Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, Paramount+’s ‘Mayor of Kingstown‘ chronicles the life of the most powerful man in Kingstown, Mike McLusky, who is tasked with maintaining balance between the many warring groups that call the town home. At the heart of his operations lies the Anchor Bay Correctional Facility, where trouble lies waiting at every step. Season 4 of this Crime Drama series pushes Mike one step deeper into the rabbit hole, where a series of unpredictable developments threatens his position as the boss. At the forefront of this dilemma is Kyle McLusky’s surprise incarceration, and only Mike seems to realize the extent of danger this entails. As such, the show brings a fresh perspective into the inner workings of the prison ecosystem, with everyone Mike cares about slowly being backed into a corner, forcing him to rely on new allies. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Cindy Stephens is the Newest Officer at Kingstown’s Deadly Prison
Cindy Stephens is introduced as a rookie corrections officer at the Anchor Bay Correctional Facility in Kingstown during what appears to be the height of its sociopolitical conflict. Although the arrival of the new warden, Nina Hobbs, promises to bring things to a rest, Cindy nonetheless has her work cut out for her. As her first assignment, she is tasked with guarding the administrative segregation, more commonly known as the ad seg, where criminals who pose a serious harm to themselves or others are put in solitary confinement. With Carney as her supervisor, Cindy gets a rundown of both the pros and cons. While this arrangement means the maximum security for her, it also brings her face-to-face with some of the most vicious criminals who are locked up in the prison. As such, the fact that she is new is actively weaponized by every prisoner in her vicinity, and Cindy has to power her way through these challenges to make herself known.
As a guard at the ad seg, Cindy has one more responsibility under her belt, that being the protection of Officer Kyle McLusky, who happens to be the brother of the most powerful man in town. Unlike Kareem, the previous warden, Hobbs refuses to bend the knee in the face of Mike’s sway, and that forces him to employ a more direct approach. As a result, Carney coaches Cindy on the do’s and don’ts of dealing with Kyle, especially given the threat to a police officer’s life in a prison full of people he helped put behind bars. When the rookie corrections officer asks about Kyle’s offenses, she is given nothing except the fact that he has been sent to prison unfairly. This brief exchange is enough to plant seeds in her mind and establish a potential dynamic with the McLuskys. Given the power she now holds over these prison cells, Mike is bound to keep her within his line of sight as long as his brother is behind bars, opening the doors to many interesting conversations.
While the bulk of the episode focuses on Cindy’s grueling introduction to the job, in the final moments, we catch a glimpse of her family life. Cindy, along with her children, Lucas, Lucinda, and Molly, appears to have a regular life, but small hints are interspersed between their communications that point to deeper secrets. In particular, her son draws attention to a possible alcohol problem of the officer, and while we do not know much about her past just yet, such details can point to a bigger picture. Her initial meeting with Kyle is also of note, as she reaches the scene moments after he is beaten to a pulp by an inmate. As such, Cindy’s time at Anchor Bay has the potential of heading either way, with her reaction to the incoming hurdles likely setting off a chain reaction of sizeable proportions.
Laura Benanti Brings Forth a Human Element in Her Portrayal of Cindy Stephens
Actor Laura Benanti steps into the role of Cindy Stephens, capturing both the curiosity and the anxiousness that come with joining the infamous Anchor Bay Facility. A prominent thespian, Benanti has featured in no less than eleven Broadway shows, bagging the prestigious Toni Award for her role as Laurie in the revival of ‘Gypsy.’ She has also been a part of some of the iconic theatre productions, including ‘Swing,’ ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘In the Next Room,’ and ‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.’ Alongside the stage, Benanti also features in a number of popular television shows, such as ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ ‘Nurse Jackie,’ ‘The Detour,’ and ‘Gossip Girl,’ where she plays Maria Grazie, Mia, Edie, and Katherine “Kiki” Hope, respectively. This wide range speaks to her abilities as a performer, making her the perfect fit for a character as richly developed as Cindy.
In a conversation with TODAY, Laura Benanti explained the various trials and tribulations that come with essaying a corrections officer. She revealed that she has a fear of blood that often causes a vasovagal response, characterized by symptoms such as nausea and a drop in blood pressure. To that end, filming the intense, action-packed sequences of ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ proved to be uniquely challenging in its own way. While talking to LRM Online, the actor pondered on the nature and motivations of her character, stating, “I do think she is a good-hearted person, and she is certainly not of this world (…) but what she is thrust into is unimaginable.” As such, Cindy’s journey into the hearts of corruption and how that can change a person is greatly elevated by how Benanti approaches the portrayal with utmost sensitivity.
Read More: Who Dies and Who Survives in Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 Finale?
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