Mayor of Kingstown’s Most Shocking Episode Is Almost Too Brutal to Watch

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Since its premiere on Paramount+ in November 2021, viewers have been captivated by the show’s intense blend of prison life, shocking violence, and difficult ethical dilemmas. The main character, Mike McLusky, constantly finds himself trapped in situations with no easy answers. His family has long maintained a fragile balance of power between prisoners, guards, gangs, and the police, meaning tough choices are always part of the equation.

Over four seasons, the show has consistently demonstrated how difficult it is to keep the peace in a city where the prison system is the main driver of the economy. The main character, Mike (played by Jeremy Renner), is always negotiating to prevent conflict between inmates and guards. This often leads to intense and sometimes shockingly violent moments, with one episode being particularly disturbing and hard to watch.

“Simply Murder” Is A Particularly Savage Episode, Both Physically and Emotionally

When Mayor of Kingstown first started, Taylor Sheridan was just beginning to build his television presence. It was his initial series following Yellowstone, launching a month before 1883. Sheridan wrote all ten episodes and directed two, including a strong pilot that introduced Kyle Chandler as Mitch McLusky, the brother of Mike. The show then surprised viewers by killing off Mitch and unexpectedly placing the responsibility of ‘Mayor’ onto Mike.

Sheridan also wrote and directed an episode called “Simply Murder,” which first aired on November 21, 2021. Looking back, despite the show Mayor of Kingstown later becoming known for its violent prison riots, deaths, and shootings, this episode remains the most shockingly brutal one.

The episode isn’t shocking simply because of its violence. It’s truly unsettling because of its deeply pessimistic story, which perfectly captures the core ideas of the entire show. It’s a difficult watch – you might find yourself wanting to look away – but it’s also incredibly compelling.

The Episode Features Kenny, One of the Show’s Most Tragic Figures

The story “Simply Murder” begins with a disturbing scene: a young, five-year-old boy is playing inside a run-down trailer. His mother, battling an addiction, is unconscious on the couch. A man named Kenny, looking unkempt with long hair, enters the trailer searching for something, barely acknowledges the child, and carelessly leaves a lit cigarette behind when he leaves.

Once he drove away, the trailer burst into flames. When Mike and his brother Kyle, a local police officer, arrived on the scene with other authorities, they discovered the burned bodies of the child and his mother. The fire was started by a cigarette, which ignited leftover materials from Kenny’s workshop – he had been running it out of the same trailer where his ex-wife and child lived.

The episode begins with a deeply disturbing scene, showing the devastating consequences of a tragic accident. Witnessing the remains of a child is incredibly upsetting for both the characters and the audience, and it instantly establishes a clear sense of purpose: Kenny needs to be held accountable for his actions, regardless of whether they were intentional or not.

The show takes place in Kingstown, a dangerous place full of secrets. Because of this, the police aren’t planning to arrest and try Kenny through the usual legal process. They intend to eliminate him without a trial. Mike points out that simply murdering a suspect could cause serious problems, even for a place like Kingstown, but a different solution quickly appears.

Kenny Needing To Die Is the One Thing That Unites All of Kingstown

After discovering Kenny, who is deeply upset about killing his family, is on parole, the police decide to send him directly to prison instead of a holding cell. They know that fellow inmates with gang ties – who all agree Kenny deserves to die – will likely take care of the rest.

Mike cautioned the police that involving the gangs would backfire. They’d likely interpret it as a favor and demand something in return later, but they didn’t listen. In a town deeply divided between law enforcement and criminal groups, a child’s death becomes the one thing everyone agrees on – and it marks Kenny as a target. Faced with impossible odds, he chooses the only path that offers even a sliver of hope for survival.

Right in the middle of the show, Kenny unexpectedly appears at Mike’s office, pleading for assistance. Mike immediately tries to attack him because of what he’s done, but when Kenny claims it was a terrible accident, Mike, still furious, tells him the only safe thing to do is surrender to the authorities – they’ll put him in protective custody.

Shaken, scared, and feeling deeply guilty, the criminal reluctantly agrees to cooperate with Mike. However, when he turns himself in, he isn’t given any protection. To his shock, Kenny is led into a large, open gym area within the prison, where guards simply stand by as a group of inmates attack him, brutally beating and stabbing him to death.

When Mike learned what happened to Kenny, he flew into a furious rage and destroyed his office. He’d hoped the legal system would punish Kenny with the death penalty, but instead, his biggest fear came true: the police, gangs, and prison guards are all working together. This will disrupt the fragile peace in Kingstown. As Bunny warned him, the gang that killed Kenny will exploit the situation, leveraging their newfound influence with the police, who now owe them a favor. This gives the gangs more power when Mike tries to negotiate with them in the future.

“Simply Murder” Is the Best Distillation of Everything That Makes Mayor of Kingstown Great

As a long-time fan of Mayor of Kingstown, I thought “Simply Murder” was a truly powerful episode. It wasn’t just about Kenny – a character who really stuck with me, and whose death was shockingly brutal. And it wasn’t only about the heartbreaking fate of his family, victims of his own bad choices. It wasn’t even just about watching Mike struggle with a negotiation that went horribly wrong. What really struck me is that the episode managed to be all of those things, and more. It perfectly captured the show’s core – that messy, complicated moral landscape – better than anything I’ve seen so far.

Mike has a rare job: he’s not on the side of law enforcement, criminals, or the prison system, but acts as a middleman between them all. It’s an incredibly difficult position, especially because everyone has their own goals. The episode “Simply Murder” demonstrates that keeping everyone happy is impossible, particularly when a wild card like Kenny appears. This instantly escalates tensions and fuels a desire for revenge, though some also see a chance to benefit from the chaos. Mike is forced to navigate this complex situation with strategic maneuvering, though ultimately without success. At its heart, Mayor of Kingstown is a harsh show about corruption, power, and the impossibility of maintaining control in a world without rules—and “Simply Murder” showcases this perfectly.

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2026-01-04 01:37