Soldier's Heart

Soldier's Heart is the first episode of Season 3 and the twenty first episode of the Paramount+ series, Mayor of Kingstown overall. It serves as the season premiere and aired on June 2, 2024. It is preceded by the Season 2 episode Little Green Ant.
== Synopsis ==
As tragedy befalls Kingstown, tensions run high; the city welcomes a new member of the Russian mafia.
== Plot ==
Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 1, titled "Soldier's Heart," begins with Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) attending a funeral at the cemetery. Through a voiceover, Mike recalls how his older brother Mitch (Kyle Chandler) used to visit him regularly in prison, while their younger brother Kyle (Taylor Handley) didn't, as their mother Miriam (Dianne Wiest) believed he was too young to handle the experience. Mitch once told Mike that 5% of people are truly good, 5% are evil, and the rest are caught in between. Mitch warned him that he would end up at one extreme or the other.
It is revealed that the funeral is for Miriam, who tragically didn’t survive the accidental shooting by Kyle at the end of Season 2. As Mike walks away from the burial, a sudden explosion rings out, sending mourners ducking for cover.
Officers investigate the explosion, and Ian Ferguson (Hugh Dillon) reveals that the bomb was hidden in a trash can. Fortunately, no one was killed. When asked who to blame, Ian — furious after the brutal attack on Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley) — declares he wants to go after everyone. Mike, however, shuts him down, warning that the streets are already too violent, and the situation needs to be handled strategically. He asks for an hour to set up a plan.
Mike visits Bunny (Tobi Bamtefa), who’s already aware of the bombing. Although Mike knows Bunny isn’t responsible, he asks him to help ease the pressure by returning all the guns he stole. Ian believes Bunny is only surrendering the guns because he has more in reserve. Still, they retrieve the guns, which Bunny leaves in an unopened van parked in a suburban neighborhood.
Over drinks, Bunny tells Mike he has been thinking a lot during his time in prison and now has ambitions that go beyond Kingstown. Mike warns him that he won’t let that happen.
With the help of a dealer — whom Mike intimidates with brass knuckles and a gunshot to the foot — they obtain the address of an Aryan Brotherhood meth lab. After checking it out, Ian and a badly injured Robert, fresh from the hospital, tell Mike that it’s a fortress. Mike, however, insists that the goal is simply to arrest those inside.
Before the raid, Mike advises Kyle to stay home with his pregnant wife, Tracy (Nishi Munshi). If Kyle insists on being there, Mike wants him to watch rather than participate. Mike also admits that he's constantly angry.
As the officers slowly breach the meth lab's perimeter, Robert, Kyle, and Ian monitor the situation from a van. When someone exits the house, a shootout ensues. Surrounded, Robert takes matters into his own hands and fires a bomb into the lab, causing an explosion. The next morning, a furious Mike arrives to find numerous bodies among the wreckage.
Following the explosion, Mike meets with a furious Evelyn (Necar Zadegan), who is responsible for cleaning up Kingstown but can’t do her job with bodies piling up. She even threatens to arrest Mike if necessary. Mike is more concerned, however, that Evelyn has dismissed her security detail due to her investigation into the police department. Mike promises to find trustworthy officers to protect her.
We are introduced to Merle Callahan (Richard Brake), an Aryan Brotherhood leader serving a life sentence at Anchor Bay prison. He’s informed about the destruction of his meth lab, and by the episode’s end, we see him leaving the prison.
Mike tells Carney (Lane Garrison) to get in touch with Captain Kareem Moore (Michael Beach), as tensions in the prison are about to escalate. Meanwhile, Dedrick (Marcus Brandon) is killed in the yard by an Aryan Brotherhood member. Mike dismisses the murder as a weak attempt to send a message, noting that it wasn’t impactful. Kevin Jackson (Denny Love), an officer who tried to save Dedrick, is revealed to be a mole for Bunny.
Konstantin (Yorick van Wageningen) visits Tatiana (Graciela Brancusi) at a strip club. With Milo (Aidan Gillen) presumed dead, Konstantin believes they didn’t reach their full potential and could still make more money. He confronts Tatiana about her loyalty, suggesting she may have betrayed both him and Milo. As she attempts to flee, Konstantin shoots and kills her, then picks up her infant son.
Mike thanks Iris (Emma Laird) for helping Tracy pack up Miriam’s house. When she asks Mike if he’s okay, he remains silent.
Later, Tracy’s water breaks, and Kyle asks Mike if Iris will be staying with them. Mike hasn’t decided. Kyle notes that Iris isn’t exactly suited to be a nanny but confesses his fear about 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 in the house in the past three days than he has in the last 30 years. They toast to Tracy and Kyle’s newborn baby, Mitch, and to Miriam. Mike tells Iris she’s free to stay, leave, or do whatever she wants.
== Cast and characters ==
=== Starring ===
* Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky
* Hugh Dillon as Ian
* Tobi Bamtefa as Deverin "Bunny" Washington
* Taylor Handley as Kyle McLusky
* Emma Laird as Iris
* Derek Webster as Stevie
* Hamish Allan-Headley as Robert
* Nishi Munshi as Tracy McLusky
* Michael Beach as Kareem Moore‘Mayor Of Kingstown’ Ups Michael Beach To Series Regular, Adds Richard Brake, Denny Love & Paula Malcomson As Recurring For Season 3 - Deadline
=== Guest starring ===
* Lane Garrison as Carney
* Gratiela Brancusi as Tatiana
* Nichole Galicia as Rebecca
* Necar Zadegan as Evelyn Foley
* Richard Brake as Merle Callahan
* Denny Love as Kevin Jackson
* Derek Basco as Keno
* Marcus Brandon as Dedrick
* Mark Ivanir as Roman
* Yorick van Wageningen as Konstantin
===Co-Starring===
* Phil Rice as Digo
* Jessica Steen as Sarah
* Ken Bolden as Priest
* Shane Nelson as Con
* Phil McFall as Second Con
* Cameron Patterson as Kid
* Enzo Vargo as Kid #2
== Gallery ==
===Promotional images===
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== Trivia ==
*On June 2, 2024, it was revealed in this episode, that while Milo Sunter's fate was left uncertain because his boat was seen exploding at the end of Little Green Ant and he was heard talking to Tatiana on the phone afterward. Konstantin had had actually killed Milo, took over his dealings, and murdered Tati for betraying him as that proved to him that she was unstrusworthy.Mayor Of Kingstown Season 3 Finally Confirms What Happened To Milo - Screen Rant
*On June 7, 2024 it was confirmed that after Milo's fate is revealed, co-creator Hugh Dillon teased that the Season 3 villain Konstantin Noskov, a Russian mafia psychopath will be Mike's new adversary with a dark, intriguing storyline on the show. Moreover, the intricacies of human emotion and darkness are explored through the character of Konstantin.Mayor Of Kingstown Season 3's New Mafia Villain Teased By Creator: "An Old Charming Psychopath" - Screen Rant
==External Links==
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== References ==
Category:Season 3 Episodes
Category:Season Premiere
Category:Special Episodes