The Lie of the Truth – The show begins with SWAT preparing for a raid. SWAT officer, Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley) refuses to wait for a warrant. A movement inside the house prompts SWAT to take action. A man and woman are escorted out of the house.

Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) makes a fire in a wood stove pre and then pares breakfast.

Mariam McLusky (Dianne Wiest) and Tracy McLusky (Nishi Munshi) are having breakfast when Kyle McLusky (Taylor Handley) walks in. Tracy asks if he wants breakfast. He refuses the offer, saying it is going to be a long day. Mariam says even more the reason to eat breakfast. He wants a happy family to have small talk before he goes off to a happy job. His day will not be happy.

Mariam asks Tracy to excuse them. She orders him to, “Sit the fu** down” and says she is scheduled to interview an inmate who killed a prison guard with a pencil. The same guard has an uncle that was also stabbed to death at the same time. He missed Tracy’s ultrasound. Their baby is a boy. She suggests divorcing Tracy if he can’t choose between filth and spending time with her. He apologizes and they hug. He wants to call their son, Mitch.

Iris (Emma Laird) is taking a bath when Mike calls her in for breakfast. She can’t get them off her even after scrubbing. She sits down at the dining table. He goes outside on the porch because she can’t eat in front of him. She follows him outside with her plate and agrees to face her fear. She suggests Mike be a chef after trying his German pancakes. He has thought about it. He agrees to do her a favor. He holds her while she sobs.

Prison guard Ed (James Jordan) Warden Mills (Adam Clark) view surveillance footage of inmate, P-Dog (Pha’rez Lass) taking a shank from a white inmate. Warden Mills says the white inmates do not have a dog in the fight. Ed disagrees and admits to being concerned. Captain Kareem Moore (Michael Beach) interjects himself into the conversation. He tells the warden about the inmates tricking guard, Samuel “Sam” Weaver into mailing a letter for them. He believes the inmates think Darryl’s death is retribution for his attack. Ed says the QRT’s actions were justified, but the inmates disagree. He calls the inmates lying, stealing, murderers and thinks they should be on lockdown. The warden refuses to order a lockdown. He agrees to transfer P-Dog and the other inmates to county for interrogation.

The prison guards prepare to move P-Dog to county. He is handcuffed and shackled before being placed in a restraint chair. Kyle and Ian Ferguson (Hugh Dillon) check in at the prison.

Male and Female investigators (Murray Furrow and Stephanie Smith) discuss inmate, Cherry (Natasha Marc) who was involved in the death of prison guard Sam Weaver. Mariam is Cherry’s counselor. As an inmate, Cherry does not have Miranda rights. Sam is accused of rape, which if found guilty will disqualify his family from his benefits. They believe Cherry lured Sam into an isolated area and had sex with him. There are no visible signs of rape or defensive wounds. Sam and Tim’s murders may be gang sanctioned. Mariam has compassion, the investors don’t have it.

Kyle and Ian are escorted to the inmate holding area. Kyle alerts Ian, he will be taking the job with MSP. Ian asks the guard how he remembers all those keys. He says they are color-coded. P-Dog is waiting to be transferred to Kingstown County when a guard escorts Milo Sunter (Aidan Gillen) is brought in. Ian lifts P-Dog’s spit hood and asks who he pissed off. Two inmate trustees cleaning in the area attack Kyle, Ian, and the prison guards.  The emergency alarm is pulled. An inmate shocks Ian and sprays Kyle’s face with mace. Milo tells P-Dog the blue key opens the door.  He asks, “The fu** you know.” He responds, “I pay attention.” He trades them access to the weapons room for being uncuffed.

They shoot several guards. P-Dog gives Milo a pistol and asks if he is coming. Milo continues to help P-Dog gain access to restricted areas of the prison. Inmates preparing to go into their cells hear gunshots and start attacking the guards. Milo opens all the cells.

Ed orders the guards to load up. P-Dog and his gang continue to make their way through the prison. Milo leaves through an exit. Ed and other heavily armed officers are shot by the inmates. P-Dog stands over Ed, “Told you motherfu****.”

Ian slowly gets up and yells for Kyle to do the same. Kyle says he can’t see. Ian puts a pistol in his pocket. He gives Kyle of a soda or energy drink to wash his face. Ian pulls Kyle up as he checks a guard’s pulse. He helps Kyle up.

The inmates continue shooting their way through the prison. They find more weapons. Guard Ernest Van Ackle (Tim Post) shoots several inmates from the prison tower.

Mariam meets with Cherry. The investigators want different answers and the truth. She doesn’t know what truth means because they continuously change its definition. Her foster parents molested her while he read the Bible. He was okay with abortion when it was his baby she was carrying. The investors want the truth that will secure Sam’s benefits for his family. Mariam asks if Sam committed a crime and warns her that they are listening. She says Sam did commit a crime. She stops Mariam as she prepares to leave, “Look at that, I feel better already.”

Ian and Kyle find their way out of the prison. They access a drain, where they find a bunch of inmates hiding. There are old scores being settled in the prison. It is the end of the road. Ian and Kyle refuse to believe there is no way out. Kyle doesn’t want to leave them. Ian reminds him, the inmates are child molesters.

An emergency alarm at the female prison is activated. A guard escorts Mariam out of the prison. Explosions can be heard in the distance.

Mike is sitting in a chair while Iris takes a bath. He stares as she stands up. She tells him to stop because she is not broken. She doesn’t owe him anything, I’m not the one who saved you. She kneels beside him and says 100 guys would swear to die for her, but none swear to kill. They were selfish, you just did it. You killed for me. He did it because they deserved it. She lays her head on his arm. He asks what they are doing. She responds, “We’re not doing anything.” He says it is okay and cries as the episode comes to an end.

 

 

Mayor of Kingstown Review

The wrong decision results in a prison riot that takes out several starring roles. Why the writers decided to go this route is questionable. Are there plans for a second season or will the corrupted Kingstown officials be brought down once and for all?

The relationship between Mike and Iris is inspiring. As they hide away in serenity, the corruption in Kingstown has reached a crisis.

With so much going on, it is difficult to determine how the finale will play out. The episode deserves a 7.

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