Guts – The episode titled ‘Guts’ begins with Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) reflecting on the ironies of how being locked away impacts everyone from the inmate to distant relatives. As he continues to go through his spiel, several scenes play out on the scene, including one where a prisoner Big Hush (Josh McKissic) is shown surreptitiously eating bags of heroin from a potato chip bag during a visitation.

Later that day in the prison yard, Hush tells Ton (Antuone Torbert) that he isn’t feeling good. Ton orders an associate to get Raphael (D Smoke) while he and Hush duck into what appears to be a tool shed. By the time Raphael arrives, Hush is dead.

Mike has an interesting meeting with a grieving mother, Anna Fletcher (Paula Malcomson), who tells him about her son being killed by his best friend, Greg Stewart, after an argument. Greg was convicted and is serving time at Stone Brooke, where Anna visits every year to advocate against Greg’s parole. After 5 years, it appears that Greg is finally being released. When Mike tells her that Greg has done his time, she hits at something possibly happening that could add to his sentence. The meeting ends with Mike promising to look into the matter.

Mike calls Carney (Lane Garrison) to request the assistance of his sister, who apparently teaches a drama class at Stone Brooke. While on the phone an urgent call from a frantic custodian, Teddy (Robert J Morgalo), comes over Carney’s radio. He has apparently just discovered the desecrated remains of Hush.

Mike is appalled when he shares his discovery with Deverin ‘Bunny’ Washington (Tobi Bamtefa) and he not only downplays the incident but alludes to selling the product. Mike is much more concerned and only grows further so when he learns that the girl who carried the product in, Sharon (Naomi Terrell), isn’t responding to Bunny’s calls.

Iris (Emma Laird) has an unpleasant experience with Officer Harper (Josh Drennen) after rolling through a stop sign which ultimately leads to her arrest.

In the prison library, Merle Callahan (Richard Brake) receives a cryptically brief visit from a fellow inmate, assuring him that he can make it work but it won’t be easy. Merle sagely comments that nothing in life worthwhile is ever easy. After several more drug-related deaths, Kareem (Michael Beach) is forced to order a lockdown.

Bunny begins to grow wary over Sharon’s disappearance and discusses it with Rhonda (Nona Parker Johnson). Although Sharon refers to him as jaded and reminds him that Sharon is ‘good people,’ he remains uneasy. He only becomes even more so when Digo (Phil Rice) interrupts with a phone call. A later phone call with Mike, suggests that Sharon cut the heroin in an attempt to stretch it out to double her profits. Despite their earlier conversation, Mike assures Bunny that he will handle the problem but says he can’t complain about how he does it.

While Evelyn (Necar Zadegan) meets with Kareem at the prison to discuss the deaths, Mike proposes his strategy to Raphael. Evelyn’s meeting not only reveals that there have also been several deaths outside the prison linked to the tainted supply, Kareem suspects the Crips are involved. Kareem becomes irate when he sees Mike and later learns that he didn’t sign in through the official channels. This leads to a later argument with Carney, who claims he only wants to help.

Mike has another strange conversation when he returns to the office to find Anna waiting on him. He tells her about his contact at Stone Brooke and says it’s on his agenda for later. She refuses his offer to join him inside for coffee but apparently wants to briefly discuss Mitch McLusky’s (Kyle Chandler) death. After a very brief discussion about the death, Mike receives a call from Kyle McLusky (Taylor Handley) who not only invites him to meet his nephew but asks if he’s heard from Iris. Mike doesn’t appear too concerned to learn that Iris hasn’t returned from her grocery store errand although he isn’t given much time to ponder it, thanks to Evelyn’s call.

A brief scene at the KPD shows Iris being so uncooperative that Officer Harper has to lock her up without officially printing and booker her. Carney’s day isn’t going any better now that Kareem has had his reassigned to digging through inmate excrement for drugs.

Mike’s meeting with Evelyn at the morgue is practically useless other than revealing that drug-related deaths continue to rise. Mike tells her that he can only deal with what’s in front of him. Ian (Hugh Dillon) and Stevie (Derek Webster) catch a lucky break when CO Jamp (Ezekiel Boston) discovers Sharon’s body in the front seat of a car parked outside the prison. Although there is a prison camera that likely captured the entire incident, Kareem is going to make retrieving the footage harder than necessary.

Kyle and Tracy (Nishi Munshi) are enjoying an evening at home alone with the new baby when Patty (Amanda Drinkall) and Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley) show up. As gifts are exchanged and congratulations are given, Kyle tells Robert about his plans to join Swat. Robert tells Kyle that he’s a good cop but advises him to stay where he is because when the action starts, Kyle either hesitates out of fear or overreacts.

Mike and Ian trade information on Sharon at the diner. Mike jokingly refers to her as Typhoid Mary and identifies her as Bunny’s mule. Ian not only tells Mike that the car was registered to her brother but went by the place earlier and it ‘seemed abandoned.’ Before Carney shows and ruins Ian’s appetite by complaining about his reassignment, Mike also learns about the new Russian player in town, Konstantin Noskov (Yorick Van Wageningen). Mike ultimately decides that ‘seemed abandoned’ wasn’t good enough and revisits the address which turns out to be a good idea.

Lucas Hayes’ (Christian Maverick White) first reaction after opening the door is to ask if they are cops. Ian answers with a yes while Mike tells him they aren’t. He then proceeds to tell him about the car. It doesn’t Ian long to become impatient and barge in. From the looks of the place and Lucas’ behavior, it doesn’t take Mike or Ian long to deduce that Lucas is a fiend. It soon becomes just as clear that he knew nothing of Sharon taking his car or cutting Bunny’s drugs. Lucas doesn’t take the news of Sharon’s death well and is unable to help further.

Much later that night, after a good stiff drink, Mike leaves Iris a voice message, inquiring about Mariam McLucky’s (Dianne Wiest) car. Mike practically tells her that he isn’t upset about taking the car and doesn’t blame her for leaving.

The following morning, Mike appears to be full of bad news when he meets his Anna to tell her that Greg has been a model prisoner and there is nothing he can do to revoke his parole. Mike’s next call is to Bunny and appears to be more of a warning than anything.

The episode ends by basically wrapping up the three major plots. First, Merle’s associate’s task is revealed when he kills Gunner (Dylan Kenin) while he’s visiting with his daughter Jenny (Tatiana Harman). Secondly, Anna shoots and kills Greg as soon as he steps off the bus in town. Last, Mike sits outside Mariam’s house, debating whether or not to meet his nephew. After several seconds, he decides to visit Evelyn instead.

 

Mayor Of Kingstown Review

What? That’s about all I can say about the episode. Don’t get me wrong, the whole tainted dope plot was intriguing. With the prospect of someone coming after Bunny’s empire, I can see how that plot could turn into a major story. Despite that, it felt like ‘filler’ to me, as did much of the entire episode. Anna’s story was interesting and I felt Paula Malcomson did a decent job portraying the avenging mother, but it was practically ‘filler.’

Gunner’s death was interesting as well, but even with the library meeting, it was what, all of 5 minutes? This is not to even mention the embarrassing job Tatiana Harman did. Some scenes seemed poorly edited, like when Mike tried to answer Kyle’s call, with the question about Iris. And, Iris, what the heck was going on there? At this point, it’d probably be best to write her out of the series if they are going to stick her in needless plots.

What happened to Konstantin? All he got was an honorable mention. Once again, I can’t say that it wasn’t watchable or enjoyable; I just hope the season doesn’t continue on this path. I’d have to rate the episode at a 5 out of 10.

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