Who is Iris in ‘Mayor of Kingstown?’

While everyone could argue all day long about the best TV drama — from a past favorite like Mad Men to a recent obsession such as Cobra Kai — Paramount Plus has truly released some of the most exciting shows of the last few years. TV fans keep coming back for the memorable characters, and that’s especially true for Mayor of Kingstown.

Co-created by Hugh Dillon and Taylor Sheridan, who is also the showrunner of another Paramount Plus series that TV fans might have heard of, the dark series focuses on the McLuskys who live in a small town where everyone is either in prison or work at one (or is employed by the local police station). After watching season 3 of Mayor of Kingstown this summer, viewers are looking for a refresher on Emma Laird’s character Iris, who plays a prominent role in each season.

Who is the Mayor of Kingstown character Iris?

Like the Mayor of Kingstown character Terry, Iris is a fascinating figure, and she just might have the saddest life of anyone on the show. Iris appears in three seasons of Mayor of Kingstown as an escort whose life is ruled by Russian mob leader Milo Sunter (Aidan Gillen). Laird gives a gripping performance among the all-star cast that includes Kyle Chandler, Dianne West, and Jeremy Renner.

Although she’s supposed to be loyal to Milo and make Mike miserable, she becomes close to Mike and they murder Milo with Ian Ferguson (Hugh Dillon), the detective in town who works with Kyle (Taylor Handley).

While Iris’s character arc is anything but a fairy tale and has suffered more than anyone should have to, it’s still a shock when she dies from a purposeful drug overdose in the Mayor of Kingstown season 3 finale. It’s even sadder considering that, according to what Laird told UPI, Iris “has this dream of just marrying whoever, or settling down and having a normal life.” Even though Mike wanted the best for her and did what he could to keep her away from danger and violence, that just wasn’t possible in the end.

Iris’s storyline, like the rest of the series, is filled with disturbing moments as she tries to get away from Milo, and viewers are never certain if she’ll be alright. Through Iris, the show explores the harrowing cycle of abuse, and her scenes are powerful.

As co-creator Hugh Dillon told Variety, viewers shouldn’t expect to see Iris and the others who passed away come back if Mayor of Kingstown is renewed for a fourth season. Dillon said that the dark theme of the show is “the opioid epidemic” and so while these deaths are terrible, they’re unfortunately realistic. He said, “This is what happens. It’s a tragedy.” We know these people, and we understand.” He continued, “To pretend it didn’t happen would be a disservice to all of us.”

While fans were invested in Iris’s story and wanted a better outcome than this, the end of her arc does prove that Mayor of Kingstown is a realistic portrayal of tragic issues that should be talked about more in TV.