Warning: This article contains spoilers for season 2 of “Tulsa King.”
Taylor Sheridan's comedy of errors “Tulsa Kings” returned to Paramount+ on Sunday with a stellar start to its second season.
The Sylvester Stallone-starring series kicked off with a bang, featuring protagonist Dwight Manfredi's brief stint in prison, a break-in at an ex-girlfriend's apartment, one minor fight, and a whole lot of business nonsense. Season 2 has been a lot more humorous than Season 1. While the underlying darkness of gangster life still hangs large throughout Sheridan's scripts, there seem to be more light-hearted moments in this second installment.
From left: Brent Duncan as Frank Henstock and Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Jay Will as Tyson Mitchell in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Bryan Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
From left: Garrett Hedlund as Mitch Keller, Max Casella as Armando Trusi, Jay Will as Tyson Mitchell and Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
From left: Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi and Andrea Savage as Stacey Beale in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The series begins in prison, with Dwight facing felony charges related to bribing his ex-girlfriend, ATF officer Stacey Beale (Andrea Savage). Thankfully, with the help of his daughter Tina (Tatiana Lia Zapaldino), he's able to post $300,000 bail and return to his gang of fallen friends. (Related: Review: 'Tulsa King' will make Hollywood hate Taylor Sheridan's talent forever)
As the business expands, especially the cannabis empire, Dwight and his crew (Martin Starr, Garrett Hedlund, Jay Will, Max Casella, Chris Caldovino, Vincent Piazza, Glenn Gould, and others) have a lot of work to do.
From left: Jay Will as Tyson Mitchell and Garrett Hedlund as Mitch Keller in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
LR: Neal McDonough as Cal Thresher and Rich Ting as Jackie Ming in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved.
Garrett Hedlund stars as Mitch Keller in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
From left: Martin Starr as Bodhi and Glenn Gould as Jimmy in the Paramount+ original series “Tulsa King.” Photo by Brian Douglas/Paramount+. © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The new big bads introduced in Season 2 are Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough) and Bill Bevilacqua (Frank Grillo), both of whom don't want Dwight anywhere near Tulsa territory, setting up some great storylines to tie this season together. (RELATED: Taylor Sheridan's 'Tulsa King' finale has viewers screaming at the screen, setting the stage for a perfect second season)
Whereas most of Sheridan's shows feature long exposition shots of beautiful landscapes and gritty cities, the premiere episode of “Tulsa King” had very few of these. Because Sheridan had to pack so much into under an hour, I imagine he had to move the story along quickly. Thankfully, the speed didn't diminish the series' fun and clever surrealism.
I can't wait to see what happens next!
