Mayor of Kingstown Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Left With the Nose

Mayor of Kingstown Season 2 Episode 6, “Left With the Nose,” finds Mike attempting to leverage a favor with the powers that be while Bunny deals with an increasingly volatile situation inside Anchor Bay. It’s an improvement from last week’s lukewarm outing. 

“Left With the Nose” propels the main narrative while spending time with characters like Kyle, who struggles to move forward from the prison riot and shooting that family. Mayor of Kingstown peels back Kyle’s layers while he refuses to acknowledge his feelings. However, everyone around him, especially Tracy and Mariam, can see he’s sinking. 

MIKE: People say a lot of things, Kyle. It’s hard to tell when they mean it. 

Taylor Handley delivers a nuanced performance, seamlessly shifting between veiled vulnerability and explosive, white-hot rage. He deftly displays Kyle’s refusal to dig deeper and put on a brave face for those he loves. 

“Left With the Nose” showcases Mike in the throes of incessant negotiation with various people. Some are in positions of vast power; others are on a smaller scale. We usually see Mike working his magic with prison workers, law enforcement, and occasionally Evelyn, but this outing finds him interacting with the DA and folks in higher places. It’s a nice change of pace and scenery for the series. 

Mayor of Kingstown boasts one glaring blindspot, which is as prevalent in “Left With the Nose” as in other episodes. It has a problem with its women. While we see a few women in power positions, i.e., Wendy and Evelyn, they only exist to prop up Mike and serve his storyline. 

BUNNY: I’m tired of being the dog dragged by the wagon. I ain’t lying down and getting dragged along anymore.

Tracy gets another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene in “Left With the Nose,” but it’s only to, you guessed it, support Kyle. Nishi Munshi is now a series lead. Shouldn’t we know more about Tracy? Dianne Wiest, also a series regular who gets top billing after Jeremy Renner, is once again relegated to a few short scenes where she is a soundboard and support system for the men. 

Iris, who had significant screen time in Season 1, hasn’t been seen in a few episodes, her storyline ostensibly abandoned in favor of Mike’s neverending struggles with his clientele. Perhaps Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon have plans for characters like Mariam, Tracy, Wendy, Evelyn, and Iris in the next few installments. Here’s hoping Mike doesn’t become Iris’s savior again like last season. That would take us into redundant territory. 

What “Left With the Nose” does well is provide a solid narrative pace. The last few outings have dragged a bit on the pacing front, but this episode maintains steady momentum, doling out action and drama in equal measure. The violence doesn’t feel as gratuitous as it has in past episodes. It seems to serve the overarching story, namely Bunny’s arc. 

DA LOCKETT: Deals are made and broken all the time, Mr. McLusky. Handshakes, verbal, paper. None of it matters. 

So far, Mayor of Kingstown nails it with the cliffhangers, and “Left With the Nose” is no exception. The DA getting murdered, Bunny’s only way out of Anchor Bay, poses a new set of problems for our favorite incarcerated drug dealer. Tobi Bamtefa is, as usual, up to the acting challenge. His scenes with Renner are unarguably the strongest in the series. Perhaps even the emotional crux of the show. 

“Left With the Nose” is a step in the right direction after some narrative plodding on the season’s part. While the women might always be a blindspot for Mayor of Kingstown, no show tackles gritty bleakness and ultraviolent action quite like it. 

Stray Observations: 

• While I couldn’t find anything on what a “heart attack letter” means, I can only surmise it’s a term reserved for unfavorable legal situations that cause immense panic. You know, especially for crooked cops who mold and shape the “law” to their liking. In the words of one Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network, Robert, “you better lawyer up, a**hole.” 
• Maybe instead of returning to the KPD, Kyle should start his own construction business. He was on a roll building those sheds. 
• I don’t blame Bunny for losing faith in Mike and repeatedly demanding release. Mike let him down big time. 
• Where’s Iris? She went from being a series lead who appeared in every episode to practically nonexistent by episode three of this season. 
• Everybody on this show needs therapy. Like, one massive group therapy session. You can see the trauma scrawled all over their faces. 

What did you think of this episode of Mayor of Kingstown? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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