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The Mayor

Credits

Cast

Network

Reviewer

Paul Asay

TV Series Review

When an impulsive, charismatic would-be entertainment mogul runs for public office and—to the surprise of everybody—gets elected, you never know what the offshoot might be. After all, you’re dealing with someone unprepared for office; someone who, no matter his intentions, must face a heavy learning curve; someone who must weigh, to be honest, sometimes conflicting goals. Does he need someone better attuned to the political system by his side? Or is it better if he simply does his own thing?

I’m talking, of course, about Courtney Rose, aka the titular character on ABC’s The Mayor. He never planned on being mayor of the quaint California hamlet of Fort Gray. Why, he never even wanted to be mayor. Courtney, a struggling rapper, simply ran because it’d be an effective way to market his music. Forget democracy: It’s all about downloads.

Campaign Reform

“In the name of Jehovah, why are you doing this?” Courtney’s mother asks him during the campaign.

“Why does anyone of my generation do anything?” he responds. “Attention!”

But Courtney’s plan works a little too well. Not only are streams on his website up, but he wins the town’s popular mayoral vote, too. People are counting on him to enact long longed-for change. He’s the mayor now, and he can’t let his supporters down.

Thankfully, he’s not completely alone. Valentina Barella, an old classmate of Courtney’s and once the campaign manager for his most formidable mayoral opponent, has joined his team. While Courtney casts the vision, Valentina draws it all up on notecards. A few other local government vets fill in a handful of vacant positions.

Courtney also brings aboard Jermaine and T.K., two of his longtime friends, as well—gents who have their fingers on the community’s pulse and their minds on any free food their new gig might entail.

But perhaps Courtney’s most valuable political ally is his very own mother. She’s not on staff, admittedly. Fort Gray, perhaps, has stronger nepotism clauses than some other governmental outposts. Still, she serves as his political Jiminy Cricket, pointing him in the right direction.

Casting the Vote

The Mayor, as you might expect, offers plenty a wink and a nod toward our own elective and governmental systems, sometimes ribbing our current political moment while reflecting—in its own small-town way—on some of the big issues that impact us today. Race and gender can both be issues in Fort Gray, as can a host of other societal touchstones.

But The Mayor—at least early on—doesn’t tackle these issues as much as it gently nudges them, giving them a sideways smile. As incisive as it can be, the show approaches its subjects with a generous spirit. Back before he was elected, Courtney aspired to team up with Taylor Swift to do a massive show “that red and blue states can both enjoy!” And his telegenic administration aims for that same crossover appeal. Sure, you’re likely to catch plenty of political asides here, but they feel far more like a clever Garrison Keillor Lake Wobegon dig than a Stephen Colbert uppercut. We find an undercurrent of faith and welcome common sense, courtesy Courtney’s mom Rose, running through the show, too. And that’s pretty gratifying.

But you can’t dabble in politics without getting your hands a little dirty, too, and the staff of The Mayor is no exception. We hear some jokes predicated on sexuality (though, at this early stage, they are pretty mild). We hear some language, too, and the show plays around with strong, bleeped profanities.

But that said, The Mayor’s a comparatively watchable show—one that offers some good thoughts on public and personal ethics.

New mayor Courtney Rose ran on a platform of cleaning up the city. Seems that ABC’s The Mayor‘s own campaign for fans is shaking up in much the same way—cleaning up (relatively speaking) a half-hour of television.

Episode Reviews

The Mayor: Oct. 3, 2017 “Pilot”

Courtney runs for mayor of Fort Gray in an effort to boost his stature as a rapper. Valentina, heading the campaign for opponent Ed Gunt, sees through the ruse, calling Courtney’s campaign a “stunt.” “Voters won’t fall for it,” she says. “Not in America.” But the voters do fall for it: Courtney’s swept into office with a 52% mandate. “I don’t think it’s a mistake, man,” friend Jermaine tells him. “The media is never wrong.”

Courtney’s ready to turn down the gig, but his mother, Rose, suggests otherwise. “You rap because you’re a commentator,” she tells him. “You’re an observer. You critique the status quo. Baby, maybe now, you could actually change it.” And when Courtney makes a bad mistake his first real day in office, his mom gives him a tough-love pep talk. “This is not about you anymore,” Rose says. “Your actions have consequences for a lot of people. Your people.”

Rose also invokes the name of Jehovah and utters a sincere-if-joking prayer. But she also wonders why he couldn’t make something of himself the old fashioned way—by waiting for a “nice old Jewish man to give you a business card.” During a campaign debate, Courtney says that “at the end of the day, there’s only one Judge that matters,” pointing up. “A young carpenter.”

We learn that Rose had Courtney when she was 16. T.K., another friend of Courtney’s, frets that Courtney refused make-up before a big debate. And when Jermaine questions the need for make-up, T.K. calls him “queer-ophobic.” Courtney lures people out to a party (to clean up a town common area) with the promise of beer. He utters two bleeped curse words (one obviously intended to be the s-word), and he and others also say “d–n” (once), a variation of “h—” (twice) and misuse God’s name (once).

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Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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