Sumith Prasad
The second season of Paramount+’s crime thriller series ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ ends with Mariam McLusky, the matriarch of the McLusky family, fighting to stay alive in a hospital. When Mike McLusky fails to meet Milo Sunter with his bonds, in return for Iris, the Russian mobster pays a visit to Mariam to intimidate the “mayor” and his mother. Rather than getting scared, Mike unleashes an attack against Milo with the help of his brother, Kyle McLusky, and ally, Detective Ian. In the third season’s premiere, Mike accepts another tragedy that affects him severely. As the mayor and his allies team up together to establish order in their town, Mariam won’t be present in his life to warn him anymore! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Mariam McLusky’s Death: The Inevitable
Mariam McLusky is dead. The third season premiere begins with the funeral of the McLusky matriarch, attended by Mike and Kyle, along with their friends and well-wishers. Mariam’s life hangs by a thread after the shootout that follows Mike and Milo’s confrontation regarding the bonds and Iris. The “mayor” finds the Russian mobster’s move of intimidating his mother unacceptable, only for him to retaliate without giving a thought to the consequences. The showdown between the two goes out of control when Kyle and Ian join Mike to bring down Milo and his group.
Kyle’s eagerness to shoot down his enemies and protect his brother makes him fire his gun repeatedly, only for a shot to pierce through Mariam. Even though the second installment ends without providing any indication that she will die for sure, the crime thriller becomes ruthless again by killing Mariam off, reminding us of the terrifying way her elder son Mitch McLusky gets killed in the first season. Mariam’s death is not surprising since, more than anyone, she knows that death is inevitable when her family is involved in brokering power. As someone who has lost her husband and son to the evil side of the business, Mariam may have even expected a gunshot aimed at her for years.
Having said that, what makes Mariam’s death harrowing is that she gets killed by none other than her son, Kyle. Through her demise, the series displays how death is unavoidable and unpredictable in Kingstown, even when it is not anticipated with regard to a particular person who doesn’t have any reason to get killed.
Dianne Wiest’s Exit: A New Direction for the Crime Thriller
Even though neither Paramount+ nor Dianne Wiest has explained the reason behind the actress’ exit from ‘Mayor of Kingstown,’ reports suggest that the departure was caused by the narrative direction ahead for the crime thriller. The primary purpose of Mariam, in the first two seasons of the show, is to display how the McLuskys lost their family after they started ruling Kingstown. That’s the reason why Mariam asks one of the prison inmates to never talk to her about her sons. The family’s presence in the power business has only caused her pain. The distance she keeps with Mitch and Mike and the warnings she gives to Kyle are part of this storyline.
By the end of the second season, the crime thriller has established what’s at stake for Mike and Kyle, as the mayor and his general, respectively, through Mariam. The writers of the series must have felt that it would be repetitive to keep the college professor in the loop and make her say what the two brothers are losing by brokering authority in the town. After twenty episodes, the viewers are expected to understand the risks involved in Mike’s affairs and business. The narrative doesn’t demand Mariam to be the futile warning voice anymore, especially after the surviving McLuskys decide to fight a war regardless of what their mother feels about the same.
Considering these factors, killing Mariam serves the narrative better than having her alive. Through her death, the crime thriller establishes that the McLuskys cannot run away from the dangers and inevitabilities of the business. The emotional havoc the matriarch’s demise causes in Kyle is another reason that justifies the conclusion of Dianne Wiest’s character’s arc. Therefore, the actress left the series because Mariam doesn’t have much scope in the crime drama moving forward.
Read More: Why Was Mike McLusky in Prison in Mayor of Kingstown, Explained
