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Coming soonTelevision · 2021–2026 · Paramount+

Mayor of Kingstown

The bleakest thing Sheridan has made — a prison town run as a business.

Sheridan's credit: Co-creator, Writer, Executive producer

Quick answer

Mayor of Kingstown is the Paramount+ crime drama Taylor Sheridan co-created with Hugh Dillon, starring Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky, the unofficial broker between inmates, guards and police in a Michigan town whose only industry is incarceration. Paramount+ confirmed in January 2026 that the fifth season will be its last.

What Mayor of Kingstown Is

Kingstown is a fictional Michigan town with seven prisons and no other economy, and the McLusky family are the middlemen everyone needs — a role with no badge, no title and no protection. Jeremy Renner plays Mike, who inherits the job he spent his life trying to avoid.

It is Sheridan's first series after Yellowstone and his darkest by a distance. Where the Dutton shows romanticise the land, Mayor of Kingstown is about a place with nothing left to romanticise: the show treats mass incarceration as an industry with shareholders, suppliers and quarterly problems.

Co-creator Hugh Dillon — who also plays Ian Ferguson — grew up in Kingston, Ontario, another prison town, and that lived detail shows in how the series handles the guards and their families rather than only the inmates.

Season 4 ran from 26 October to 21 December 2025. In January 2026 Paramount+ renewed the show for a fifth and final season with a shortened eight-episode order; David Morse joined as FBI agent Russell Hardy, arriving after the murder of Tracy McLusky. Jeremy Renner confirmed filming wrapped, with a late 2026 or early 2027 premiere the expected window and nothing dated yet.

Season by Season

SeasonAiredWhat happens
Season 1Nov 2021 – Jan 2022Mike takes over the family role after his brother's death.
Season 2Jan – Mar 2023The aftermath of the prison riot reshapes the town's balance of power.
Season 3Jun – Aug 2024A new drug pipeline and a Russian crew push Mike out of his depth.
Season 4Oct 26 – Dec 21, 2025Ten episodes leading into the confirmed final chapter.
Season 5 (final)Filmed; date TBAEight episodes. FBI agent Russell Hardy (David Morse) arrives after Tracy McLusky's murder.

Why Yellowstone Fans Should Care

This is the Sheridan show for viewers who liked the Yellowstone episodes where nobody rides anywhere and someone simply explains how power actually works in the county. Mike McLusky and John Dutton are the same character sketch drawn in different ink: a man holding a corrupt system together because the alternative is worse.

No shared universe, no crossovers. Hugh Dillon carries the strongest thread — he also co-wrote and appeared in Mayor of Kingstown while playing Sheriff Donnie Haskell in Yellowstone.

Mayor of Kingstown FAQ

Is Mayor of Kingstown ending?

Yes. Paramount+ announced in January 2026 that Season 5 will be the final season, with a shortened eight-episode order.

When does Mayor of Kingstown Season 5 premiere?

No date has been announced. Filming is complete and the expected window is late 2026 or early 2027.

Is Mayor of Kingstown part of the Yellowstone universe?

No. It is a separate Sheridan series with no shared characters or continuity, though co-creator Hugh Dillon also appeared in Yellowstone as Sheriff Donnie Haskell.

Is Kingstown a real place?

No. It is fictional, modelled on real prison-dependent towns; co-creator Hugh Dillon grew up in Kingston, Ontario, which has a similar economy.

Not a Yellowstone Spinoff

Mayor of Kingstown shares a creator with the Dutton saga, not a timeline. If you came looking for the ranch, the full universe guide — eight series, one family tree — is a click away.

Explore the Yellowstone universe