Mayor of Kingstown Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Little Green Ant

Mayor of Kingstown Season 2 Episode 10, “Little Green Ant,” finds Mike fighting tooth and nail to save Iris while one character’s action has devastating consequences. For the most part, it’s a solid episode that somewhat peters out at the end. 

Season 2, as a whole, is weaker than its predecessor. While there are a handful of strong episodes among the lukewarm fare, it’s a jumble of narrative inconsistencies. That said, it’s not easy to churn out an outing as strong as the final two episodes of Season 1. 

BUNNY: You know I got love for you, Mike. I really do. But if there comes a time when you got me in a f**kin’ corner, and you the only thing standin’ between me and my air, know this, Mike. I’m gonna run right through you. 

How do you go bigger than a full-fledged riot? Therein lies the rub for Mayor of Kingstown. It feels like they successfully swung for the fences last season, and now there’s nowhere to go but down. 

That’s not to say what transpires in “Little Green Ant” is underwhelming or under par. Compared to previous installments in Season 2, it’s an action-packed, pedal-to-the-metal treat. However, some of the character choices feel off-kilter. 

Mike and Kyle’s decision to turn his home, where his mother is being held hostage, into a blood bath feels more like a convenient plot device than an organic character choice. Once again, women are utilized as no more than fleshy houses for bullets and trauma when Kyle inadvertently shoots Mariam, a character already working through trauma related to firing his weapon on the job. 

MIKE: We weren’t blessed with “easy.” You know that. We just do our best to stand tall. And come in tomorrow even with the tiniest bit of hope it’ll be better than today. 

Was it necessary to put Mariam in the line of fire? “Little Green Ant” uses women to move the plot along for men, which is one of a few significant issues with which the season struggles. Tracy makes a brief appearance to, you guessed it, provide narrative support for Kyle. 

Taylor Handley and Jeremy Renner are episodic MVPs on the acting front. As usual, Handley fearlessly bares all regarding Kyle’s fragile emotional state. Renner’s a consistently solid performer, but he steps it up a notch in “Little Green Ant.”

The scene between Mike and Kyle in the hospital waiting room is one of the season’s strongest. It touchingly reveals the intimate, familial dynamic between the McLusky brothers. Despite the relentless barrage of darkness that is this show, these moments that let in the tiniest cracks of light are the best. 

MILO: The bad is comin’ for us all. We’re just things on the devil’s to-do list. 

Additionally, “Little Green Ant” breaks down something we’ve all suspected, although it’s nice the series finally acknowledges it: Mike sees Iris as his redemption. Sure, Milo spoon-feeds the reasoning to us, but it allows us to view their bond through that lens. 

Mike’s relationships are the crux of this series, namely his bonds with Iris and Bunny. The full-circle moments between Mike and Iris are lovely to see from a symmetry perspective, i.e., their interaction on a boat dock in the season finale as in the season premiere. Of course, the circumstances are entirely different. 

It’s refreshing to watch a male/female relationship sans sexual tension or chemistry that’s purely platonic. Mike hopes to find salvation in Iris. By helping her out, perhaps he can atone for his sins.

Iris, on the other hand, undergoes her own evolution this season. She learns how to fend for herself while in Milo’s employ in Season 2. It appears her killing Joseph unlocks the innate fighter in her. We see this when she whips out a gun and shoots one of Milo’s goons on the dock after Milo flees. 

As for Mike’s bond with Bunny, we see it fracture significantly throughout the season. Tobi Bamtefa, another acting power player, delivers an understated, nuanced, and vulnerable performance during his brief screen time in “Little Green Ant.” If there is a Season 3, we’ll undoubtedly see the fallout from Mike and Bunny’s severed dynamic. 

Now, let’s discuss the Milo-sized elephant in the room. How does he survive a boat explosion? Did Mike plant the bomb in the bonds bag? Firstly, he doesn’t appear surprised when the bomb detonates. Secondly, Tatiana warns Mike about Milo’s laundry list of enemies. Maybe that’s to throw Mike off the scent? 

It doesn’t make sense from a narrative standpoint. There’s no reason to keep Milo around if the series snags a third season. Story-wise, he’s served his purpose. He has his bonds, and Iris is out of his life. 

How could anyone survive an explosion that wholly engulfs the exploded area in flames? After having rewatched the scene a few times, the only viable explanation is the phone call with Tatiana took place before said explosion unless Milo did it to himself and inexplicably found a way to escape. It feels a little too unbelievable for a series grounded in reality. 

Milo escaping feels like we’re back where we started at the end of Season 1: Mike with Iris and the baddie on the run. The repetition is exhausting. We were already struggling under the weight of repetitiveness this season. 

Overall, “Little Green Ant” delivers on the action front while falling somewhat short narratively. There are undoubtedly entertaining character moments and stellar performances, but it’s not enough to make up for the episode’s shortcomings. If there is a Season 3 for Mayor of Kingstown, here’s hoping the writers remedy these mistakes. 

Stray Observations: 

• Dianne Wiest finally got more screen time … from a hospital bed. Yay?
• Undoubtedly, the most satisfying moment in the finale was watching the AB gang leader get his comeuppance. I’m all for Nazis getting what they deserve. 
• I wish we had spent more time with Kareem and his PTSD arc. Audiences must see a story like that on TV. That said, it’s nice that the writers revisited it in the season finale. He seems like the only person who wants to abide by the rules at his job. 
• Who would want to return to Kingstown? On a list of destination spots in the country, Kingstown should rank dead last. 
• Whether or not Milo legitimately survived a boat explosion, fans will incessantly debate over it, which is what the writers want. All press is good press. 

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

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