Spoiler Warning: Mr. Mayor Seasons 1 & 2NBC has canceled the comedy. Mr. Mayor, starring Ted Danson as mayor of Los Angeles Neil Bremer. The cancellation follows two seasons and a holiday special. The series followed Neil on his journey from retired businessman to winning a mayoral run in the City of Angeles. Viewers watch as he and his team handle avocado shortages, landfill locations, and a space elevator, among other things.
The mayor’s office is filled with a variety of team members, from the chief of staff Mikaela Shaw (Vella Lovell), deputy mayor Arpi Meskimen (Holly Hunter), chief strategist Tommy Tomás (Mike Cabellon), communications director Jayden Kwapis (Bobby Moynihan), and Mayor Bremer’s teenage daughter Orly (Kyla Kenedy) The team can be like a dysfunctional family at times, from miscommunications to schedule snafus, but ultimately they all want what’s best for their city.
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Season 2 ended on a high point for the communications director. He really started to come into his own, standing up to his horrible landlord and helping Arpi with her run for mayor during a recall election. But, with the show’s cancellation, fans won’t get to see where that character development was supposed to go. Let’s discuss why season 3 could’ve shined a spotlight on Jayden and his growth.
Jayden Got More Comfortable and Confident
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In season 1, Jayden was incredibly unsure of himself. He never seemed confident in his abilities related to his job or his life, and he lets that show in how he holds himself. It’s also clear that the rest of the office isn’t sold on his skills either, as he’s constantly ridiculed for something, even things as simple as dropping food by accident. His character is definitely meant to be the office punching bag, like Jerry/Garry (Jim O’Heir) in Parks and Recreation or Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) in The Office. He’s even accidentally sprayed with mace at one point.
However, towards the end of the season, Jayden grows to be more comfortable with the person he is, and so does everyone else around him, at least a bit. He shows, even early on, that he can make the right decision in different circumstances, like when he hired a speechwriter. He chose to hire the best choice over his friend, which ruined his friendship, but it was what he needed as communications director.
Season 2 sees Jayden really take control of his image in the office and life, growing to be more comfortable with his actions. He gets help from Mikaela and Tommy to take down his new landlord, who is using him as a doormat to do all her dirty work. It’s a turning moment for him because he realizes he deserves more than to be walked on by the people around him. This arc continues through the end of season 2. It’s infectious, with other characters taking note of his new attitude. He becomes the butt of jokes less and less, and by the end, people are more confident in his abilities. It’s probable this would’ve continued into season 3, especially depending on how the recall election turned out.
Being the Best Version of Himself
When influencer Titi B (Josie Totah) successfully gains enough signatures to start a recall election against Mayor Bremmer, Arpi also runs, thinking it is finally her time to become mayor of the city. The office becomes divided, with Tommy trying to help Neil keep his job and Jayden helping Arpi with her image, making her more appealing to voters. The final episodes of season 2 focus solely on the recall and how it plays out, leading to a debate between the candidates.
As communications director, Jayden is well-prepared to help the deputy mayor come across as more “likable.” And, for a while, his plan works. Neil ultimately pushes Arpi’s buttons during the debate, though, causing her to lash out and reveal her real self to the voters. While his efforts don’t work out how Jayden hoped, watching him be so confident in his ability to get Arpi the job of her dreams was great to see. He was sure of his decisions or plan, and it was a new side to the character that hadn’t been shown nearly enough. Audiences probably would’ve seen more of it in a new season too.
Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, and the status of the recall was up in the air as the debate ended with a shocking revelation. Could Jayden have turned things around for Arpi? Yes. In season 3, Jayden would’ve been the fully actualized version of himself, the most confident viewers had seen yet. The reveal impacted Neil, not Arpi, which would’ve given Jayden the perfect opportunity to pivot and bury anything about the deputy mayor’s outburst at the debate, showing just how great at his job he is. A storyline of that nature would give writers a great way to show how he got his job and why he never should’ve been the office joke.
Unless the series gets picked up by another network or streaming service, the sun has set on Mr. Mayor. If it hadn’t, fans would’ve seen Jayden become the character he was meant to be.
