Stallone and Tulsa King aging in Season 4
In a landscape saturated with big, serious dramas, Tulsa King manages to carve out a unique and undeniably charming space. Operating squarely in the lineage of the great ’80s-style gangster epics, the show delivers a compelling, often absurd, tale of a New York goombah—Sylvester Stallone—restarting his criminal enterprise in Oklahoma. It’s a show that expertly blends the swagger of Sylvester Stallone with the high-stakes theatrics reminiscent of Yellowstone and the slick wit of Get Shorty, creating a world where mayhem is constantly brewing.
As the series moves deeper into its narrative, the conflicts escalate. Dwight “The General” Manfredi, now operating under new circumstances, attempts to legitimize his burgeoning operations and settle down with his girlfriend, Margaret Devereaux. However, this pursuit of peace is immediately complicated by a host of sinister forces. Dwight finds himself in deep trouble after a season premiere, facing not only uncertainty about his businesses but also the immediate threat of a by-the-book lieutenant governor, Amanda Clark, who seeks to dismantle his operation.
The pressure is mounting from every direction. Dwight’s old mafia connections in New York are gunning for the profits in the Southwest, especially now that his former nemesis, Quiet Ray, is firmly in charge. Furthermore, the villains are getting increasingly creative and bizarre. A greedy German AI tech bro, Flula Borg, threatens to seize Margaret’s horse ranch through eminent domain, aiming to transform the land into a data center. This web of rivalries ensures that Dwight’s life is anything but quiet.
Beyond the geopolitical and criminal threats, the ensemble cast keeps the entertainment flowing. We follow the antics of Bodhi’s flirtation with wine forgery and Tyson’s budding rap career, all while Dwight navigates his complex alliances with government figures like Kevin Pollak and rivals such as Frank Grillo. The sheer variety of storylines keeps the momentum going, demonstrating the show’s commitment to endless, unfolding chaos.
While the plot threads are plentiful, the show’s enduring appeal often lies in its willingness to embrace the ridiculous. The writing team frequently leans into campy moments—from the Italian enforcers shooting themselves free from a white supremacist meeting to Dwight’s bizarre interactions with an AI chatbot and the sudden appearance of a fossilized dinosaur skull. These moments inject a layer of campy enjoyment into the otherwise serious backdrop.
The heart of the show, however, remains firmly rooted in Stallone’s performance. Even as the ensemble swells with characters like Annabella Sciorra, Dwight’s enterprising sister and partner in crime, the focus remains on the dynamic of the group. The show manages to juggle a massive cast and multiple schemes without losing sight of the core charm, even if some of the filler storylines occasionally blur the lines.
Ultimately, Tulsa King excels by balancing serious criminal enterprise with wonderfully absurd comedy. It provides plenty of diversion, even amidst the sprawling business empires and complicated alliances, proving that even a bloated cast can deliver a deeply engaging, feel-good experience. With the next season on the horizon, the question remains whether the show can manage to tighten its focus and keep the energy high as Dwight continues to navigate his increasingly ridiculous world.
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