Mayor of Kingstown Recap: Red Alert

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This week’s episode of Mayor of Kingstown, “Belleville,” is exactly what I’ve been waiting for all season. Despite any weaknesses the show might have, it consistently delivers at least a few truly gripping episodes, and this is one of them. The episode is a fast-paced, tense 40 minutes focused on the fallout from Merle Callahan’s escape, and it really drives the story forward.

A subtle but important detail in the “Belleville” episode is the prison alarm that echoes throughout the city, putting everyone on edge. Even Sarah, working at the diner, automatically reaches for her gun when she hears it. From the very beginning of the episode, most of the characters share this underlying sense of worry and are connected by it.

The location of the escape alert is also important. Merle gets irritated by it, even complaining when he visits the Aryan Brotherhood’s headquarters in Kingstown. He doesn’t linger, knowing the local police are familiar with their hideout. However, Merle feels compelled to punish Todd, the gang member managing things from the outside, for being overly accommodating to Mike. As punishment, Pete McDonough, who escaped with Merle, burns Todd.

The prison is on high alert, and Warden Nina Hobbs is incredibly stressed. She was threatened at home the night before by a hitman named Cortez, and now, at work, she’s facing more problems. Her contact, David Torres, called out sick, and a dangerous inmate escaped due to lax security. When Mike offers to help, claiming he’s an ally, she’s too overwhelmed to listen. She dismisses his talk of the future, saying she’s only focused on surviving the present day.

Today will be a difficult day for everyone involved. The prison escape undermines Nina’s standing with the people of Kingstown, as her strength lies in managing correctional facilities. She was never well-liked by Mike and his crew, and now, on top of that, she appears vulnerable.

The KPD takes control by arriving at Nina’s facility and questioning the Aryan gang members. The gang’s leader becomes arrogant, using a racial slur towards Ian’s Black colleague, Stevie, and trying to provoke a fight. Stevie quickly defeats him, pointing out that the Aryans aren’t very good fighters unless they attack as a group.

Kingstown is in serious trouble now that Merle is free and gathering his followers. Even though Ian and Stevie successfully handled the situation at the prison, they and Mike realize they need to find Merle fast – something terrible will happen if they don’t, and it will likely be worse than what happened to Todd. Most escapees would try to reach Canada, but Merle is driven by his beliefs, so as soon as Mike learns he’s escaped, he sends his secretary away.

He was justified in his actions. Later, when he visited the office, he found it completely wrecked and defaced with Nazi symbols. Before he could even call the police and crime scene investigators, he received a call from Ian. Ian informed him that Pete, the arsonist, had set fire to the old McLusky family home and was still there, waiting to deliver a message from Merle. Merle intends to confront Mike, but plans to inflict pain on him first.

I’ll explain what’s causing the tension shortly, but first, there’s a slight issue with this episode. While it’s generally well-paced and focused, there’s a brief detour. We see Bunny being visited by Frank when Mike unexpectedly arrives. Both Mike and Bunny are frustrated with Frank’s insincere promise to take drastic measures against those who tried to harm Bunny. Despite the day’s intense events surrounding Merle, Mike takes the time to threaten one of Frank’s informants, Lamar. Later, Lamar demonstrates his allegiance to the Crips by shooting a member of the Detroit gang.

I’m really invested in how the Detroit mob is playing both sides in Kingstown this season, so it was good to see Frank and LJ’s situation revisited. Honestly though, I think pulling Mike into that storyline felt a little unnecessary. He’s dealing with so much already, and it kind of stalled the episode’s pace when it shifted back to them. I wish they’d let him focus on his bigger issues.

It’s possible the events in Detroit are intended to make the ending of “Belleville” even more heartbreaking. The title refers to the Ohio town where Kyle’s wife, Tracy, and their baby are in hiding. Merle, who previously warned Kyle he could appear anywhere, easily locates Tracy and then calls Kyle, who is in jail, to tell him where she is.

This scene is a standout moment for Nishi Munshi, playing Tracy. Though Tracy wasn’t featured much throughout the series, she always brought a refreshing honesty to every appearance. I really enjoyed her character – she could see through everyone’s deception, especially Mike’s, but she genuinely wanted to help the McLusky brothers and improve their difficult lives in Kingstown.

The use of past tense earlier wasn’t a mistake. While we don’t actually see Merle shoot Tracy—and she strongly argues her case to him—we do hear the gunshot. The sound of a baby crying also tells us he didn’t harm little Mitch. Before the shooting, Merle states, “You know who I’m punishing, and they deserve it.”

Wow, that was a seriously bleak ending to this week’s episode. It’s devastating, but honestly, it felt right. It really landed with a punch, especially after watching Mike stumble through everything for weeks while everyone around him questioned why they even listened to him. He really played with fire, and as you might expect, he got burned.

A few days after Kyle’s suicide attempt, Ian tries to comfort Mike, reminding him that Kyle needs him to be strong. Mike repeats something Nina said before – that all they can do is just get through it. But I’m starting to wonder if even that is true.

Solitary Confinement

You know, it’s funny – there’s a place called Bellville in Ohio (without the ‘e’), but everyone thinks of Belleville, Illinois when you say it. That’s actually where Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy first met and started Uncle Tupelo! So, when the story mentions Belleville, I’m pretty sure it has to be the Illinois one – the Ohio town probably doesn’t even exist in this context, or it’s just a simple spelling mistake.

Let’s check in on Cindy’s limited screen time this week! She only has one significant moment: a conversation with Nina about Merle’s actions and a warning about untrustworthy men. Nina makes it clear that Cindy needs to stay within the boundaries set for her, or she’ll face consequences. It’s a scene that really focuses on Nina, rather than giving Cindy much to do. Here’s hoping Laura Benanti gets more opportunities to shine next week!

I don’t know what it was, but I thought it was really cute when Bunny exclaimed, ‘You hit the Q?!’ after Mike brought her Dairy Queen.

This episode is brief and gets straight to the action, completely skipping over the fact that Ian tried to kill Robert with car exhaust last week. There’s a quick, unsettling shot of Robert’s garage at the beginning, suggesting the situation might still be unresolved.

Despite some frustrating interruptions caused by the Detroit storyline, I really appreciated the touching conversation between Frank and LJ. They reflected on seeing Freddie Hubbard perform in Rochester decades ago, and how long they’ve both been working in this world. LJ eventually admits he’s longing for an easier life and a chance to retire. With only two episodes left this season, it seems like that possibility might be approaching.

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2025-12-14 20:55