At the end of Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, it was pretty clear that power structures were about to be shaken up. Now, with Edie Falco and more joining the cast, it would appear that new potential power players are part of the equation. However, the past will play into that too, as co-creator and Ian actor Hugh Dillon said that the past won’t just “catch up” this season; it will reload. And that has led me to a theory about Jeremy Renner’s character and his history as an inmate.
What Hugh Dillon Said About How The Past Will Impact Mayor Of Kingstown Season 4
With Mayor of Kingstown making its return to the 2025 TV schedule on October 26, Hugh Dillon is hyping up what’s coming next. As always, it sounds very intense; however, this season, it seems like we’ll be diving into the past in a way we haven’t before, as the co-creator told EW:
The past doesn't catch up with you. It reloads. So it's coming and, in Mike's case, it is right there. And Mike isn't somebody who runs, and that's what's interesting. He stands and fights and he's not ruled by fear or greed. So we just follow the truth of this character.
Dillon also called this season “a detonation, not an escalation,” which implies to me that all the tension that’s been building up for three seasons will hit a breaking point. I think we’ll hit that, too, by diving into Mike’s past in prison. So, let’s talk about why.
I’m Theorizing That The Time Jeremy Renner’s Character Spent In Prison Will Be Important This Season
For Mayor of Kingstown’s entire run – which you can watch with a Paramount+ subscription – Mike’s past has been present. It’s made clear on many occasions that he used to be a prisoner, and his family’s history with the prison system and law enforcement deeply impacts what happens on the show. However, there's still a lot we don't know about his time, specifically, behind bars.
Plus, the past has literally come back to haunt characters, as we saw Aidan Gillen’s Milo return last season.
So, in Season 4, I’m theorizing that Mike’s past in prison is going to be paramount to the plot.
That’s because Mike’s little brother, Kyle, is in prison. He was arrested at the end of Season 3 for shooting a fellow SWAT member who was seemingly about to kill an innocent person. I feel like this will send Mike into a spiral, and I could easily picture the series looking back on his time behind bars as he frantically figures out how to save his brother. The parallels are just too good to pass up on.
So, I’m theorizing that that’s what Dillon was referring to when he said the past will reload. The parallel of these siblings' situations is haunting, and with a new warden having to come in after Kareem’s death and the constant power struggle in Kingstown, this feels like a ripe story from the past that’s been waiting to be dug up.
To see if it comes to the surface, you can stream the Season 4 premiere of Mayor of Kingstown on October 26 on Paramount+.
