WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 5.
<em>Mayor of Kingstown</em> season 4, episode 5, “Damned,” picks up right after the discovery that Callahan was seemingly intentionally placed right next to Kyle in Ad Seg in episode 4, only for Kyle to be transferred to Gen Pop at the season’s midpoint.
This Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon crime series on Paramount+ has been on another level this season, and episode 5 only further proves this case. Mike is starting to realize that his conflicts with the new warden of Anchor Bay, Nina Hobbs, as well as Bunny’s difficulties with the Colombian cartel, are far from a series of unfortunate events – and are likely part of an elaborate, deliberate attack on his reign in Kingstown.
Even though Kyle’s the one with the prison bid, the walls have slowly been closing in on Mike all season. Whoever Mike’s biggest adversary is right now, whether someone is calling the shots above Nina’s head or Frank Moses is shaking Mike’s hand with his right while holding a dagger in his left, it’s clear as ever that they are coming at Mike with full and calculated force.
What has elevated Mayor of Kingstown season 4 from its previous installments – and arguably against all other crime dramas on streaming right now – is the incredible tension it’s able to sustain in each and every scene. There’s been a gradual yet firmly consistent intensity brewing since the premiere’s opening frame that has not let up one bit over five episodes.
Every character feels like they’re on the chopping block at all times, and judging from the show’s history with killing off big characters in the blink of an eye, they really are. Any character’s scene could truly be their last, and that’s why Mayor of Kingstown season 4 is the most gripping must-watch series on television right now.
Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4, Episode 5 Extends The Taylor Sheridan Show’s Hot Streak
Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +Mayor of Kingstown continues to sustain its high-bar momentum thanks to its riveting plot, compelling characters, and exceptional dialogue. One-liners like Ian’s, “Keeps us both in business,” in response to Nina’s comment about random violence happening all over town, and Mike’s “The only calm I know is before the storm,” are cherries on top of a fascinating, nearly addictive story.
It’s not only the sharp dialogue that keeps Mayor of Kingstown’s engines revving. The series also expertly employs sequences of pure visual storytelling that would likely earn Vince Gilligan’s praise. Brief scenes that come and go in less than 60 seconds reveal a wealth of information. For example, when the ruthless sicario Cortez is shown overseeing the drug smuggling operation into Anchor Bay – using the same trucks that CO Kevin witnessed in a previous episode – connecting Cortez to deputy warden Torres and CO Carney’s death.
As great an anti-hero protagonist as Mike has been throughout 3.5 seasons, season 4 proves that Mayor of Kingstown is becoming Ian’s show as well. His ability to be hilarious and likeable while also being corrupt and despicable is a true feat. If Evelyn survives long enough to put Ian behind bars, the sky is the limit for this series, as he would be a phenomenal, although maybe short-lived, inmate.
Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4 Is Putting On A Crime Drama Masterclass Right Now
Dennis P. Mong Jr. / Paramount +Mayor of Kingstown has impressively scaled into a crime drama epic, with several characters who could realistically carry their own spinoff series. This feels ironic since it’s one of the few Taylor Sheridan shows that doesn’t have a spinoff series in development right now, and yet it’s the only Sheridan show besides Yellowstone to hit four seasons.
It’s also somewhat strange that Mayor of Kingstown season 4 feels more and more like an endgame with each new episode, which may be concerning to some fans since Paramount+ has not yet confirmed a fifth season. All things considered, this series is hitting a remarkable stride with its fourth season, but let’s hope that it doesn’t mean the show’s in its fourth quarter.
The end of Mayor of Kingstown season 4 may not completely reveal who Nina is, but it definitely shows the type of player she can be by tossing Kyle to the wolves in Gen Pop. Meanwhile, Ian and Robert get their hands dirty by killing the witness who could have sent Ian to prison for life. If that doesn’t scare Evelyn enough, then Mike may have to silence her for good.
Mike may be full of charm, which may work for CO Cindy, but as Nina poignantly reminds him in Mayor of Kingstown season 4, episode 5, he is and always will be MDOC inmate #068419 in her eyes.
