SPOILERS BELOW!!! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!
If you’re still reading beyond this point, know that there’s been plenty of time to watch the episode, so if it’s spoiled for you - that is on you. Alright, now that we’ve got that out the way, let’s get into the Season 3 premiere of Mayor of Kingstown. The episode, Soldier's Heart, opens with a scene from the cemetery and I did not like where this was headed. There were two thoughts that came to mind of whose funeral was taking place: Robert or Miriam McLusky. Being that we see Robert, bruised, bloody, and yet very much alive, I knew that it was in fact Miriam who died. It was a heartbreaking scene to watch as Tracy, Kyle, and Mike pour dirt on the casket as it was being lowered.
"Soldier's Heart" - MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN. PICTURED: Nishi Munshi as Tracy McLusky, Taylor Handley as Kyle McLusky and Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky Credit: Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount+ © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Not much room left for heartbreak though, because as everyone is leaving the funeral, a bomb explodes (see below) knocking down a few people and causing damage to nearby cars. Thankfully, no other funerals needed to be planned (too soon, I'm sorry). The bomb, homemade with a remote detonator, was planted in a trash can close to where all the cars were parked. Who, in their right mind, tries to bomb a funeral service? Ian, after debriefing with Mike, Kyle, and others, suggests they do something about the bombing, but Mike says he needs an hour to find a bullseye (another target). He goes to visit Bunny asking him if he knows anything about the bombing and the disrespect was felt. Bunny says he knows better than to go after family. Redirecting the conversation, Mike tells Bunny that this attack may have been for Bunny and he needs to give him someone or something else in order to get this target off him.
"Soldier's Heart" - MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN. PICTURED: Bombing at the Funeral scene. Credit: Dennis P. Mong Jr./ Paramount+ © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Mike meets back with the gang and they aren’t pleased with Bunny’s gesture; giving back the guns he stole does not go over well with Ian and before we get deeper into this conversation, Robert walks in. They’re all confused but Robert is all business. Mike suggests they make the Aryans the target; he pleads his case and despite Ian telling him there may be repercussions from this, he refuses to back down. Does this man not know fear? (I’m kidding he clearly doesn’t)
The team prepares to hit the Aryans and as prepared as they were, it wasn’t looking good for them. Robert sees this and takes the opportunity to take matters into his own hands (while still recovering from his injuries I should add) and he blows the Aryans up. Holy smokes (no pun intended) that was intense to watch; Robert gets the job done, but Mike wasn’t impressed. This isn't how he wanted it to go down, but Robert sees it as a win/win.
After all that goes down, Evelyn calls Mike for a meeting and it isn’t a friendly one. She tells him she is not here for the games and if his name comes up in any investigation, she will not hesitate to arrest him. You’d think something like that would shake Mike up, but no. He deflects the entire time and makes a joke of it. Again, does this man not know fear?
"Soldier's Heart" - MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN. PICTURED: Taylor Handley as Kyle McLusky, Derek Webster as Stevie, Hugh Dillon as Ian, and Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky Credit: Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount+ © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Let’s move on to a happier note – Tracy’s water broke, the baby is coming! And Kyle, like most men new to this, is scared out of his mind (he didn’t even know where the hospital bag was). Admittedly, I laughed at this scene because Kyle was all over the place and I thoroughly enjoyed how he went through all the emotions before his talk with Mike calmed him down. Mike tells him something their mom once said: “Parenting is scary as f*ck”. They both shared a laugh with this one.
Tatiana has gotten herself into some hot waters with Konstantin it seems. I mean, was Tatiana even thinking of the baby? I could tell something was up with her, but the way she tried to convince Konstantin to trust her and that she was “loyal” to him was a major failure and well, we see how that ended.
"Soldier's Heart" - MAYORK OF KINGSTOWN. PICTURED: Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky and Tobi Bamtefa as Deverin ‘Bunny’ Washington. Credit: Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount+ © 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Mike and Bunny are having a chat reflecting about life over some beers when he gets the call that he’s an uncle now (yay!). When Mike leaves, though, we find out Bunny has a connection with the new guard, Kevin. What’s interesting to me about this conversation is that when Bunny asks Kevin how he felt after witnessing an inmate's death, he told Bunny he felt nothing. Really, Kevin? That’s odd because you tried to save him. Do we have a crooked guard with a conscience on our hands?
The episode ends with Merle Callahan arriving at Kingston Penitentiary and…that can’t mean anything good. Could this have to do with the letter he received?
A lot went down in this episode and it’s only the beginning of the season. I want to hear from you - what were your thoughts on the Season 3 premiere of Mayor of Kingston? Share in the comment section below OR let's chat about it on Twitter/X - @chenfordhugs.
Valerie LaRoche
Hello! I'm Val. I'm a writer, actress, photographer, and producer from New York. I enjoy going to the bookstore, the gym, and for walks in the park. If I'm not doing any of those things, I'm home studying film and television.
