Critic’s Rating: 4.25 / 5.0
4.25
The aptly titled Tulsa King Season 2 premiere finds Dwight “The General” Manfredi back in the saddle, alright.
He’s fighting for his life, giving advice behind bars, and expanding his business, all while navigating new enemies poised to take action to either scuttle or take over his successful Tulsa operation.
Don’t get me wrong; I know he’ll prevail. What’s the point of a show with Sly Stallone behind bars? But still, Dwight’s got a lot on his plate.
Are The Walls Closing in on Dwight?
Thanks to his arrest, it’s the first time anyone has paid attention to Dwight’s Tulsa presence, making things much harder on The General.
Maybe that’s why he constantly toys with the idea of going legit. It’s got to be hard to thrive with that kind of stress. There is always someone out to get him. I can’t even stand the stress of a regular job, so it amazes me to think real people like Dwight are running in the wild.
Does the federal indictment have merit? We all know it was a sham. Now we need to see how Dwight plays his cards to get out of it.
He’s got a lot of people on his side. Mitch is looking out for him, adding some major muscle with Big Foot, the bodyguard. I loved how Dwight asked him if he understood how dark it gets around there. He doesn’t force anyone to work that closely with him. He extends an offer. Is that normal mob behavior?
A beefy bodyguard isn’t going to offer Dwight the kind of help he needs. The FBI is on his tail, and as people get wind of his Tulsa presence, they take offense.
Another Tulsa King Shit Stirrer
Neal McDonough, a passionate Christian family man with a heart of gold, plays the very best shit-stirrers on TV. From Arrow to Yellowstone, he can aggravate the hell out of even the most laid-back individuals.
Cal Thresher is very unimpressed with Dwight. Dwight has a line on his girl and is stepping on his toes with his Tulsa enterprise.
As is often the case with McDonough’s characters, instead of addressing the problem head-on, Cal pulls in another mobster with ties to the West, egging him on with news about Dwight.
Frank Grillo (looking ridiculously hot as usual) is a spicy addition to Tulsa King as Bill Bevilaqua. He’s aware of the Invernizzi operation but was blindsided to discover Dwight had set up shop right down the road.
Dwight’s power of persuasion isn’t far off from Cal’s. He can maneuver outside forces to fight amongst themselves, leaving him in the clear. Will that be how things play out between Bevilaqua and Chickie?
Stacy Seems Like a Different Character
Who the hell is this Stacy? She seems like an entirely different character than the woman we met on Tulsa King Season 1 Episode 1.
Is it because she’s no longer drinking? Was her vice her courage, as well?
Of course, she’s scared about what happened with Dwight. No matter how well I knew the guy I was suckered into betraying, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for a federal indictment.
But didn’t she know Dwight? The timid, frightened woman begging for a transfer and barely able to speak above a whisper acts as if she doesn’t know him at all.
If it floored me, it floored Dwight even more. He’s not an idiot and believes what they shared was real. If she hadn’t been bamboozled by her coworkers, she’d know that.
What transpired as a result was epic Dwight. His kindness shines through the same way it did when he asked Big Foot if he knew what he was getting into joining the gang.
The bottom line is that Dwight has more faith in her than she has in him.
He has more respect for her than almost anyone he’s ever met and knows what happened isn’t her fault. She was used, and nobody understands that better than Dwight, who spent decades behind bars because he fell for the same shtick.
But I was surprised that Tyson thought he might kill Stacy. It was a lighthearted moment of banter between Tyson and Dwight, but it also shows how much Dwight is misunderstood and reveals that Tyson doesn’t know as much about the boss as he thinks he does.
Dwight isn’t your typical gangster. What we don’t know is if that was his prison stint or if he’s always been like that. Hopefully, that will be explored as the series continues. But let’s ward off a prequel unless there’s a good reason for it!
Dwight asks questions like the rest of us, such as “What happened to people being responsible for their actions?” Amen, brother. Amen. Stuff like this makes Tulsa King so relatable, even if circumstances are anything but.
Listen for the Knocks
Of opportunity!
Dwight is an opportunistic fellow. Others find his success aggravating, but his personality and ability to sniff out new adventures are keys to his success.
He even managed to swing a short jail stint into a money-making opportunity. In return for sparking that idea, Dwight gave a wimpy jailbird good advice and popped a creep in the nose. Well worth the price of admission!
Wind Farms?
I thought Dwight was just interested in finding a legal business to make some more dough, but Bodhi pointed out that you save money on growing with your own wind farm. Score!
The storyline makes me uncomfortable because I could quite easily see a fine line between honest business and a criminal enterprise in the climate game. Anything that comes with those kinds of subsidies is ripe for swindling.
Tina Is Dwight’s Daughter
Am I the only one surprised by how well Tina took Dwight’s latest scuffle with the law?
She posted bail, smiled for the cameras, and was generally on top of her game while sincerely worried that her dad would go back to prison.
I was skeptical of what she’d bring to the picture by moving to Tulsa, but she grounds Dwight. She seems happier away from her needy husband, and I’m already imagining something coming to light between her and Mitch.
She’s a great addition to Tusla King.
The Invernizzi Crime Family Saga
If you were worried that we’d somehow lose track of the Invernizzi crime family with all the other things going on, you needed to have.
The walls are closing in on Chickie, too. People are questioning what happened to Pete. Chickie wants to squash those rumors (aka truths), but he doesn’t have the panache of his father. He’s going to make a big mess of things for the family.
He’s bloodthirsty, and that quenching that thirst without forethought will nail him. The mistakes will keep coming.
Goodie Steps Up
Goodie stepped up as Dwight’s second in command during his brief sojourn behind bars.
He said the right things and made sense, but he’s still too tied to the Chickie and the Invernizzi guys to be fully trusted.
Goodie Gets Knocked Down
Goodie no sooner stepped up than he got knocked down again when Chickie killed Jerry to get back at Goodie.
When I talked with Terence Winter, I wondered if we’d soon have a rat willing to trade anything for his own skin. Is Goodie that rat?
Some people play both sides well, so we’ll find out where Goodie stands soon enough.
Is Dwight’s Sheen Wearing Off?
Whether it’s Stacy’s wildly incorrect understanding of what she shared with Dwight, Tyson’s kind of not-funny belief that Dwight would kill Stacy over it, or imagining how Goodie might turn on Dwight, I have to wonder: is his sheen wearing off?
How easy is it to follow someone who is always in the headlights?
Armand is also making me uncomfortable, as he has debts to pay. Essentially, he’s got a self-inflicted price on his head. He’s for sale. Whether it comes down to money or loyalty remains to be seen.
We have to remember that he spent years thinking the worst of Dwight. Joining forces with him is new. With so many people coming at Dwight from so many directions, the next Stacy is waiting in the wings.
Who will betray Dwight next?
Final Thoughts on the Tulsa King Season 2 Premiere
This was a very decent premiere. It picked up right after the events of Tulsa King Season 1 Episode 8 and moved well into new season territory.
The marijuana joint has had a glow-up, the casino is open for business, and new faces are threatening to make Dwight’s life miserable.
We’ve already seen more of Dana Delaney’s Margaret than we had the whole first season. It’s about time! She’s too good to be on the sidelines.
We even had a gender twist on a familiar trope when the guys put on a little dressing-room fashion show.
What did you think of “Back in the Saddle”? Two years was a long time to wait. Did it live up to your expectations?