After releasing its second season, Jeremy Renner's performance as the lead actor has made audiences more interested in the American TV series Mayor of Kingstown. More and more people are looking forward to the final season to see what will happen to "Mr. Mayor". In recent years, American TV dramas have surpassed movies in depicting real-life situations. Some even believe that TVs have replaced contemporary American literature as a new form of expression, at least judging by the quality of Mayor of Kingstown.
Renner's casting as the lead reflects this shift. Renner is a well-known actor, but his previous films have mostly been action movies where he plays killers or agents, emphasizing visual stimulation for the audience. It is only after he acted in American TV drama that his value as an actor has been appreciated. His performance in Mayor of Kingstown portrays the inner turmoil of a middle-aged man perfectly. The title Mayor of Kingstown itself is ironic as the "Mayor" is not an actual mayor, but a former convict who has connections on both sides of the law and maintains the surface stability of the city. "Kingstown" is named after "King's town", implying protection from the monarchy, but in this fictional Michigan town, it is a city of fear and violence run by gangs, with the prison industry being the most developed industry.
The city is filled with various factions, including African American gangs, Eastern European gangs, white supremacist gangs, and police, all of whom are constantly vying for power. Although gang fights may seem to occur throughout the city, the real decision-makers are the gang leaders in prison. On one hand, the gang leaders can control their minions outside of prison, but on the other hand, they are also subject to prison guards. If gang gets out of hand, the police will have to intervene. At the center of all these factions is Mike McLusky, acted by Jeremy Renner, who is the Mayor of Kingstown and is responsible for balancing these competing forces.
The title of Mayor of Kingstown is not held by one person but is a family business. It first belonged to Mike's father, then his brother Mitch, who was gunned down by a robber. Mike took over as Mayor and, if he were to die, the title would go to his brother Kyle.
"Mayor of Kingstown" is a rather strange American TV series, as viewers can easily feel déjà vu of other classics in it. Its cast is derived from the Yellowstone. Looking at the structure of the Kingston mayor's family, it also recalls the classic movie The Godfather - the old godfather created a mafia centered on the family, and he was subsequently shot, and the leadership gradually transferred to his eldest son, who was then killed, leaving the disinterested youngest son to inherit the family business. The strangest thing is that Mayor of Kingstown doesn't seem to intentionally draw a line between itself and "The Godfather", and instead deliberately or unintentionally s similarities. Many scenes in the series show people queuing up to meet the "mayor", which is obviously very similar to The Godfather. However, with a little thought, we can see that the essence of the two dramas is different.
The protagonist of The Godfather is a mafia active in New York in the 1940s, with many henchmen and collusion. Their power cannot be underestimated. On the other hand, the McCluskey family actually has no real power. Their role (mainly the main character, Mike) is to act as a lubricant for various local forces in Kingstown. Whether it is the underworld or the upperworld, inside or outside of prison, all need a sustained communication channel. After all, violence is not the only way to solve problems, and interests are the common pursuit.
Therefore, Kingstown needs its nominal mayor, and the McCluskey family also needs to find their own ecological niche in such an environment. Rather than being enthusiastic about being power brokers, the "Mayor of Kingston" are good at finding the balance point of power, which has become their most important ability. They become friends with the police and the mafia, and in this position, they are destined to be patient, cunning, good at communication, and also to be ruthless when necessary.
One interesting aspect is that Mike, who inherited the position of the mayor, is not interested in the money and women, but lives a life close to abstinence. He often provides free services to those in need and often rejects beautiful women... This can be confusing for viewers. In such a multifaceted position, if Mike doesn't take advantage of it for his own benefit, what is his purpose? Actually, it is not difficult to understand why Mike made this choice. Although the position seems glamorous, it is also full of danger. Being a lubricant for all parties also means that he may offend any faction at any time. In such a dangerous environment, he cannot show his weaknesses to others. If the job is so risky and there are no benefits, why not just quit and start a new life? Asking this question also reminds me of a line, "Once you enter the martial world, you cannot leave." But according to the vaguely revealed information in the drama, the real reason may not be that simple. This role, which has been passed down from his father's generation, must have more profound implications, which will gradually be revealed as the plot unfolds.
What fascinates me the most about this drama is that I see it as a huge metaphor: a middle-aged man constantly experiences various pressures from external factors. Family life, work, emotions, desires... all of these factors need to be satisfied, but they are also full of unknown dangers. He has to endure his mother's complaints, his brother's incomprehension, and almost everyone's dissatisfaction around him, but he cannot choose to give up. "There is no victory, but holding on means everything." Compared to that movie quote, this line of poetry from Rilke may be more suitable for Mike. So, how to solve the various pressures placed on oneself? "We don't break the law, we just bend it to achieve peace." This line from the drama gives a seemingly ambiguous answer. For a middle-aged person who is facing pressure from all sides, without the ability to completely solve all problems, the courage to make decisive choices, or the grace to walk away, all he can do is support himself in every way possible.
The problem is that this is ultimately not a solution. All problems will eventually converge and explode at some point. In the middle of the second season, in order to restore balance and resolve the chaos within the prison, Michael had to use a scheme to get several mafia bosses into the prison and promised to release them once they solved the problems. This clearly exceeded Michael's abilities. It's easy for them to get into prison, but it's much harder to get out. In this situation, Michael obviously offended all parties, his balance was also in jeopardy, and how to solve this problem became an important focus of the second half of the second season. When watching this segment, for me, the prison in Kingstown is an excellent metaphor for a man's conflicted inner world. When all conflicts accumulate and one can no longer bear it, an outburst becomes inevitable. The question is, how should a middle-aged man face himself after his inner outburst?
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