Taylor Sheridan's 4-Season Crime Thriller Holds a Shocking Rotten Tomatoes Record
Fans keep showing up for Mayor of Kingstown. Critics? Not so much. And that split says a lot about how this series hits people.
Season 4 came out swinging. A brutal, out-of-nowhere death by episode three sets the tone fast - the show is as tough and unflinching as it's ever been. You can feel the weight in every scene.
Mayor of Kingstown Has Sheridan's Lowest Rotten Tomatoes Score
Here's the surprise: Mayor of Kingstown currently sits at 53% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest score in Taylor Sheridan (movies and tv series)'s TV lineup so far. Season 2 even dipped to around 50% before climbing a bit in season 3.
The setup is straightforward. Jeremy Renner (movies and tv series) plays Mike McLusky, the guy in the middle - a fixer moving between criminal crews, prisons, police, and politicians. It's not a Western like Yellowstone. It's a street-level crime drama that lives in shadows and bad choices.
If you want to see how Rotten Tomatoes measures this stuff, the Tomatometer explainer is a quick read: Rotten Tomatoes: What is the Tomatometer?. And the series page is here for reference: Mayor of Kingstown on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why Critics Struggle With It
Some reviewers say the show leans too hard into the gloom. The constant violence starts to blur; characters feel numb, so you do too. That makes it tougher to invest week to week.
There's also the originality problem. Season 1 drew quick comparisons to The Wire, The Shield, and We Own This City - shows that tore into corruption with fresh angles and layered storytelling. Mayor of Kingstown's villains are strong, sure, but critics argued the series didn't always push deeper into the tough questions those earlier shows put front and center.
It's not a new pattern for Sheridan. Those Who Wish Me Dead didn't connect, and Special Ops: Lioness pulled a 56% with critics. Meanwhile, Yellowstone and 1883 have mixed reviews but massive audiences. The divide is kind of baked in at this point.
And Yet… Viewers Keep Coming Back
Despite the critical drag, the audience hasn't budged. Season 4 only got darker, and it didn't scare fans off. If anything, it hardened the following. You feel the tension rising episode by episode.
Here's what that could mean: longevity. With Mayor of Kingstown still ranking among Sheridan's biggest shows, it's far more likely we see the series reach its planned end instead of getting cut short. The support is there, and it's steady.
The Takeaway for Newsrooms and Beat Reporters
Mayor of Kingstown is the case study for a critic-audience gap that refuses to close. The series isn't trying to charm reviewers; it's building a world that fans want to live in for an hour, even if that world feels like concrete and cold steel.
If you cover crime TV, watch how season 4 balances shock with story. And watch the numbers. The show might carry the worst Rotten Tomatoes score in the Sheridan universe - but it's still one of the most watched. That tension is the real story.
