along. The show then rewinds to two days prior, and another man holds the title of Mayor.
Mike's brother Mitch, played by Friday Night Lights and Bloodline star Kyle Chandler, is the one everyone refers to as "Mayor," with Mike essentially working under him. This should've been a clue that something bad was going to happen to the character, seeing as how the title is given up in a span of two days. Well, about 35 minutes later we find out why. Chandler's character had some information about hidden money and he was killed for it.
Mitch was shot in the back of the head, in a standoff that viewers probably thought would end without Chandler lying dead on the floor. The entire advertising campaign for Mayor of Kingstown sets up Mike and Mitch as the show's main characters, which makes sense given how popular both actors are. Honestly, for the target audience, Chandler may have even been more of a draw than Renner. He's not usually playing the character that dies in the first episode.
To say this was a shock would be a massive understatement, but the death of Mitch sets up the entire story of the show going forward. The focus is almost completely on Mike, and his job taking over for his brother is a challenging one that he wasn't prepared for. The real story now begins.
What did you think of Mayor of Kingstown's premiere? Let us know in the comments!