Summary
Kareem’s future remains in doubt asMayor of Kingstownseason 3 progresses. A major character in the Kingstown Prison, Kareem is played by Michael Beach and has appeared in every season so far. He rose to become the warden of his prison, which came with new responsibilities and a new reliance on Mike McLusky. Unfortunately, the two regularly come into conflict, as Kareem has little interest in working with an outside force to keep peace within the prison. The current season is continuing that story arc.NewMayor of Kingstownseason 3 episodesare available every Sunday on Paramount+.
While Kareem continues to struggle with his relationship with Mike and the prisoners,Mayor of Kingstowncreator Hugh Dillon teases an interesting arc for the wardenin an exclusive interview withScreen Rant. After praising Beach as an excellent performer, Dillon reflected on the reality of seeing the “slow but inevitable” decay into corruption. He also stated that Beach deserved an Emmy, again praising his performance as the conflicted warden. Check out his full quote below:
It’s so funny, because when you asked the question, from where I stand, my immediate thought — I mean, so much of it is just gut instinct for me, my immediate thing is, f–k,Michael Beach is a great American actor. And then I hear the rest of your question, and like I said, we’re editing, so I’m just watching where his story goes and watching this thing that we’ve built out and watching where he’s come from season 1 to what he’s doing this year.
And I think that is the nature of the show that is fascinating, when you seea good person corrupted.That’s just a s—-ty way of saying it, that’s just too simplistic. But it goes back to life is messy, and life is compromised, and life is brutal, and life is created with choices and the choices we make.Beach just killed it this year, that guy should get a f—-ng Emmy. Both of them, Renner and Beach, that’s my f—-ng wish for the show. Renner, especially. But it’s just to watch him convey those emotions and watch that slow but inevitable creep that is so insidious in professional corruption, but also personal corruption, and it is that layered kind of thing that makes the show and the characters and the actors rock.
Kareem’s Time As A Prison Warden Will Corrupt Him
Kareem Has Little Interest In Supporting Mike’s Work As The Mayor
In a city primarily funded by crime and the incarceration industry, it is only natural that a warden could eventually be corrupted. As an interim warden who suffered immensely during the prison riot in season 1, Kareem has little trust in any institution, and he lacks any interest in working closely with Jeremy Renner’s Mike. Mike’s responsibility is to broker deals between the criminal underbelly and the law enforcement officers to ensure continued peace. If Kareem refuses to work with him, Mike may be incapable of doing his duty.
Jeremy Renner Teases Death & Rebirth In Mayor Of Kingstown Season 3
Jeremy Renner reveals the complicated emotions Mike McLusky goes through in Mayor of Kingstown season 3, as well as his own journey back to the show.
Even after learning that Robert was injured, Kareem refused to work with Mike to deal with the issues at hand. Kareem will need to balance the interests of the prisoners, who committed the worst riot in American history, with the security of the prison. While doing so, he will have to survive even without Mike’s support, despite regularly refusing to listen to Kingstown’s mayor.Kareem wants to ensure the safety of prisoners, but his trauma from the riot is severe enough that he nearly failed to return to work in the aftermath.
If Kareem truly wants to protect the prisoners, he will also need to face his fears. Unfortunately, Dillon hinted that his many responsibilities could easily corrupt him.His terror could drive him to abuse prisoners, accept bribes, or commit other nefarious acts. Dillon said that Kareem would face “professional” and “personal corruption” as a warden. Should he still be the interim warden inMayor of Kingstownseason 4, Kareem may very well be the next villain of the show.
Mayor of Kingstown
Cast
Mayor of Kingstown, released in 2021, is a crime thriller series set in a small Michigan town where the McClusky family wields influence among police, criminals, and politicians. As power brokers, they navigate the complexities of a community reliant on the business of incarceration.
