Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, Paramount+’s ‘Mayor of Kingstown‘ courses through the ins and outs of the eponymous town, with the infamous Anchor Bay prison as its beating heart. While the protagonist, Mike McLusky, is tasked with smoothing the town’s rough edges, his complex job is incomplete without the support he gets from his friends and trusted allies. Foremost on the list of names that can be described as both is Deverin “Bunny” Washington, the leader of the Crips gang, and a daring drug and arms dealer. A former inmate in the show, he earns his freedom towards the tail end of season two, and by the fourth season of this crime drama series, Bunny is at his most powerful. However, with new enemies springing left and right, he has to be cautious at every turn, and one such exchange proves to be deadlier than anything he could have prepared for. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Bunny Has a Touch and Go With Death After a Messy Shootout
At the start of season 4 episode 6, Bunny is ambushed by cartel hitmen while en route to examine his burnt-down shipment. The men then release a barrage of bullets on his car, which is worsened by Bunny’s driver stopping the car to fire back. Although Bunny narrowly avoids dying on the spot, he is still shot and soon loses consciousness. The next time we hear about the attack, he is hospitalized in critical condition, and at this point, the horror of what has transpired begins to set in. Mike, Ian, and even Moses realize that the cartel will stop at nothing to take over the city, even if it means rupturing its fragile system of checks and balances in its entirety. While Bunny doesn’t die in the episode, he doesn’t wake up from his state of unconsciousness either, and this spells a grim fate for the leader of the Crips. As news about the assassination attempt spreads like wildfire and paranoia sets in, it is up to Mike to take over the reins and restore the peace in Kingstown.
While Bunny’s life hangs by a thread, his sister is convinced that he will power through this, given that he is a battle-hardened ex-convict who has arguably survived much worse. This idea is also supported by the narrative, as the fourth season thus far has been slowly developing the tense dynamic between Bunny and Moses, with Mike acting as an intermediary figure. Given that the Crips’ leader’s vendetta against the cartel is yet to materialize fully, fans can likely expect him to rise from near-death and continue his onslaught on his opponents. In the scenario where he does return to the scene, we might also see his bond with Mike deepen even further, as the two have consistently had each other’s backs from the start of the season and even prior to that. As Bunny has just started expanding his criminal operations, there are many potential threats that still lie on his path.
Despite the story largely hinting at Bunny’s survival, there are some possible death flags in the previous episodes that can be interpreted as a bad ending for the gang leader. In particular, the focus on his positive relationship with his sister and Mike can be seen as a way of giving the character some closure. Additionally, his death could potentially be the last straw in Mike’s war with Moses, bringing the latter’s antagonist arc to the forefront. However, such a conclusion is unlikely for Bunny, given his narrative potential down the line. Mike, realizing that the hit on his friend was supplemented by inside help, soon figures out that Bunny’s driver, Lamar, is secretly working with Moses and likely planned out the entire scenario with the cartel in advance. As such, it is possible that Mike and Bunny might soon have to fight a battle on two fronts before they can seal their position as the town’s two most powerful people.
Tobi Bamtefa is Unlikely to Step Out of His Iconic Role Anytime Soon
Actor Tobi Bamtefa’s time as Bunny Washington in ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is likely not over just yet, as various clues sprinkled throughout the story point to the character’s survival. Beyond that, Bunny features in the episode a number of times while being hospitalized, and it is possible that trend might continue in the next few episodes. Given that his waking up has been hyped up as a potentially game-changing moment, it is likely that many new and exciting turns await the character, in turn allowing Bamtefa to flex his acting abilities even further. Notably, this is not the first time Bunny has had a close call with death, to the point that Bamtefa has elaborated on his character’s mindset. While talking to CBR, he explained, “I feel like Bunny always simmers when it comes to worrying about who might come to kill him. I think he simmers at a healthy 25 (…) You have to be a little bit paranoid in this world, otherwise you may end up dead.”
As such, given Bunny’s tenacity in such trying moments, a similar reversal of fate can be expected in the coming episodes of season 4, with Bunny potentially returning stronger and fiercer than ever before. However, given the severity of his injuries this time around, there is a slim possibility that he has already reached the final leg of his journey. Nonetheless, this hypothetical scenario doesn’t necessarily mean Bamtefa’s exit from the story. Given the sheer impact of his character, the actor can always return to the show in the form of a flashback sequence or via other creative visualization techniques. Still, with an entire drug empire left unattended while he is in the hospital, we are bound to see a change in Bunny’s status sooner rather than later.
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