Mayor of Kingstown Recap: Train in Vain

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After the latest episode of Mayor of Kingstown, “Damned,” we’re at the midpoint of season four, and it’s making me question if this will be the show’s final season. Several factors suggest it might be ending, primarily because producer Taylor Sheridan’s contract with Paramount is finishing. While Paramount could continue existing shows, it’s unclear if they will. Mayor of Kingstown hasn’t received the same level of attention as shows like Landman or Yellowstone, but looking back, it could ultimately be considered the best television work of Sheridan’s career.

I’m starting to think this season might be the last for the show, and honestly, it feels right. What’s different this time around is how openly everyone is acknowledging just how shaky Mike McLusky’s whole operation is. I’ve always teased him for his messy plans and his insistence on bringing peace to a seriously corrupt city, but this season, everyone else seems just as frustrated with the Mayor as I am. It’s actually really satisfying to watch!

This week, it becomes obvious how wrong Mike is about what’s really happening in Kingstown, especially during his conversation with Warden Nina Hobbs. Still angry that Merle Callahan has been talking to Kyle while he’s in isolation, Mike confronts Nina. She offers a half-hearted apology for the mistake but doesn’t seem interested in resolving it quickly. Only when Mike makes a pointed remark about seeing through her scheme, referencing her past in Bogota, does Nina finally pay attention.

He then escalates things by using the police to intimidate her, staging a dramatic traffic stop with multiple cars and sirens to demonstrate his power and threaten to falsely accuse her of serious crimes, like drug trafficking or even murder. During this incident, he also steals her modified, unregistered handgun. Finally, frustrated and defeated, Nina waits for Mike to return to his office later that night and concedes, telling him, “You win.”

It quickly becomes obvious that Nina isn’t actually defeated, but is manipulating Mike. She clearly understood him during their previous conversation at the prison, accurately describing him as someone who enjoyed being in control while incarcerated and who has been desperately trying to re-establish that dominance since being released. Even when Ian pulls her over, she remains completely unfazed, responding with a confident and intimidating line – “There are so many interesting ways I could mess you up.”

Ultimately, Nina’s actions speak volumes. Instead of acknowledging any victory on the other side, she clearly sends a defiant message by transferring Kyle from solitary confinement to the general prison population – a dangerous place for a former police officer. While Raphael might offer Kyle some protection as a favor to Mike, at Bunny’s request, I doubt Raphael will have much time for that, and I’ll explain why shortly.

Even after Mike strongly warns Kyle that his neighbor Merle is a dangerously manipulative person, Kyle still seems to trust him. Merle has been helping Kyle with advice and pain medication. Right up until Kyle is moved to the general population, Merle offers a final, disturbing bit of encouragement: “Kill whatever comes close to you.” It’s a statement that really captures Merle’s bleak outlook on life.

Nina is understandably dismissive when Mike, after she gives in, offers to help her out. He claims their goals are the same, which is ironic considering he knows she’s working with the Colombians – a drug cartel that’s rivals with Mike’s group, the Crips. When Mike says he just wants everyone to get along, Nina points out the obvious: that’s simply not going to happen.

When Mike visits ADA Evelyn Foley and asks her to release Kyle, she gives him a stern lecture. He tries to appeal to her, asking what she wants, but she responds by reiterating what he already knows: she’s determined to take down the city’s biggest drug dealer, Bunny – someone Mike is protecting – and all the corrupt police officers helping him. She believes she has solid evidence against Ian and expects him to cooperate by testifying against Robert. She makes it clear to Mike that she doesn’t need his help.

Let’s be real, there’s no easy fix for Kingstown – tough decisions are just a part of life there. It really hit home when I saw Ian and Robert go after Reggie Davis, a witness who could hurt Ian’s case. They tried to scare him into silence, but Reggie wouldn’t budge. Then Robert did something truly shocking – he shot Reggie. It was awful, and even worse, he left Ian to finish the job, making sure they were both implicated. It just proves how far they’ll go and how little they care about the consequences.

The episode concludes with a series of unfortunate events. Ian and Robert are disposing of Reggie’s body in the river, while Kyle is transferred to the general prison population. Simultaneously, Cortez and his Colombian associates escalate the conflict by hijacking a train carrying Bunny’s illegal goods, effectively ruining the Crips’ carefully planned operation – designed by Frank Moses – to smuggle drugs into Kingstown and weapons into Canada.

Earlier in the episode, Ian attempts to reassure a worried Mike, pointing out the recent peace in Kingstown. Mike darkly replies that such calm never lasts in their town. His prediction proves correct as the episode ends: Bunny frantically calls Mike, revealing that the Colombians have set his train on fire, and it’s slowly moving through the city. The anticipated trouble has arrived, and it’s severe.

Solitary Confinement

Cindy doesn’t have a big role this week, only appearing briefly. However, Mike shares a sweet moment with her children when he visits and sees them enjoying a game of street hockey. It makes you wonder why Kingstown can’t always be a safe and carefree place for kids.

Do you think Ian and Robert always keep things like tarps, rope, and weights in their cars, possibly to dispose of a body if they needed to?

This episode has a lot happening, so let’s keep track of everyone’s situation. This week, Kyle and Mike convinced Kyle’s wife, Tracy, to go to her sister’s house in Ohio with their baby, hoping to get them away from Merle’s dangerous associates. I doubt she’ll be safe for long, though. With so much trouble brewing in Kingstown, I’m not confident Mike or the police will be able to protect her while she’s out of state. For now, she’s escaped the immediate danger, but not before confronting Mike and reminding him of all the people who have died under his protection.

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2025-11-23 22:55