Mayor of Kingstown season 3 episode 2 recap: Mike has a drug problem

As prisoners are being visited by their families, a Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner) voiceover explains that "a conviction puts the whole family in prison," as you're either on the inside dreaming of leaving or outside hoping someone is released. Even the cops and the correction officers are trapped in their own cages, which become more comfortable as they adapt and become capable of doing anything to survive.

"But incarceration is a business and prisoners are product," McLusky declares, and once you're put through the prison machine you're part of it forever because of what you've seen and done.

On that foreboding note, here's what happens in Mayor of Kingstown season 3 episode 2, "Guts."

• Read our Mayor of Kingstown season 3 episode 1 recap

Bad dope

After ingesting several balls of dope imported by Sharon (Naomi Terrell), Big Hush (Jock McKissic) overdoses in a hidden area of the prison. When Carney (Lane Garrison) finally discovers Big Hush's body, it has had its belly sliced open by Raphael (D Smoke), so he can still sell the drugs to his fellow inmates.

Mike tells Bunny (Tobi Bamtefa) to delay selling the product. But Bunny insists junkies don't care were it has come from, in fact they've already sold it all. Mike warns Bunny to be smart.

But it's too late. More and more prisoners overdose and Bunny can't get hold of Sharon. Bunny warns Mike that Raphael is in imminent danger because of this mess. Mike offers to fix it, but Bunny can't help but worry about the consequences.

The bad dope isn't just limited to the prison, as Evelyn (Necar Zadegan) tells Kareem (Michael Beach) people are dying from it on Kingstown's streets, too. She discovers it's laced with a number of different drugs and that it's killing healthy young people. Both Evelyn and Kareem blame Bunny, and Evelyn warns Mike it's only a matter of time before the drug reaches schools.

Mike meets with Raphael, who is already in solitary confinement for his protection. Mike says Raphael will have to make a deal with the Mexicans to get a clean supply of dope. But Mexicans won't work with Raphael. So Mike tells him to go to the Guatemalans, Colombians, El Salvadorans, anyone who will make an alliance with him. Raphael doesn't trust Mike like Bunny does. Mike doesn't care, he just wants him to do his job.

Later, Sharon is found murdered in her brother's car outside of the prison. Even by the end of the episode, Mike still doesn't know who is messing with Bunny's dope, but does warn him that someone has a target on his back.

Carney problems

Kareem scolds Carney for bringing Mike into the prison without writing his name in the visitor log. Carney says they need Mike's help to keep the prison in check, as all the new hires are too inexperienced and the prisoners are becoming increasingly unruly. But Kareem sees Mike as a criminal who helps other criminals, despite Carney's insistence that Mike is saving lives and reaching people that Kareem can't.

Carney then complains to Mike about Kareem transferring him to def-watch, where he literally has to go through prisoners' sh**. Mike tries to get Carney to calm down and give Kareem a break. But Carney is livid, inadvertently revealing Kareem has his own shady dealings going down. However he refuses to go into more details.

Cyclical violence

Mike meets with Anna Fletcher (Paula Malcomson) after Greg Stewalt, the man who murdered her son, is granted release by the prison parole board. Mike insists his hands are tied, but she wonders if something could happen to Stewalt? Maybe he could get in more trouble before he's released so he gets more time in jail?

Mike promises to look into it, but he's unable to stop Stewalt from being released. Anna still pays Mike, despite his protests.

Later, Anna follows a now released Greg and shoots him dead in the street.

Where's Iris?

Iris (Emma Laird) gets pulled over by an officer for driving through a stop sign. She gets into a dispute with him because she doesn't have a license. She is brought in for resisting arrest and then refuses to give her finger prints, so the officers take Iris to get a court order.

Kyle (Taylor Handley) calls Mike asking if he's heard from Iris, as he asked her to get groceries hours ago and she's not returned yet. Mike tries her, but she doesn't answer. He leaves her a voicemail saying he doesn't blame her if she left town. Instead, she's still in lock-up.

Kyle also asks Robert (Hamish Allan-Headley) if he can change to SWAT. But Robert says that when an incident happens Kyle is either too scared or too angry, so tells him to stay where he is.

Bad uncle

Mike has yet to meet Kyle and Tracy's (Nishi Munshi) new born son, Mitch. At the end of the episode, Mike parks up outside the house and sees Kyle smiling with his baby through a window. He can't bring himself to go inside, though. Instead he goes to Evelyn's house to spend the night there.

All episodes of Mayor of Kingstown are available exclusively on Paramount Plus .