Tulsa King is an original gangster Dwight Manfredi (Sly) tale, who builds and rules a very profitable kingdom in Oklahoma. It is Sylvester ‘Sly’ Stallone’s first leading role in a series.
Sly has charisma and broad shoulders to carry the show’s heavyweights. Moreover, it’s hard to believe that the OG (original gangster) Sly is going to be 80 years old, in a couple of years.
“Tulsa King” Builds & Rules A Very Profitable Kingdom In Oklahoma, But He Attracts Many Enemies
Spoiler Free Review of the Tulsa King Series
The trailers of the two seasons
Aside from the airport and a few exterior establishing shots, the predominant filming location for the series was Oklahoma City, not Tulsa.
Recap of the Season 1 (2022-2023)
The first season of this series chronicles the journey of Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), a New York Mafia capo recently released from a 25-year incarceration. Following his release from prison, he is unexpectedly sent into exile by his superior to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight gradually gathers a group of unlikely allies to assist him in establishing a new criminal operation in Tulsa, a locale that appears as foreign as another planet.
Dwight David Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) derives his name from Dwight David Eisenhower, who served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II. Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States.
Synopsis of the Season 2 (2024)
In Tulsa, Dwight and his team are focused on building and defending their expanding empire. However, as they start to gain stability, they realize they are not the only ones with ambitions in the area. With threats from the Kansas City mob and a powerful local businessman looming, Dwight must navigate the complexities of protecting his family and crew while keeping track of his various commitments. Additionally, he has unfinished matters to resolve back in New York.
Another fascinating show from the creator Taylor Sheridan
As we have mentioned above, it is a show about the Italian Mafia Gangsters of New York, wherein Dwight is a capo (or a “made member”) of an Italian crime family. Therefore, in a way, it is a series about how an Original Gangster Dwight goes about setting up the lucrative (legal and illegal) business empire in Tulsa.
Notably, we have reviewed quite a few shows coming out of Taylor Sheridan’s body of works in the recent past. Therefore, allow us to name a bunch of series created by Taylor, 1883, 1923, Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown and Special Ops: Lioness. Significantly, it is a different kind of modern gangster tale from the show creator Taylor Sheridan and his ever-expanding cinematic universe. So, let us wait to see what kind of entertainment, he serves us next.
Meet some of the top characters of this series
As expected, Sylvester Stallone portrays the lead character Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi with a lot of style and charisma. Thus, it is fascinating to watch Dwight start from zero and take the rock-solid gangster approach to expand his businesses. In this show, he indeed emerges as the uncrowned Tulsa King. For this reason, this OG is respected by his friends and foes alike.
| Dwight Manfredi | The protagonist, the Original Gangster and the new gang leader. |
| Margaret | Stud Farm owner and the love interest of Dwight. |
| Tyson | Guide, Driver and Man Friday of Dwight. |
| Bodhi | The business partner of Dwight. |
| Mitch Keller | The employee and associate of Dwight. |
| Armand Truisi | A man with many problems and hence he is a troublemaker. |
| Chickie Invernizzi | The top boss of the New York Mafia business. |
| Vince Antonacci | A second in command of the New York mob business |
The rest of the ensemble cast also played their parts well in this action comedy-drama series. Besides, Sly, we also liked the performances of Dana Delany (Margaret Devereaux), Jay Will (Tyson), Martin Starr (Bodhi), Garrett Hedlund (Mitch Keller), Frank Grillo (Bill Bevilaqua), Neal McDonough (Cal Thresher), Max Casella (Armand Truisi), Vincent Piazza (Vince Antonacci), Domenick Lombardozzi (Charles ‘Chickie’ Invernizzi), etc.
What else did we like and love about the show?
For a change, this time we are going to share the five things that we loved about the Tula King series. Firstly, we loved the swagger and well-heeled style of Sylvester Stallone (Dwight aka Tulsa King) in this mob series. Indeed, Sly acts like a true boss of the Mafia. Moreover, he is fun to watch in both comedy and action scenes.
Secondly, almost every member of his rag-tag team of fresh (wannabe gangsters) recruits is entertaining to watch. Thirdly, also each of the actors has managed to add a little extra to their characters. Fourthly, the writers and directors of the series have done a fairly good job of surprising us with its (expected and unexpected) twists and turns.
The thought-provoking opening title credit sequence scene of the show
The opening sequence of credits reveals a collection of photographic and painted scenes, featuring Oklahoma’s landmarks, overlaid on the urban landscape of New York City.
- The Golden Driller Statue is imposed on NY’s Statue of Liberty.
- A Statue of The Sioux Indian Chief “Touch the Clouds” wearing a War Bonnet and a Bone Choker necklace (breastplate) imposed on top of NY’s Brooklyn Bridge.
- Route 66 Western Gateway Arch is superimposed on NY’s Major Manhattan “Avenue”.
Maybe, in a way, it highlights and conveys the basic theme that the Tulsa (King) is going to overshadow and eventually take over the mob business and kingdom of New York (King).
The ratings
| Particulars | Season One | Season Two |
| FM Ratings | 4.00/5 | 3.90/5 |
The conclusion
Like us, if you are a big fan of Sylvester Stallone, then it is a must-watch. Moreover, the cliffhanger endings in both seasons have compelled us to come back and watch Tulsa King.
Key details about the Tulsa King Series
| Genre | Crime, Drama, |
| Original language | English (USA) |
| Season | Second (2nd) Season | Season (2) Two |
| Episodes | Ten (10) Episodes |
| Creator | Taylor Sheridan |
| Writers (S1) | Terence Winter, Joseph Riccobene, David Flebotte, Regina Corrado & Tom Sierchio |
| Directors (S1) | Allen Coulter, Guy Ferland, Ben Semanoff, Lodge Kerrigan & Ben Richardson |
| Cast (S1) | Sylvester Stallone (Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi), Andrea Savage (Stacy Beale), Dana Delany (Margaret Devereaux), Jay Will (Tyson), Martin Starr (Bodhi), Garrett Hedlund (Mitch Keller), Scarlet Rose Stallone (Spencer the Barista), McKenna Quigley Harrington (Grace), Justin Garcia-Pruneda (Fred), etc. |
| Writers (S2) | Terence Winter, William Schmidt, Sylvester Stallone, Taylor Elmore, Stephen Scaia, Joseph Riccobene & David Flebotte |
| Directors (S2) | Craig Zisk, Kevin Dowling, Joshua Marston, & David Semel |
| Cast (S2) | Sylvester Stallone (Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi), Dana Delany (Margaret Devereaux), Jay Will (Tyson), Martin Starr (Bodhi), Garrett Hedlund (Mitch Keller), Frank Grillo (Bill Bevilaqua), Neal McDonough (Cal Thresher), Max Casella (Armand Truisi), Vincent Piazza (Vince Antonacci), Domenick Lombardozzi (Charles ‘Chickie’ Invernizzi), Chris Caldovino (Dennis ‘Goodie’ Carangi), Tatiana Zappardino (Tina Manfredi), Annabella Sciorra (Joanne), etc. |
| Tagline | The Boss Is Back. |
| Network | Prime Video |
Posters of the Tulsa King Series
Spoilers Alert – Episode Summary of the first two seasons of the series
Episode Summary of the First (S1) Season
Go West, Old Man (S1, E1)
Dwight, blindsided by the news that his mob family has nothing left for him in New York, is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma; as he settles in and surveys his new surroundings, Dwight wastes no time making new associates.
Centre of the Universe (S1, E2)
Dwight, Tyson, and Bodhi go on a road trip to take care of some business; Stacy does some digging into Dwight’s past.
Caprice (S1, E3)
Dwight takes note of a possible new business opportunity. Later, a routine errand has an explosive, unexpected outcome. Stacy opens up to Dwight about what led her to Tulsa.
Visitation Place (S1, E4)
As Dwight gets his nitrous oxide business going, he tracks down the assassin who tried to kill him and forms a crew from unlikely candidates.
Token Joe (S1, E5)
While Dwight is in New York for his brother’s funeral, he learns some unsettling news from both Tulsa and the home front.
Stable (S1, E6)
Dwight visits Tina before returning to Tulsa. Pete agrees to send Goodie to Oklahoma, while Roxy tries to keep the FBI at bay. Dwight has an offer for Mitch.
Warr Acres (S1, E7)
Stacy makes a decision that has serious consequences. Dwight and Armand dispose of the evidence, and Bodhi proposes a new plan. Tina contemplates her future.
Adobe Walls (S1, E8)
Dwight and Bodhi lay out the casino plan for Jimmy. As pressure increases, Dwight, Mitch, and Tyson assemble their team. Stacy confronts Waltrip.
Happy Trails (S1, E9)
It’s all hands on deck as tensions between Dwight’s crew and Waltrip escalate past the point of no return. Elsewhere, a flashback reveals what sent Dwight to prison 25 years ago.
Episode Summary of the Second (S2) Season
Back in the Saddle (S2, E1)
As Dwight and his crew prepare for the opening of their casino and new weed shop, the law comes knocking.
Kansas City Blues (S2, E2)
A family member from Dwight’s past surprises him in Tulsa, meanwhile, his newfound success draws attention from the Kansas City Mob.
Oklahoma v. Manfredi (S2, E3)
Dwight has a contentious meeting with Bill Bevilaqua and later finds out his fate in court.
Heroes and Villains (S2, E4)
Dwight and Bodhi explore a new investment opportunity; Thresher learns how far he can push certain people.
Tilting at Windmills (S2, E5)
Thresher makes a move on Dwight’s crew as tensions rise within the New York City Mob family.
Navigator (S2, E6)
Dwight has a sit-down with Kansas City and New York; Tyson tries to make his family proud but it comes at a price.
Life Support (S2, E7)
Dwight and the crew try to identify who’s responsible for the recent attack.
Under New Management (S2, E8)
Bevilaqua prepares for revenge. Thresher and Ming discuss a new arrangement.
Triad (S2, E9)
With Armand stealing Dwight’s money, Manfredi’s crew seeks revenge on Bevilacqua’s men. Thresher’s problems mount as he tries to evade consequences. The question is: what will Chickie do next?
Reconstruction (S2, E10)
Dwight and his crew tie up loose ends as his empire expands.
We are not sharing the "Ending Explained", as many FM readers have told us that they do not wish to be informed about its surprise endings.
Awards/Nominations won by this action-comedy series
| Awards Names | Details of Awards/Nominations Winners |
|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Freddie Poole – 2023 Nominee Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or a Variety Program |
| Critics Choice Super Awards | 2023 Nominee CCA Super Award – Best Action Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie Sylvester Stallone – 2023 Nominee CCA Super Award – Best Actor in an Action Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie |
| Astra Television Awards | 2024 Nominee Astra TV Award – Best Streaming Comedy Series Sylvester Stallone – 2024 Nominee Astra TV Award – Best Actor in a Streaming Comedy Series |
| Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA | 2025 Nominee Saturn Award – Best Action/Thriller Television Series |
Posters, Featured and Other Images of the Tulsa King (S1 & S2) Series are credited to Amazon Prime Video and IMDb.
