Abhiroop Das
Created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, Paramount+’s ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ tells the story of Mike McLusky, who is tasked with steering the entire prison ecosystem of Kingstown all on his own. However, when groups with clashing interests begin taking shape at every turn, reconciliation becomes a tall order, and Mike has to get his hands dirty. In the previous episode, Bunny wakes up after being shot in a cartel shootout, only to find his world turned upside down. Moses is revealed to be the real mastermind behind the hit on Bunny, and the entire Crips gang is thirsty for revenge. Elsewhere, Ian and Mike decide that Sawyer is too much of a loose cannon to keep in check, but the way they choose to deal with this proves to be as cruel as it is ambiguous. However, with another plot brewing inside Anchor Bay, Mike’s life is soon to take a turn for the worse in this episode, titled ‘Belleville.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
Callahan Has Escaped and Is Out for Revenge Against the Town and its Mayor
Season 4 episode 8 of ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ begins with the entire town slowly waking up to chaos, as two inmates have escaped Anchor Bay Correctional Facility. While Warden Nina Hobbs started out by promising to rule with an iron fist, things seem grimmer than ever, especially with the cartel putting pressure on her. Still, news about the escape is kept under wraps, while Ian and Mike begin their respective days with a secret of their own. As Ian ominously checks out Sawyer’s house on his way to the diner. Mike puts on the facade to meet Moses at Bunny’s hospital room. The latter is recovering steadily, and while he maintains his composure in front of Moses, inside, a plan for retribution is taking shape. The Detroit gang leader has fallen hook, line, and sinker for Mike’s ploy, announcing that his cavalry is set for an all-out war with the cartel, but knowing his own future.
Once Moses exits the scene, Bunny and Mike sit down for a real conversation, which quickly takes an emotional turn when the former describes his near-death experience. Surprisingly, he is upset at how empty it felt, and laments not catching a glimpse of his deceased family. However, with a long way charted out, Mike reminds him that this is no time to show weaknesses. Not long after he leaves the hospital, the blaring prison sirens engulf the town in its entirety, sending everyone into a state of panic. Mike and Ian both get into their cars to rush to Anchor Bay, not knowing that the situation has long gone out of their hands. Meanwhile, Callahan makes his first pitstop at Shaver’s, who we last saw in the season premiere, in cohorts with Mike. Callahan appears to know about this and is far from happy. Revenge, however, comes not from him but from the other prisoner he escaped with. This man turns out to be a pyromaniac and takes glee in burning Shaver alive.
Mike Returns to Anchor Bay in Search of a Lead
At the prison, Hobbs struggles to get everything back in order, especially with Torres not present. It is implied that her little chat with the cartel has had its consequences, and Torres is out of the picture, one way or another. Meanwhile, Mike begins laying an elaborate trap for Moses, with Lamar at the heart of it all. After barging into his house, Mike confirms that Lamar has indeed been working with Bunny’s enemies, as Moses once got him out of trouble in The Motor City. Realizing that he is stuck between a rock and a hard place, Lamar is forced to become a pawn in Mike’s plan. Next up, Mike calls Hobbs about the sirens, and with nobody else to rely on, she confides in him. The gravity of the situation only hits Mike after he learns that it is none other than Callahan who sneaked out of the prison, along with an arsonist named Pete McDonough. He immediately calls his office and asks everyone to clean up, as he is now the prime target in this town.
When Ian learns of this crisis, his first step is to prioritize Mike’s safety, but the Mayor has other plans, and instead predicts that Callahan made it to Shaver’s. However, the latter is already dead by the time he makes it, and on the other end of time, we see Callahan rent out a car and drive solo, leaving Pete to continue his mayhem. With no leads in sight, Mike collaborates with Hobbs to gather the entirety of the Aryan Brotherhood in one corner, where he then heads with Ian and Stevie to interrogate. Marc, the second-in-command who previously saved Kyle from sexual assault, has nothing but animosity towards the trio. His racist comments prompt a fist fight with Stevie, who proceeds to effortlessly take him down in no time. While this gives Mike the opening to interrogate Marc, the latter proves to be of little use and only confirms that Callahan is specifically out for revenge against Mike.
Mike Delivers a Major Blow to Moses’ Forces
Elsewhere, Cindy is startled by Hobbs, who appears to take a sudden interest in Cindy’s association with Kyle and Callahan as their lead correctional officer. While the conversation doesn’t blow her cover outright, Hobbs is still suspicious and warns Cindy of how the prison job can corrupt everyone. Later in the evening, Moses sits down with his right-hand man, LJ, pondering the state of Kingstown. While their plan to wreak havoc has worked so far, it has come with its own set of consequences. Still, the duo celebrates their ability to weather the storm, not knowing what awaits them. Not long after, LJ walks towards his car, only to be shot dead in the street by none other than Lamar. Just as he manages to make his escape, Moses makes it to the site, only to find his long-lost friend dead. Elsewhere, Lamar informs Mike that the job is done, and Mike is happy with the small victory he has churned out in the middle of a total disaster.
However, things don’t work in Mike’s favour for too long, as he soon walks into his office to find it completely destroyed from the inside out. As he inspects the damage, more bad news follows, with Ian informing him that his house has been burnt down. Learning that the perpetrator, Pete, is still inside, Mike makes a mad dash right into the burning wreckage and pulls out the half-dead pyromaniac, desperate for answers. In his dying breaths, Pete only echoes what Marc previously said, signaling that Callahan is about to hurt him in the worst ways imaginable. However, the exact manner escapes Mike this late into the game, and from here, we see what Callahan has really been up to.
Callahan Kills Trace and Leaves Her Newborn Son Alive
A phone call to Kyle from Trace brings his first fears to life, as he learns that on the other side, Callahan is holding his family at gunpoint. His intentions appear to be nothing but pure malice, and utter helplessness creeps into Kyle as he begs for his family to be left out of this criminal exchange. However, Callahan has apparently made up his mind already, and when Kyle responds with rage, he quickly cuts the call. Desperate, Kyle screams for help, telling Cindy to get the police to his wife and child’s address, but a part of him knows that it is already too late. At the scene, Trace slowly comes to realize that Callahan fully plans to kill both of them as revenge against the McLuskys. While she desperately pleads with him to kill Mike instead, the gang leader explains that his enmity is with the entire McLusky bloodline. With this, Trace sees no way to save her child’s life except for lunging at Callahan, and the scene then cuts to the outside, with a single gunshot ringing in the air.
While Trace meets her bitter end, her and Kyle’s child, Mitch, appears to have survived. Just as Callahan leaves the house and drives away, we can hear the baby crying in the background. Still, the blow is tremendous, and when the news reaches Mike, he is left completely shattered. For Kyle, things are even worse, as Mike explains that Kyle tried to harm himself upon learning the news, but also refused sedation. With things at their lowest, Mike neither has the strength nor the courage to pick up a call from Cindy, and walks towards Anchor Bay with a heavy heart, as it is possibly the only place that can provide him shelter right about now.
Read More: Is Mayor of Kingstown Based on a True Story?
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