Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 Episode 5 recap: New dangers for Kyle and Mike

"Damned", the fifth episode of Mayor of Kingstown Season 4, further endangers Mike and Kyle. The prison guards transfer Kyle from a solitary cell, and Mike is shocked to learn that the cartels won't go down without a fight in the final moments of this episode. The closing minutes of this episode promise an exciting (for the fans) and challenging Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 for Mike:

"New dangers threaten Mike's family as Callahan comes back into focus; Mike goes toe-to-toe with Hobbs as Ian goes to great lengths to sabotage Evelyn's case against him."

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Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 Episode 5 recap:

Here are some of the major events in Mayor of Kingstown Season 4, Episode 5:

• Kyle learns about his neighboring inmate

The previous episode saw Kyle interacting with a man in a neighboring cell, who is revealed to be Mike's nemesis, Merle Callahan. Mike himself learned this in the last act of the third episode. Now, this episode opens with Mike relaying this alarming information to Kyle during the former's visitation hours. After doing that, Mike confronts Nina Hobbs.

Fans have doubted the Hobbs' intentions ever since the Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 premiere, and this episode only made their suspicions even stronger. Mike accuses Nina of incompetence, but she claims that she did not know about Callahan being Kyle's neighboring cellmate. Jeremy Renner teased Mike and Nina's rivalry in the ScreenRant interview last month:

"You see it right in the very beginning. And it's what kicks off this amazing dynamic of two foes. But you always want to imagine, too, could they be on the same side? It starts off with a giant hill to climb, with Nina coming in. She's the new warden. And you see this greatest sort of vulnerability having his cop brother in prison, and he can't protect him, and that's the only thing he's got to do in his life right now, is that, and he can't. He's completely handcuffed because of Hobbs, the new warden."

• Things are good for the Crips

Mikle and Bunny's friendship is as strong in Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 as it was in the previous ones. The Crisps are loading up the freight train. However, the scene then reveals a hitman working for the cartel, informing his employers of The Crisps' movements. This scene comes into play in the closing minutes of the episode.

• Ian uncovers something about Hobbs

Mike calls Ian after his contentious conversation with Hobbs, which gives Hobbs an idea. He and a group of police officers ambush Nina Hobbs when she is driving. During this illegal search of her car, Ian is shocked to find a special gun that bears a signature that either belongs to the cartels or gangs as dangerous as them. Ian confiscates this gun, sending a message to the warden in the process.

This plotline lines up with actress Edie Falco's tease in the same ScreemRant interview as Renner:

"He's the mayor, which means he kind of runs things, and people don't challenge him. They know he's the guy that you go to when you need things done. And I guess it didn't occur to me quite fully while shooting it that that's exactly what Nina is, someone who is kind of put in place to cut him off at the knees a little bit."

This breakthrough has led some to theorize that the cartel/other gang specially sent Nina to be a thorn in Mike's side. However, she does visit Mike after the ambush and accepts his truce. This lures the viewers into a false sense of security as:

• Kyle is taken out of solitary

The prison guards take Kyle out of his solitary cell and place him in the general population. This is probably Hobbs' move as a revenge for Mike ambushing her. Therefore, Kyle is in perpetual danger as every inmate is aware of his past as a police officer.

• The Cartel war escalates

Bunny calls Mike, asking him to come out, which he does. He comes to the terrace to be shocked by the sight of the freight train on fire, and this Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 episode cuts to black. This attack was probably the Cartel's response to the third episode's flamethrower attack.

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Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 is halfway done. The fiery ending of the fifth episode suggests an action-packed ending for this season over the next five episodes.