Tulsa King: Season Three
review by Bobby Blakey
Sylvester Stallone has cemented himself as an action icon with his roles in multiple major franchises including Rocky, Rambo and The Expendables not to mention excellent flicks like Cliffhanger, Demolition Man and Cobra. Recently he made the transition to TV for the series Tulsa King from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. The series co-stars Garrett Hedlund, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Dana Delaney, Ritchie Coster, Domenick Lombardozzi and A.C. Peterson. Could Stallone’s first foray into TV deliver or will it fail to make parole?
Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi, as he’s released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
In season three, Dwight's empire grows along with his enemies, particularly the formidable Dunmire family. As they challenge his ways, Dwight must fight to protect everything he's built and safeguard his family.
I am a huge Stallone fan and will watch anything he does. I know there have been some clunkers over the years, but I was still there for them all. Needless to say I was excited for this series and add to the mix Sheridan and Winter and I could only imagine the greatness to come and I was not disappointed. This show continues to bring everything I hoped it would and more offering up a new version of Stallone that fits his persona and age now to perfection while still bringing the usual swagger and badassery to the forefront.
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The story is simple, but puts a fun twist on the gangster genre. It offers up just enough twists and turns to keep you invested without overpopulating it with nonsense. Much like the Soprano’s did with Tony, it also infuses some depth to Manfredi outside of the tough guy business side. This allows for them to let him explore reconnecting with family, new love and finding his way all while trying to rebuild the only world he knows in an unknown place. This locale also plays up the fish out of water idea and shows that sometimes the old ways still work the best.
With this season he has settled into his role and his crew. They have established their business and building towards something new trying to be legit, but of course there are new people and circumstances that are in the way. It smartly keeps things going back and forth, keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering where it is going and how it will all play out. Robert Patrick joins the series as the new obstacle in Manfredi’s way along with his son played by Beau Knapp. They are both menacing in different ways with Knapp being the more stereotypical hench man, but its Patrick who is terrifying. The interactions with he and Stallone are the strength of the season with the final episode being one of the best finales of the season so far.
I loved every episode of this series and where it took us in the obviously planned next season. I don’t know how long Stallone will stay on board, but I hope he rides this new role for as long as possible. His action persona and filmography of some of the best action flicks out there will stand the test of time on their own, but this series adds a new layer of performance and strength to his legacy that will live on.
This collection doesn’t offer any bonus content but does not only include all 10 episodes of the season, but the first appearance from Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Lee Washington Jr. who is spinning off into his own series Frisco King, previously known as Nola King.
Grab your copy of Tulsa King: Season Three when it hits Blu-ray and DVD on September 8th from Paramount Home Entertainment.