I Binged 2 Intense Thrillers on My 5-Hour Flight and Both Were Phenomenal

These shows are seriously great

mayor of kingstown review
Ken Kwok/Paramount+

I can't be the only one who scrolls through the dozens of airplane entertainment options and thinks, There's nothing to watch. But let me tell you: On my roundtrip flight to L.A. last weekend (yes, I was headed to see the Grammys), I found not one but two excellent options—and I binged them both.

On my flight out, I spotted Mayor of Kingstown and figured I'd give it a go. Three hours later, I had finished all three episodes that were available on my plane, and I couldn't wait until I got home so I could keep watching the rest.

With no more Kingstown at my disposal mid-flight, I then tested out the limited series Task. Boom—another great show! I kept watching until I was forced to get off the plane, and then picked right up binging on my flight back to New York two days later.

But whether you're trying to stay occupied on a plane or just looking for something great to watch from home, allow me to recommend Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+ and Task on HBO. Here's why...

mayor of kingstown review
Ken Kwok/Paramount+

Mayor of Kingstown

Mayor of Kingstown is dark, intense and it comes from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. It has an incredible lead cast that I immediately recognized in the first episode: Jeremy Renner (Avengers), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) and Taylor Handley (The O.C.) play the McLusky Brothers, while the iconic Dianne Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway) plays their mother. Renner and Wiest are particularly spectacular.

The show follows the McLuskys as they run the show and pull all the strings in a corrupt prison town. And while the series is technically a drama, it feels much more thriller to me, with wild twists (OMG, the end of episode one!!!) and tension-filled scenes. Think The Wire, but more fast-paced.

Mayor of Kingstown might be dark, but it's also extremely fun and bingable. The pace is fast, with new plotlines popping up all the time. And, unlike new shows where you don't know if they will get a season two renewal (cough, Boots, cough), because I'm so late to the show here, there are four full seasons to work my way through.

The show first debuted on Paramount+ back in 2021, with its most recent season coming out this past October. The Taylor Sheridan hit has also been renewed for a fifth and final season, but I should have plenty of time to get caught up before the last installment arrives.

task hbo review
Photograph by Peter Kramer/HBO

Task

While Mayor of Kingstown gives The Wire vibes, Task is more a cross between Sons of Anarchy and Mare of Easttown. The Mare similarities shouldn't come as too big of a shock, as both the Kate Winslet-led 2021 series and Task were created by the same guy, Brad Ingelsby.

This twist-filled show follows a task force assigned to stop a group of robbers who keep hitting drug houses and stealing boatloads of cash. At least, that's the initial setup. Things go awry for the team of robbers real fast. And the task force? Well, they may just have a mole in their midst.

Task stars Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) as the head of the task force, who happens to be dealing with a whole lot of major problems (including a murder) back home. He's up against Tom Pelphrey (Ozark) as the head of the "gang" of robbers, who happens to be dealing with his own mess of problems back home.

The performances are strong, the storytelling is great and the reveals are a mix of shocking and heartbreaking. A must-watch combination if you ask me.

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Philip Mutz Headshot

VP, News and Entertainment

  • Oversees news and entertainment content
  • Is an award-winning playwright and has hosted two entertainment podcasts
  • Has 10+ years experience in entertainment coverage and viral media