Tulsa King Season 2 Review — A Brass Knuckles Comedy!

I was skeptical about Tulsa King when it debuted in 2022. The series seemed like the ultimate dad TV show, featuring a weathered ’80s superstar that grandparents of kids talk about. From Rambo Unpleasant Stop! Or my mother will shootStallone’s films grossed over a billion dollars in the 1980s, without today’s special effects.

Stallone’s dive into streaming television paid off. The first season was well-received. Tulsa King, created by the minds behind Yellowstone and a former lead author of The Sopranosmasterfully switches between visceral violence and ominous black comedy.

In short, Tulsa King remains the heart-pounding comedy we love, despite its significant shortcomings.

from Paramount+ Tulsa King Season 2 Review and Recap

When we last saw Sylvester Stallone’s “General,” he had taken control of the organized crime scene in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dwight entered Bodhi’s (Martin Starr) cannabis distribution store and became a partner in Mitch’s (Garret Hedlund) bar, turning the place into a casino.

However, his “friend with benefits,” Stacey Beale (Andrea Savage), who is also a senior ATF agent, turned him in for bribing a federal agent. It’s a situation that leaves viewers wondering how she’ll explain her actions, given that she’s turned a blind eye to his antics for months.

No one doubted that it was right for Manfredi to settle in Tulsa. Dwight’s former boss, Chickie (Reachers Domenick Lombardozzi) banished him to the Golden Hurricane as a joke and as a way to get him off his New York City turf.

Tulsa King Season 2 continues to be a Brass Knuckles comedy!

And that is true Tulsa King gets his juice. Chickie never bothered to inform the Kansas City mob who owns the territory. Cue formidable actor Frank Grillo, who plays Bill Bevilaqua, the Midwestern mob boss who wants a piece of Dwight’s American dream.

Where last year we saw Stallone battling many locals, the show really comes into its own in the second season: only the first four episodes were aired before the second season. However, the tension builds and sparks fly as Stallone and Grillo go head-to-head.

Not to mention, Lombardozzi continues to display an intensity not seen since Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano. And then there’s Neal McDonough’s Cal Thresher, a hired gun. The fourth installment redraws the lines, beefs up enemies and provides enough testosterone to keep Barry Bonds happy during his record-breaking season.

Is Paramount+’s Tulsa King Season 2 Worth seeing?

Tulsa King is worth watching because the writing remains sharp. That’s not surprising, considering that Paramount+ showrunner Taylor Sheridan is creating the series. Under the direction of Allen Coulter, Tulsa King is The Sopranos light, viscerally entertaining and darkly comic.

My concern for Tulsa King is that he sometimes makes extreme plot leaps. For example, for some reason the writers thought it would be a great idea to have Stallone’s gangster represent himself at the trial. So if you’re looking for a crime drama series, Sheridan’s show lacks a consistent tone.

But that’s not the point. Stallone’s series is often terrifyingly funny, often exciting and an addictive series about a group of misfits who want to get their piece of the pie. Which I think makes Stallone the Sarah Lee of modern crime series.

Starting September 15, you can stream the second season of Tulsa King on Paramount+.

Tulsa King Season 2 Review — A Brass Knuckles Comedy!

Tulsa King remains a hard-boiled comedy that satisfies the itch for nostalgic dad TV. Sylvester Stallone’s series is often terrifyingly funny, often suspenseful and an addictive series about a group of misfits looking to make a living.