Mayor Of Kingstown’s Emotional Season 4 Ending Was Improvised By Jeremy Renner, And Taylor Handley Told Me The Story Behind It

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final episode of Mayor of Kingstown Season 4! If you haven’t watched it yet, be careful while reading, and you can stream the show on Paramount+.

The TV series Mayor of Kingstown has finished airing for 2025. While the third season ended on a cliffhanger, the fourth season concluded with a somewhat hopeful scene. True to the show’s tone, the ending was still intense and disturbing, but it ended with a touching moment between Mike (Jeremy Renner) and Kyle (Taylor Handley). Interestingly, Renner actually made up that scene on the spot, which the cast revealed during a discussion about the finale.

The season of Mayor of Kingstown ends with Kyle, recently released from prison, finally freeing Merle Callahan. It’s fitting that Kyle, who suffered under Merle’s abuse throughout the season, is the one to handle him, rather than his brother Mike. The season concludes with a heartfelt hug between the McLusky brothers on the train tracks.

There was a scene that really got to me, and I immediately wanted to hear more from Taylor Handley about it. What surprised me most was learning it wasn’t scripted at all! Renner, who plays Kyle, shared the whole story with me – he explained exactly how that incredibly moving moment came about.

It really showcases Renner’s talent and dedication to finding the truth in his roles. After that intense scene, as things calm down, we simply walk across the train tracks and head to the car.

Merle’s death feels like a significant turning point for Mike and Kyle. After years of battling the corruption within the prison system, and enduring so much loss and hardship for their family over four seasons, they finally seem to be reaching a point of resolution.

Honestly, Merle was a constant source of trouble, so seeing him finally gone and the brothers walking away on top felt like a huge turning point. And that hug they shared on the train tracks afterwards? It was perfect. You could just feel them finally letting go of all that tension and just… breathing again. It was a really satisfying moment.

That moment wasn’t planned, actually. The hug happened spontaneously thanks to Renner, and Handley explained how it unfolded while they were filming.

Jeremy Renner is incredibly perceptive, and he noticed a crane was on the tracks. He immediately stopped me, put his hand on my shoulder, and gave me a reassuring hug – it was a really brotherly moment.

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You can see Kyle relax and embrace his brother in a heartfelt hug. Given everything he’s faced this season, the moment felt especially meaningful.

Handley told me the same thing. He said Mike giving his character a hug was actually perfect for the moment, and he was really happy Mike thought to do it. He put it beautifully, saying…

The scene felt incredibly genuine because Kyle’s character had been suppressing his emotions for a long time, and this moment was a powerful, spontaneous release. It wasn’t planned – it truly captured what it felt like to be experiencing that situation in real time.

With a new warden shaking things up in Kingstown and characters like Merle stirring up trouble, it was satisfying to finally see the McLusky family find some peace. After seasons of loss and turmoil, they’ve certainly earned it.

I was glad to see the recent season of this excellent Paramount+ show finish strong (or as strong as things get in Kingstown!), and I’m eager to find out what happens with Mike and Kyle if the show gets renewed for a fifth season.

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2025-12-28 23:09