The Devil Is Us – The show begins with an investigation of a buried school bus. Detective Stevie (Derek Webster) complains about the slow pace of the investigation. He just wants to see what is inside. The Mayor, Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) responds, “You don’t wanna see what’s inside, I promise you.” Mike’s brother, Kyle McLusky (Taylor Handley) asks if he or Mitch knew about this. He denies having any knowledge of the school bus, at least hopes. Captain Walter (Rob Kirkland) demands an explanation of how Mike found the school bus. Milo told him to search for a metal case and he did. Homicide detectives, Ian (Hugh Dillon), Kyle, and Stevie (Derek Webster) prepare to investigate the inside of the bus. A decomposing odor escapes when Ian breaks the windshield. They stick cigarettes up their noses to deter the foul odor. 26 corpses in cocoons are hanging from the bus ceiling. Rats crawling on the cocoons prompt the detectives to rush outside. Ian refuses to go back inside the bus.

Iris (Emma Laird) is lying on a bed nude.

At the crime scene, Assistant DA Evelyn Foley (Necar Zadegan) connects the murders to “Chalk Girl,” James Parker. Captain Walter threatens Mike to not drag them down with him. Foley asks him where he stands on the case. He doesn’t’ see a direct motive. He owns the land and forces Mike to search it. She wants the case moved to the county to spend his head. Ian is given the case with reluctance.

Foley asks Mike to take a walk with her. She doesn’t believe he found the crime scene by luck because he doesn’t have any. He wanted Mike to stumble upon the “crime of a decade.” She says he looks like a “patsy.” He agrees.

Mike meets Milo Sunter’s (Aidan Gillen) attorney, Paul Selig (Brian Markinson) at a local restaurant. He jerks him out of his seat and drags him to the back of the restaurant. He pleads with him to stop with the “gangster sh**.” Mike tells him about the 26 bodies in the school bus. He was supposed to find $14 million in bearer bonds. He wants him to return to the property. Mike says it doesn’t matter because Sunter is going to be charged with 26 counts of murder. Sunter has been in prison for the past nine years, so they can’t connect him to the murders. Mike believes he is being set up and threatens him if caught. Paul pees his pants.

Mike calls Rebecca to get approval for smoking in her car. She tries to cheer him up with a new office. He isn’t happy with the office because it is just across the street from their old office. She agrees to new desks, no printers, or phones. He denies getting a call from Ed. She transferred the number from his old phone, in the possession of the FBI, to his new phone. He looks out the window at Mitch’s car and says he just wanted to get away.

Ed (James Jordan) is in the tower at the prison, watching P-Dog (Pha’rez Lass).  He receives a call from Mike. The inmates are planning a takeover and they can’t lock down the prison.

Mike visits Deverin “Bunny” Washington (Tobi Bamtefa). Bunny says, “There is peace in the jungle.” He laughs and tells Mike to go save someone else. When Mike leaves his smile turns to a frown.

Mike plans to meet Duke (Andrew Howard) at his house, where Iris is being held. Duke’s girlfriend, Rita (Alex Jade) broke his new toy. Iris is in the tub when Duke comes in. She begins screaming and he injects drugs into her vein. She stops screaming, he carries her into the bedroom and drops her on the floor. She has been sold to Deuce (Cassius Crieghtney) and another gang member. Big Beard (Joseph Ruud) says she is ruined. Duke says she can make money in the hood without legs.

Prison guard Sam (Mandela Van Peebles) is in the control room when inmate, Cherry (Natasha Marc) begins to act strange. She complains of stomach pain. He escorts her to the infirmary. She stops at a discrete area and pulls him underneath a staircase. They make out.

Rita dresses Iris and they make out before escorting her into the living room. They agree to take her. She is escorted to their vehicle and shoved into the back. Mike passes them on the road and pulls into Duke’s driveway. He refuses to go inside the house. Duke shoves Mike against his car when he calls Big Beard “Big Bird.” He tells him to not forget where he came from. Mike places his gun against his neck and asks if it brings back memories. They worked together in prison, not by choice. Mike threatens to kill himself before going back to prison. The FBI lets him sell drugs because they don’t care. When they have a reason to care, Duke will be facing the death penalty.

After sex, Cherry stabs Sam in the neck with a shank. When he is unconscious, she starts screaming for help. She crawls into the hallway with her pants down to her ankles.

Deuce gets spooked while driving in through a gang neighborhood. A blue van pulls up beside them and starts shooting. The gang members cautiously approach the van and find Iris inside.

Mike receives a call from Bunny who says he has a woman who claims to belong to him. He arrives at Bunny’s and is permitted inside. Mike asks where she came from. Bunny responds, “They get their white hoes from the peckerwoods.” Mike asks Iris if she wants to come with him. He escorts her to his car. Bunny offers to help take care of the peckerwoods. Mike calls Peterford Trucking and sets up a meeting with Duke. When they pull into the driveway, Iris says, “No, no, no” when Duke walks out of the garage. He says tell me if it is him. She acknowledges it is him. Mike points his gun at Duke and shoots him in the forehead through the windshield. He gets out of the car, shoots Big Beard, enters the house, and shoots another man. Someone runs behind him as he picks the man’s rifle up. He fires the rifle and kills the person hiding behind the door.

Inmates are lining up to put their trays away. A shank changes hands several times before prison guard, Tim Weaver (Jason E. Kelley) is shanked. Several inmates wash their hands in the dishwater. He blows his whistle, and the emergency alarm blares. P-Dog walks out of the cafeteria.

Mike drives to a remote area, where he removes a tracker from Iris’s hip. She has never been on a date, never had a boy take her to movies, and never believed in heaven or hell. The devil looked her in the eye and took everything from her. Everyone is the devil, monsters. He refuses to answer his phone and promises to show her his favorite place in the world. A “No Service” message shows up on his cellphone and they laugh as the episode comes to an end.

 

Mayor of Kingstown Review

With the woke prison education out of the way, they focused on giving viewers what they have been waiting for, the best episode yet. Hopefully, it sets the stage for a barnburner finale. The acting and writing were spot-on. Still, no remarkable scenery shots. This may have something to do with the fact, filming took place in Ontario, not Michigan.

Finally, there are obvious signs character bonding among the main cast, which is nice to see. The episode deserves an 8.

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