Who Is Charlie In Mayor of Kingstown?

Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 3 reintroduces an important character tied to Detective Ian Ferguson.

The Jeremy Renner-led Paramount+ series continues its thrilling run as the titular mayor, Mike McLusky, deals with new enemies, a dangerous drug problem in his town, and personal issues. 

Elsewhere in the season, other characters, like Ian Ferguson (Hugh Dillon), make moves to cover things up for Mike, which involves a serial killer named Charlie. 

[ Mayor of Kingstown Season 2 Recap: Everything to Know for Season 3 ]

Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 Brings Back Charlie: Who Is He?

Mayor of Kingstown digs deep into the titular town's crime underbelly, showcasing dirty cops, uneasy alliances, bloodshed, and a mayor well-versed in the drug trade.

Charlie Pickings (played by The Shield alum and S.W.A.T. star Kenny Johnson) appeared in Season 2, Episode 5, "Kill Box," as a mentally unstable serial killer in a case that Detective Ian Ferguson is investigating. 

Ian and Charlie share a strong bond, with Ian being nice to him so that he can earn his trust. Eventually, Ian's good attitude toward him led to information to help him solve the case. 

Charlie returns in Season 2, Episode 8 to help Ian intimidate SWAT Team Member Ben Morrisey in an attempt to change his statement about Robert Sawyer's act of killing prisoners in the prison riot. 

The intimidation tactic led to turmoil as Charlie was triggered after Ben called him a rapist, with the serial killer murdering Ben by snapping his neck. This left Ian to clean up the mess. 

Ian's elaborate plan to protect Robert drastically backfired and is expected to come back to bite him sooner rather than later. 

Why Did Charlie Appear in Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 Episode 3?

Charlie had a brief yet memorable stint in Mayor of Kingstown Season 3, Episode 3 after Ian visited him in prison to catch up. 

This is not just a normal, goody-two-shoes catch-up, though. It is more of a reminder for Charlie to keep his cool and not murder anyone so that he can stay off the radar. 

Charlie's return signifies that Ian is not out of the woods yet in his involvement in Ben Morrisey's death. 

Assistant District Attorney Evelyn may eventually find out that Charlie killed Ben, leading to problems for Ian and Mike. 

Charlie, being the mentally unstable killer that he is, could spill the beans to Evelyn or other key witnesses. 

The hope is Charlie will stay silent to avoid repercussions, but his unpredictability could cause Ian's downfall in Season 3. 

Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 is streaming on Paramount+.

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