Following his release from prison, Mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he builds a new criminal empire with a group of unlikely characters.
Who would have thought “Tulsa King” would be the surprise hit series of 2022? Is it a prestige series? No. Is it wildly original? No. But it is a breath of fresh air amidst all the dark shows I usually watch. “Tulsa King” embodies a Venn Diagram containing entertaining genres. The series lies somewhere between “Yellowstone” and “The Sopranos,” with Stallone playing an over-the-hill mobster who just finished a 25-year prison sentence. Because it is a series working to Stallone’s magnetic strength, there is a heaping of action and comedy throughout. His droopy bloodhound eyes and unique cadence still make me care. “Tulsa King” was created by Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone,” “Sicario,” “Wind River”) and co-written by Terence Winter, creator of “Boardwalk Empire” after he served as an executive producer and longtime writer on “The Sopranos.” The combination of Sheridan’s love for frontier thrillers and Winter’s love for gangsters dealing with trauma and gabagool-eating caricatures is ideal. But also, Stallone is a talented writer – and he is known for taking over films he stars in. About halfway through the series, the tone shifts from hunky dory, becoming more severe and forlorn. Rewatching it, I can imagine the three of these distinct writers sharing the story’s development evenly into 1/3s.
The soon-to-be 76-year-old Sylvester Stallone still looks good and is actually believable kicking a young stugotz’s ass. In “Tulsa King,” he plays Dwight “The General” Manfredi or Cinque Stelle (Five Star), a lifelong gangster who, unlike Elia Kazan – did not name names during a lengthy prison sentence for the Ivernizzis, a New York-based mafia family. After nearly three decades, the writers could have used this premise more by utilizing fish-out-of-water jokes and references. But regardless, Stallone still channels a comedic flair with timing that is lovable and pretty freakin’ hilarious. His Dwight is full of boomer wisdom and doles it out: “Life is a one-way street. It disappears behind you, but you only have one way – to move forward. And say fuck it!” “This is why people break the law; they make anything legitimate so freakin’ complicated.” Also, more importantly, there’s a scene where Stallone gets Stoned. While stoned, he rants about the woke culture that is slightly funny and mostly cringe, accurate for his demographic.
Dominick Lombardozzi is Chickie Ivernizzi; the wig-wearing failed son and heir apparent to the family business. He helps banish Dwight to Tulsa, hoping he will die quietly, like some exiled Roman Praetorian Guard. Although he has worked with cinematic titans like Michael Mann and Martin Scorsese, Lombardozzi is not a good actor but is good at being an aggressive idiot, e.g., “The Wire.” On the other hand, Max Casella, one of my favorite supporting actors having memorable appearances in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “The Sopranos,” and more, is great in this. In “Tulsa King,” Casella plays a former mob associate who has traded in his wingtips for cowboy boots.
Upon arriving in Tulsa, Dwight immediately employs Tyson (Jay Will) as his full-time driver and extorts marijuana dispensary owner Bodhi (Martin Starr) into working with him. Since the pot business is legal, Dwight has to figure out how to expand his new territory and trade. He becomes a mentor to Tyson and mostly just busts Bodhi’s balls. Michael Beach plays Tyson’s father, and he develops a mutual respect for Dwight.
The hilarious Andrea Savage plays an ATF agent who must navigate her conflict of interest in dating the 75-year-old ex-con. Their complicated romance leads to plenty of comedic banter and logically drives the plot. Dwight also befriends Mitch (Garret Hedlund), owner of the honky tonk aptly titled Bred-2-Buck. I am puzzled why the charming Hedlund has not been in more notable roles lately. Dana Delaney has a bit role – but Ritchie Coster as a biker gang lord is excellent fun. Coster is one of my favorite actors, constantly playing scummy bad guys with entertaining turns in “The Dark Knight,” “True Detective,” and recently channeled a “Sexy Beast” Ben Kingsley, in the limited series “Florida Man.” Annabella Sciorra, who played Tony’s most memorable mistress Gloria in “The Sopranos,” could have been in more scenes. Also, shout out to Josh Fadem, appearing as Dwight’s lawyer in a brief role. He has been in some of TV’s best series, such as Tina Fey’s adolescent agent in “30 Rock,” then going on to appear in “Twin Peaks: The Return,” and “Better Call Saul.”
During its swiftly paced 9-episode season, when not focused on the ragtag ensemble, Dwight is dealing with various ghosts of the past and some new ghoulish gangsters in Tulsa. Aside from amassing wealth and staying out of prison, Dwight is concerned about reconciling with his daughter, who is upset over his 25-year abandonment.
“Tulsa King’s” production is highly photogenic. The cinematographers nicely lit its colors and sets, letting its several directors maintain a consistently stylish aesthetic full of great blocking and choreography. In true Roman Empirical fashion, black and gold colors highlight rooms that Dwight and his fellow mobsters reside in. While shot digitally, the look could have been manicured in post-production – but it does not look conspicuous. Except for the finale, where a room is on fire, the digital effects were quite awfully rendered. The series was filmed on location in Oklahoma; its directors utilize the expansive landscapes which fill the screen, along with plenty of bloody purple sunsets. The costume department – especially Stallone’s suits – is magnificent, and I wanted every outfit and accessory. And for featuring action centered on a septuagenarian, the stunts are also incredible. Shootouts and fistfights predictably solve most of the teleplay’s problems, and they are great fun to watch.
The score comprises twangy guitars full of reverbs by the talented duo of Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi. This duo has composed so many series and films; it is incredible how prolific they have been. Like its eclectic cast, the Soundtrack is diverse, featuring wise guy classics by Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra, plus some country and rap, which is perfect for the genre/culture blending series.
One major pain point with the plot is Bodhi’s plan to exponentially grow the cash flow by hacking cryptocurrency accounts and stealing NFTS. Since the show aired, crypto has predictably crashed as NFTS have similarly proven worthless. While there are many things to love about this series, the primary draw is undoubtedly Stallone. His chemistry with the cast is genuine. It is rare to see a protagonist being a primarily positive patriarchal figure who stands up for the little guy. And all the while maintaining an old-school code of honor. When his subordinates lose their nitrous tanks and cash to the biker gang, Dwight does not make them pay restitution like most mob bosses would. And very importantly, he is an animal lover and adopts a white stallion.
Although the use of Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” in the final shootout has been used more times than I can recall, I loved it. It totally works, and I can feel “Tulsa King” – oh Lord!
Now available on DVD, Blu-ray™, and Blu-ray™ Limited-Edition SteelBook
