Paramount+ has launched the highly anticipated Season 4 of its crime drama, putting Jeremy Renner‘s Mayor of Kingstown character into heated new territory as Edie Falco joins as a formidable adversary. The latest season of the series, set in the relentless city of Kingstown, deepens the focus on power dynamics and survival, with the new prison warden Nina Hobbs—played by Falco—shaking up the established order and presenting Renner’s Mike McLusky with his toughest challenge yet.
A New Force Emerges in Kingstown
Kingstown, a city known for its unyielding atmosphere and unforgiving power structures, takes on new life in Season 4 as Edie Falco steps in as Nina Hobbs. Her arrival as the new warden is nothing short of seismic, threatening to unravel long-standing relationships and intensifying the dangerous game played by Renner’s character, Mike McLusky. The mayor’s relentless efforts to maintain fragile alliances and control are upended, setting the stage for a tense chess match between the two leads.
Jeremy Renner, deeply associated with Mayor of Kingstown, joined Edie Falco for a discussion about the deepening conflict this season and how each episode ratchets up the emotional and narrative stakes. With the new character of Nina Hobbs at the heart of the action, the prison and the city itself become battlegrounds for authority, trust, and survival amid ever-present doom.
Behind the Adversarial Dynamic
The rivalry between Mike McLusky and Nina Hobbs finds its roots in their very first interactions, with Renner explaining how quickly professional conversations slide into veiled threats.
From our first scene, it’s like the lightest version of that, but it does just keep going, that chess match. But it’s really good writing, and when it’s not, we fix it. And the job’s easy, and it becomes fun when you have really talented people to work with. You can really find nuances in things and not be like it’s just posturing. It becomes a really wonderful dance.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Beneath their competitive banter, both characters are seeking a way forward, recognizing the need for some collaboration.
We are not playing like we hate each other. We want to work through this, but this is what I have to do.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Falco’s Approach to Power
Edie Falco brings a mission-focused mentality to her performance as Nina Hobbs, emphasizing how the character moves decisively in pursuit of her objectives.
She’s going with ‘this is what needs to be. This is what needs to happen.’ And whatever comes out of her mouth is towards that end,
— Edie Falco, Actor
The interactions between Mike and Nina are never simple or civil for long, despite any initial hope for a more cooperative relationship.
He’s going to throw in all kinds of roadblocks, and she just is going to knock them out of the way because she’s got a job to do. We started out hoping this would be a little more congenial, and it always turns into a bit of a fight that I think maybe she’s hoping won’t happen each time, but it ends up… we’re formidable foes.
— Edie Falco, Actor
Complex Storytelling and Cast Dynamics
Season 4’s narrative complexity means even the cast is often learning key developments as they emerge, keeping performances fresh and grounded. Renner explained how the process lends itself to authenticity:
Most of the time, we don’t know the answers to what’s going to happen. We shoot in blocks of one and two, three and four, five and six, but we still barely know what’s happening outside the scene that we’re in because so much is going on,
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
The unpredictability feeds into their portrayals, allowing them to “play the real truth” of the moment.
A lot of times we’re like, do we ever look like that? Do you know what happens in episode eight? Nope. So we have to play the real truth and play what’s in front of us.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
This season also introduces new faces—including acclaimed actors Lenny James, Laura Benanti, and Clayton Cardenas—who, alongside Edie Falco, significantly transform the series’ landscape. For Renner’s Mike, the central struggle becomes deeply personal, as his brother’s incarceration raises the emotional stakes for both the character and the audience.
The stakes are very high because his brother is being incarcerated. Audiences know his brother and love his brother. They are going to have a lot of anxiety with him going into prison because this is the worst world for him,
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
With Nina Hobbs acting as his main obstacle, Renner noted the season’s driving narrative:
Then to have Mike’s biggest obstacle come into play, that is the biggest sort of through line through the entire season. Edie’s character makes a huge presence.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Morality, Survival, and the World of Kingstown
At its core, Mayor of Kingstown depicts characters trapped in cycles of violence and moral compromise, rarely seeing hope for salvation. The actors reflected on why their characters persist despite the bleak environment.
I don’t think there is a real answer. These characters have to live in that world. Otherwise, you think they are gonna go to Mexico and drink a margarita. They thrive in this kind of world,
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Renner emphasized that, even when their efforts seem futile, the need to adapt and fight is what keeps viewers invested.
Even though it seems futile, it is a necessity. And this is why we watch it.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Edie Falco simply added, It’s all I know.
Looking Ahead: The Series’ Possible Future
Renner addressed the ongoing question of whether there’s an end already mapped out for Mayor of Kingstown. He sees the show as a continuous narrative with a defined endpoint, even if the exact conclusion remains a moving target.
We are just telling you a longer movie. It’s always considered,
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
He acknowledged that real-life factors, including health and personal commitments, play into how the story is completed, and that the series’ fate is tied to audience enthusiasm and Paramount’s support.
But we have time and lives and families and other things, and I gotta worry about my health. But we do consider it. It’s up to the audience wanting it. Paramount says, ‘Let’s keep going,’ and then it’s up to us. The narrative side, it’s always planned out. There’s an end to it.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Edie Falco on Return Rumors and Past Work
In the midst of current projects, Edie Falco addressed rumors of a Nurse Jackie sequel, confirming that while chatter persists, nothing is close to production or confirmed.
You know more than I do. That’s the nature of this business. You hear things, and then you stop, and then you hear more, and then you hear it’s already happened even though you’re supposed to be in it,
— Edie Falco, Actor
Her comments made clear that speculation about the revival so far exceeds what’s actually in development, leaving fans waiting for official news.
Renner’s Reflections: Hawkeye and Recovery
Jeremy Renner, well known for his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, discussed the satisfaction he found in the more personal aspects of the character.
I really enjoyed doing the series version because it was a bit more intimate and had family dynamic, which is always a huge part of which I think sort of Clint’s kind of superpower is,
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
He went on to describe how Hawkeye offers a human perspective on heroism that distinguishes him among other superheroes.
He is such a human side of being a superhero. He’s one of the few. But I think his superpower is that sort of grit of the human condition, that is, loyalty and family. Otherwise, what are you fighting for?
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
On the possibility of a Hawkeye continuation, Renner confirmed efforts toward a second season but indicated health and timing are determining factors.
We were trying to do a second season. I think I will get strong enough to be able to do it. We will work it out. It’s going to be great.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
Returning After a Near-Fatal Accident
Renner discussed the physical and emotional challenges of returning to Mayor of Kingstown after a serious snowplow accident on New Year’s Day in 2023. He called the prior run on the show “the struggle season,” underscoring his remarkable recovery and the shift in energy he brought to the latest episodes.
This was a lot different. I got a lot of strength, and we kicked it off right. Season 3 was bleak in the beginning, but we got through it,
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
His renewed focus and sense of living in the moment changed his approach to acting, transforming his time on set for Season 4.
This season was a lot more fun. I lived more in the moment because there was so much happening. It changed me as an actor.
— Jeremy Renner, Actor
New Additions and Broader Implications for the Series
The latest season’s arrival brings a refreshed ensemble, including Lenny James, Laura Benanti, and Clayton Cardenas, to Mayor of Kingstown. Their presence, coupled with Falco’s game-changing performance, alters group dynamics and storylines, pushing the series further into complex explorations of loyalty, family, and the high cost of maintaining control in a relentlessly hard city.
Throughout the interviews and discussions, Renner and Falco both articulate an environment that is always in flux, with every character and storyline contributing to the uncertainty and intensity that has defined the show’s appeal. This relentless energy and balance between futility and necessity ensure that the dramatic tension remains high and the fates of its central characters—Mike McLusky, Nina Hobbs, and those around them—are more compelling than ever.
Season 4 of Mayor of Kingstown premiered on October 26 and continues through the end of December on Paramount+, cementing Jeremy Renner’s status in the Mayor of Kingstown universe and marking a new era of adversaries, alliances, and shifting loyalties in a city where power is the only constant.
