Mayor Of Kingstown season 3 episode 1, "Soldier's Heart," opens on Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) arriving at the cemetery for a funeral. In voiceover, he recalls how his departed older brother Mitch (Kyle Chandler) would visit him regularly in prison, but Kyle (Taylor Handley) wouldn't, as their mother Miriam (Dianne Wiest) thought he was too young to process the prison.
When Mitch was at the prison and he saw Mike had been fighting, he told him 5% of people are truly good, 5% are evil, and the rest wrestle between the two. Mitch told Mike he'd end up on one of the extremes.
It's revealed the funeral is for Miriam, as she didn't survive Kyle accidentally shooting her at the end of season 2. As Mike walks away from the burial, an explosion rings out and mourners duck for cover.
Here's what else happens in Mayor Of Kingstown season 3 episode 1.
Aftermath
Officers investigate the bomb. Ian Ferguson (Hugh Dillon) reveals it was hidden in the trash, but thankfully no one died. When asked who they want to blame for the bomb, Ian insists that — after Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley) was brutally attacked, too — it doesn't matter, he wants to go after everyone. Mike shuts that down, as the streets are already filled with so much violence no-one is willing to leave their home. They need to be smart and surgical. He asks for an hour to set-up a bulls-eye.
Mike goes to visit Bunny (Tobi Bamtefa), who has already heard about the bombing. Mike knows Bunny wasn't responsible, but he needs something from him to take the heat off. To do that, Bunny will give back all of the guns he stole.
Ian believes Bunny is only giving up the guns because he has a surplus. Still they go pick them up, with Bunny leaving them in an unopened van in a suburban neighborhood.
Over a drink, Bunny tells Mike he spent a lot of time thinking while he was in prison. He has new ambitions that go beyond Kingstown. Mike insists he won't allow that to happen.
Mike targets the Aryans
With the help of brass knuckles and a gunshot to the foot, a local dealer gives Mike an address to an Aryan Brotherhood meth lab. After inspecting it, Ian and a brutally beaten Robert — fresh out of the hospital — tell Mike it's a fortress. But all Mike wants is for those inside to be arrested.
Ahead of attacking the compound, Mike tells Kyle he doesn't need to go, insisting he should stay at home with his pregnant wife, Tracy (Nishi Munshi). But if he is going to be there, Mike wants Kyle to spectate rather than drawing his weapon. Mike admits to Kyle that he feels angry all the time.
Officers slowly break through the perimeter of the meth lab, while Robert, Kyle and Ian do surveillance from a van. When a member leaves the house, a shootout begins. With his team surrounded, Robert takes matters into his own hands, leaving the van to fire a bomb into the lab, which immediately explodes. After ignoring calls through the night, a furious Mike arrives the next morning to find over half a dozen dead bodies
After the explosion, Mike meets with an even more livid Evelyn (Necar Zadegan). She's responsible for Kingstown getting the cleanup it deserves, but she can't do it with dead bodies. She even threatens to arrest Mike if it comes to it. But Mike's more concerned that Evelyn has cut her security detail loose. She didn't trust them since she's currently investigating the police department. Mike says he's going to find fresh officers to look after her.
Prison battles
We meet Merle Callahan (Richard Brake), one of the Aryan shot callers in Anchor Bay who is currently serving a life-sentence when he is told about the destruction of his lab. When the episode ends we see him leaving prison.
Later, Mike tells Carney (Lane Garrison) he needs to get in Captain Kareem Moore's (Michael Beach) face to call him, especially as relations in the prison are about to get much worse.
Meanwhile, Dedrick (Marcus Brandon) is killed in a prison yard by an Aryan Brotherhood member. Mike insists it's a lame kill and doesn't send the message the Aryans intend. Kevin Jackson (Denny Love), the officer who tried to save Dedrick, is revealed to be an insider for Bunny.
Stay or go
Konstantin (Yorick van Wageningen) pays a visit to Tatiana (Graciela Brancusi) in the strip-club. With Milo (Aidan Gilles) presumed dead, Konstantin insists he didn't reach his full potential and they can make even more money. But first he confronts Tatiana over her loyalty. She insists she gave up Milo to him. But Konstantin wonders what she gave to Milo, too, as he knows that Milo is still alive. As Tatiana runs away, Konstantin shoots and kills her. He then picks up her infant son.
Elsewhere, Mike thanks Iris (Emma Laird) for trying to help Tracy pack up Miriam's house. When she asks Mike if he's OK, he doesn't respond.
Later, Tracy's water breaks. With the baby on the way, Kyle asks Mike if Iris is going to be staying with them. Mike has't decided. Kyle says she isn't really nanny material, but also admits he's terrified of becoming a father, especially with Miriam gone.
At the house, Mike covers up the bullet holes from the shootout. Iris offers to help. Mike realizes he's spent more time at the house in the past three days than the last 30 years. They toast to Tracy and Kyle's newborn baby, Mitch, and to Miriam. Mike tells Iris she can stay, go or do whatever she wants.
Mayor of Kingstown is available exclusively on Paramount Plus.
