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There’s a city in America where the only thriving industry is incarceration. The crime thriller, Mayor of Kingstown, shows viewers what this is like and is based on co-creator, Hugh Dillon’s, own experiences growing up near Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, Canada.
Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family, a family of power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, a town that has seven prisons within just a 10-mile radius. Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) is a former felon, known as the “Mayor of Kingstown,” who now finds himself as the middle-man between the cops and prisoners. He works with his brother, and when asked to describe what they do he explains, “We don’t break the law. We bend it to make peace for everybody.”
The show is designed to explore the flaws of the American prison system as it navigates issues of guards and cops who are more interested in furthering their own agendas and serving up revenge than pursuing and facilitating justice. It also explores themes surrounding racism and inequality.
Who Is In Mayor Of Kingstown?
Aside from a riveting and thought-provoking plot, Mayor of Kingstown boasts a stellar cast that brings the story to life. Jeremy Renner, best known for his portrayal of Marvel’s Hawkeye, claims the starring role and captivates audiences with his portrayal. Two-time Academy Award winner, Dianne Weist, is Miriam McLusky. Miriam is Mike’s mother and fully delivers in her position of disapproval of her son’s line of work. When asked about her character, Weist describes Miriam as a woman who “has stopped believing in family. She’s filled with a rage… She’s given up even trying to be a mother, trying to have a family. She’s just so angry.”
With Mayor of Kingstown, the stars don’t just live in front of the screen. Co-creators, Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, are stars in their own right. Sheridan is an actor, screenwriter, and director who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He acted in well-known shows, Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars, and was a co-creator on Yellowstone. Hugh Dillon had starring roles in Yellowstone and Flashpoint. He has roles both in front of the camera and behind it in Mayor of Kingstown. And if it weren’t for his childhood experiences, it’s quite possible this show never would have been made. He pulled from his upbringing to create the show, as he grew up in a town with nine penitentiaries. He explains that as a kid his friend’s parents were prison guards, wardens, and convicts. He grew up fascinated with what he saw, thinking the “guard tower was Disneyland,” until one day realizing it in fact was the “polar opposite.” He learned that the place he called home wasn’t the “perfectly cultivated civilized world” his childhood goggles allowed him to see it as, but rather a place littered with brutality and injustice.
Will There Be A Third Season Of Mayor Of Kingstown?
With the dramatic ending that the season 1 finale presented to viewers, it is no surprise that many were on the edge of their seats to learn about the verdict on season 2 of the show. Mayor of Kingstown was renewed for another season, and episodes began airing in January 2023. While the first season was entirely filmed in Canada, season 2 was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Now with Season 2 wrapped up, the big question remains if the show will continue. While much speculation surrounds the fate of the series, Season 3 has not yet been confirmed. This is, no doubt, in part due to Jeremy Renner’s recent accident and subsequent recovery and rehabilitation, which likely means that the show is taking a back seat for now.
Where To Watch Mayor Of Kingstown
For those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how racism, injustice, and brutality plague the American justice system through a captivating and thrilling show, Mayor of Kingstown can be caught on Paramount+. Hopefully, fans will get to see a third season of the show pending Renner’s health, but in the meantime, the first two seasons can be streamed in their entirety on the platform.
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