When Taylor Sheridan decided to tailor a new gangster series around Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, it came with a lot of specific ideas and depictions that made the new “fish-out-of-water” genre blend different from other crime shows. Set in the American West, Dwight Manfredi finds family, fortune and newfound purpose away from the East Coast city that formed him. Each season has expanded upon these key elements to make the show more and more distinct. Fans have enjoyed the gangster and Western aspects that have been merged to bring Tulsa King to life in an exciting way. As it enters its third season, Tulsa King digs deeper into both sides of that specific coin.
With a deep exploration of criminality, unity, camaraderie and loyalty, both gangster and Western stories share these elements. Tulsa King has always been a brilliant cohesion of both genres, and it has allowed the series to look and feel different from other gangster shows. This has also meant that Tulsa King would have to expand on the specific cultural landscape of the series, the characters and the key themes that make the series special. Each season has done a good job building on the show’s unique identity and upping the stakes for Dwight Manfredi and his band of misfits. Season 3 takes things a bit further thematically, even though it doesn’t go all the way dramatically.
Tulsa King Season 3 Deepens Dwight Manfredi’s Purpose In Tulsa
Even with all its usual flash and flare, Tulsa King season 3 understands what the show’s latest chapter entails for Dwight and the other characters. A lot of the fun of the series has been watching Dwight obtain allies and command authority in Tulsa as he capitalizes on new business opportunities and all that Tulsa has to offer. With the entertaining gravitas and charisma of Sylvester Stallone in the leading role, Tulsa King has a specific identity that revolves around an old-school Italian-American from New York infusing contemporary Wild West Tulsa with his distinct charm, wit and philosophy. What starts with pure criminality, turns into something more meaningful as Dwight inspires others and brings purpose to this stage of his life.
What Season 3 does very quickly is test Dwight’s sense of loyalty and ultimate values in Tulsa. Fans remember the epic cliffhanger that ended the show’s second season, and this certainly becomes a primary obstacle in Dwight’s life. This is effective as Dwight has become more accustomed to life in Tulsa and more appreciative of the relationships he’s formed over the course of his time in the West. This is when it becomes the best time for the series to challenge everything Dwight has assimilated into. These challenges come in many forms, and one of them is perhaps the most formidable villain the show has seen yet, in Robert Patrick’s Jeremiah Dunmire.
While Dwight contends with threats on all sides, those around him look to him for guidance at a time when he’s probably most compromised. Still, in the midst of all the conflict, the theme of found family seems to take center stage as the third season strengthens the bonds and purpose of each character. This theme is most highlighted by a new business endeavor that comes in the form of a Whiskey Distillery that could prove to be a profitable and legitimate enterprise for Dwight and his mafia family. This aspect of the season only adds to the cultural authenticity of the Tulsa backdrop and infuses the season with aspects of legacy and history that pertain to various aspects of the series.
Whiskey acts as a metaphor for the legacies of specific Tulsa-based families, Tulsa itself and the Mafia, as it hearkens back to a key turning point in the history of organized crime (prohibition). Exploring cultural specificities that exist in the Mob’s overall lore and history, Tulsa King becomes even more rooted in its genres and features entertaining situations that could only exist in this show. Still, even as Dwight’s purpose becomes more clear and things start to look more meaningful overall, enemies swarm from all angles. With multiple new antagonists, tense new alliances and higher stakes, Dwight and his devoted crime family have to do whatever it takes to survive their toughest challenge yet.
Season 3 Fails to Capitalize On Previous Set-Ups
This doesn’t just pertain to Season 3 specifically, but does continue to plague it. An aspect of the show that always feels a bit jarring is the way specific character relationships and plot points are moved on from rather quickly. This isn’t the case with everything, but it has given each season a rapid pace that sometimes highlights an incomplete feeling or underwhelming pay off. The character of Stacy Beale is a good example of this, as her relationship with Dwight appeared to be more essential to Dwight’s story. This character dynamic was abandoned entirely in the show’s second season. The writers seem most pre-occupied with pushing Dwight forward to the next conflict without allowing some of the drama to fester.
Abandoning interesting storylines and character dynamics is just one area of the show that has kept it from evolving into something even more profound. Sometimes, there is questionable execution overall, which has caused specific storylines to fall short of their desired effect. In Season 3, fans can expect some of this again, especially with the show’s defining set-up, which stems from the second season’s finale. Dwight Manfredi is thrown into a unique situation in Season 3 where he is forced to get involved with a larger government presence. With the way it is established at the end of season two, fans expect Dwight to be incredibly challenged by this presence. However, this element of the season builds very slowly and fails to feel exceptionally formidable.
There are also key character arcs that are once again abandoned or handled in a questionable manner. A lot of this stems from Season 3’s overall purpose, which doesn’t entirely line up with previous storylines or set-ups. Season 3 continues to push Dwight Manfredi’s story forward as it throws a ton of new obstacles his way. While audiences would like to see each obstacle confronted in an effective way, paths cross and chaos ensues in all areas of Dwight’s life. While this proves to be entertaining, with a shock factor involved in specific moments, some of the emotion, drama and intent get left behind.
What works best in the new season is the continuing exploration of the show’s main themes, which are continuously expressed by the show’s main character relationships. Even when some of the plot falls through the cracks, Tulsa King continues to bolster an entertaining ensemble cast. The performances carry a lot of the story forward, and when it matters most, the characters remain interesting. Sylvester Stallone shines as a leading man once again, and his authorial presence is felt as he leads the way in Tulsa King. This remains true, even as fans become delighted by new characters and expansive arcs from actors such as Robert Patrick, Kevin Pollack and James Russo. The supporting cast continues to feed off Stallone as the performative nature of the series remains its bread and butter.
Tulsa King Has a Number of Surprises In Store For Fans In Season 3
Even with its inability to entirely capitalize on some of the stakes it sets up, Tulsa King is every bit as good as previous seasons. While some fans might be thrown off by specific exclusions in Season 3 and an underwhelming feel to specific characters, the series has greatly established who its core cast is. Throughout the season, the relationships only grow stronger, and Dwight Manfredi’s presence in Tulsa starts to go beyond a mere gangster presence. This naturally adds to the conflict, when gangster stuff starts happening all around him.
With the kind of pressure Dwight faces and a myriad of new enemies rising to face him, the new episodes do build upon previous seasons in terms of mere opposition. While the main characters grow more and more accustomed to the world they’re a part of, and their relationships thicken, fans will be locked into a lot of what’s thrown at them. Tulsa King has had its own distinct flare in its first two seasons, and that definitely continues in Season 3. What will prove to be most shocking for fans, will be the natural course of events that play out and the twists and turns that no one will see coming.
Release Date
November 13, 2022
Network
Paramount+
Showrunner
Terence Winter
Sylvester Stallone
Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi
Martin Starr
Lawrence ‘Bodhi’ Geigerman
Pros & Cons
Great cast of characters
Blends gangster and Western genres well
Entertaining twists and turns
Underwhelming use of certain characters
Inability to capitalize on previous stakes