Tulsa King on Paramount+ is my favorite TV genius

Not every TV show has to reinvent the wheel, upset critics, or reach extraordinary artistic heights. There are all sorts of things that go into making the streaming world tick; sometimes I just want a little mindless, old-fashioned escapism. Nothing too cheesy, just a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t take me for granted. I say all this because it explains why my current TV guilty pleasure happens to be Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King — the Paramount+ gangster comedy from producer Taylor Sheridan and showrunner Terence Winter (Promenade Empire).

The show, which just returned for Season 2, stars Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi. His character is a wisecracking old-school mobster, sent to Tulsa (actually exiled) to set up a criminal operation that brings money back to the “family.” Despite the mob connection, it’s important to note that Tulsa King is not a dark HBO-style mafia drama with disgusting violence, menacing villains and the kind of shocking twists that send the internet into a frenzy.

The show is basically top-notch dad TV. It’s the streaming equivalent of a burger and fries. There’s nothing original or eye-opening about it, but it’s packed with old-fashioned action and toes the line between cheesiness and fun. I mean, come on, it’s hard not to like a show that stars Stallone as a tough guy with a heart of gold who wears expensive suits and growls like, “When I play my hand, you won’t see it comin’.”

In short: In Tulsa King Season 1, Manfredi has just been released from prison after 25 years. He has quietly served his time and — more importantly — never ratted on his “employer.” As a reward, the family basically gives him a license to go to Tulsa and do… whatever he wants. Manfredi meets the locals, finds out where the money is to be made, and starts getting his hands dirty, cracking a few skulls along the way.

I call Tulsa King my guilty pleasure, because while Stallone does a great job here (I actually didn’t realize he could be that funny), this show is… kind of insane. For example, his character is 76 years old and we’re just supposed to accept that he can build a criminal organization from scratch. In the first season, he runs what amounts to a protection racket for a store that sells weed legal. There’s also a local biker gang that kills people to maintain control of the market on… (checks notes)… the nitrogen balloon business (I’m 100% serious).

That said, the show is entertaining as hell. Stallone and his crew are both fun and funny. In Season 2, Manfredi & Co. continue to try to build their Tulsa empire, but new threats emerge from the Kansas City mob and a powerful local businessman. Manfredi also has unfinished business in New York. Meanwhile, this season also brings new tough guys, played by Neal McDonough and Frank Grillo.

Long story short, Tulsa King is the furthest thing from prestige television, but I don’t care. It’s entertaining, which is more than I can say for much of what’s available to stream these days.