Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 3 Review: The Show Explodes (2024)

It feels like Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 officially gets underway with "Barbarians at the Gate," an episode that throws a major wrench into the established Kingstown power structure and delivers more than just violence and angst. The one recurring flaw of the Paramount+ series is that it's trapped in a cycle of its own mayhem; characters die, other characters deal with it, but the status quo never changes. In this episode, there's a distinct sense that something will be different.

"Barbarians at the Gate" largely picks up where Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 2, "Guts," left off. The terrible murder of Tatiana comes to light, forcing Mike to make his presence known to his new Russian enemy Konstantin. Meanwhile, Mike's best friend Bunny puts the pieces of recent events together for everyone -- including the audience. And with some additional screen time for underused characters, "Barbarians at the Gate" has the most forward momentum the show has seen all season.

Mayor of Kingstown Reminds Fans Mike McLusky Is an Antihero

Jeremy Renner Returns to Mike's Dark Side

Because Mike McLusky is the titular protagonist of Mayor of Kingstown -- and moreso because he's played by the resilient Jeremy Renner, who has a gift for winning over TV audiences -- it's easy to forget that he's not necessarily a great guy. Over two-plus seasons, he's done quite a few terrible things, and then there's his whole checkered past in prison. An underlying part of the show is how Mike has changed and grown since then, and he's absolutely miles ahead of most of the other characters when it comes to morality. But he's not a conventional "good guy," and in Season 3, Episode 3, that gets hammered home by both words and actions.

The latter happens first when Mike discovers that not only has Tatiana been murdered, but that Konstantin threw her baby in the dumpster along with her. In true Mayor of Kingstown fashion, the show gives him (and the audience) gory details that make a terrible moment downright horrific, and Mike immediately confronts Konstantin over this act of inhumanity. He doesn't just have a conversation; he roughs up several of the Russian henchmen in the club before getting directly in his new enemy's face.

Konstantin is thus motivated to send one of his henchmen after Mike, and "Barbarians at the Gate" includes a brief car chase followed by an intense close-quarters fight scene that ends with Mike murdering his would-be killer. For all the concerns about Jeremy Renner's recovery, he's in fierce form during this physically demanding episode. But it's not just his fighting skills that come into play; Mike gets deservedly chewed out by Ian for going rogue to handle Konstantin and then a conversation with Bunny reminds everybody about his history with the Aryan Brotherhood. It's in this episode that Mike realizes the other new threat to his community, Callahan, is someone that he already knows. For the first time, audiences see the full scope of Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, and it all feels like only Mike can solve any of it.

How Mayor of Kingstown Finally Utilizes Ian and Iris

Hugh Dillon and Emma Laird Come Back Into Play

Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 3, "Barbarians at the Gate" earns extra points for making better use of its supporting characters than the two prior episodes. Hard-bitten cop Ian Ferguson is often underused, potentially because actor Hugh Dillon is also co-creator and executive producer, but this episode gives him much more to do. Not only does Ian give Mike a piece of his mind, but Ian also shows his softer side in an interview room scene with Iris, pleading with her to trust him in order to get her out of jail. Ian gets so many cynical one-liners that viewers can see him as another jaded TV cop, and that scene not only peels back some of that gruffness, but allows Dillon to show off more of his versatile range.

As for Iris, what appeared to be a completely random plotline for her begins to pay dividends, because her arrest leads to Ian uncovering a pretty big secret about her. The reason Iris didn't want to provide fingerprints to the Kingstown police is because those prints would connect her to something in her past -- something that she's insistent Mike not learn about. Though the TV series doesn't explicitly reveal it to the audience, Ian finds out when Iris allows him to fingerprint her and he gets the results. Emma Laird is as good as Dillon in their shared scene, and better with Renner when Mike is finally allowed to take her out of lockup.

Their conversation drops another plot bombshell: Iris knows Konstantin from New York, and he owes her because the judge she was dating made his murder case "go away." How much this will play into the rest of Season 3 is likewise a tantalizing mystery for now, but it automatically raises the stakes, because first Iris was key to Mike's war with Milo Sunter and now she's in the middle again. This time her loyalty appears to be firmly on Mike's side, at least. But "Barbarians at the Gate" gives Ian and Iris some real stakes in Season 3, and puts them back in the game, helping to make the season feel more well-rounded.

What Does Mayor of Kingstown Season 3's Cliffhanger Mean?

Season 3, Episode 3 Ends on an Explosive Note

"Barbarians at the Gate" has the most interesting end of all the Season 3 episodes so far: a car bomb detonates in the Kingstown Police parking lot. This isn't entirely shocking because it's not even the first bomb of the season; an explosive went off outside Mariam McLusky's funeral in the Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 premiere. But it's intense and exciting because the audience knows all the repercussions that will come out of this latest attack. The obvious thought is that this is a form of retaliation for Robert Sawyer blowing up the Aryan Brotherhood compound, which resulted in the deaths of multiple people.

That, in turn, dovetails back to an argument between Mike and District Attorney Evelyn Foley. No matter what the status of their personal relationship since Mike went to Evelyn's house at the end of Episode 2, the two still are on opposite sides professionally. Evelyn is determined to stop Robert in his tracks after this latest violent incident -- and the harsh truth is that she's absolutely right. Holding a dangerous cop to account is something every TV viewer should be rooting for. But because this is Kingstown with its very specific power structure, it's the last thing that Mike wants, and he says as much.

On top of that, the degree of difficulty has gone up because "Barbarians at the Gate" shows Mike's two enemies joining forces. Konstantin sends a woman to Anchor Bay to tempt Callahan (Richard Brake, also known as Game of Thrones' first Night King). Both sides have a goal of upending the Kingstown establishment, which is exactly what Mike represents. So where can Mike find his own alliance? There isn't a ton that Evelyn can do, even if they put their differences aside. There's always Bunny and the Crips, but they're also under assault from the Aryans, as evidenced by Raphael narrowly escaping a mob. By setting off another bomb, Mayor of Kingstown creates a renewed sense of urgency -- and because of all the information given out in Episode 3, Season 3 now feels much more complicated and much more worthwhile.

Mayor of Kingstown streams Sundays on Paramount+.

Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 3

7

10

A violent murder rocks Kingstown and prompts Mike to take decisive action. Konstantin makes his first move against Mike. A secret from Iris' past comes to light while the police are under attack in more ways than one.

Release Date

November 14, 2021

Creator(s)

Hugh Dillon , Taylor Sheridan

Cast

Jeremy Renner , Hugh Dillon , Tobi Bamtefa , Taylor Handley , Emma Laird , Derek Webster , Hamish Allan-Headley , Aidan Gillen

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

3

Network

Paramount

Pros

• New information adds needed layers to Season 3's plot.
• Jeremy Renner delivers another intense performance.
• Hugh Dillon and Emma Laird get more screen time.

Cons

• Some moments linger on unnecessarily graphic details.