Tulsa King Season 2 Review – Disappointingly mediocre

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 2 -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3 -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 4 -|Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 5 -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 6 -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 7 -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8 -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 9 -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 10 -|Review Score – 3/5

Sylvester Stallone is undoubtedly a legend and one of the last true movie stars still working in Hollywood today. At least in the sense of being a big enough name to get people in theatres based on his name alone.

When Stallone made his small screen debut back in 2022, he brought with it a deliciously endearing and well worked thriller, tied up in a Taylor Sheridan-shaped bow. The gangster genre fit our titular character like a well-used boxing glove and he certainly punched above his weight, crafting Tulsa King and, subsequently, one of the best shows in 2022. Sure, the plot was a bit cooky in places but it was entertaining and definitely watchable enough to stick with until the end.

Fast forward two years and Tulsa King is back. Unfortunately, the problems have also returned and this time they overshadow the good will and charisma conjured up by our characters. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s still entertainment to be had here, but the plot is stretched thin and in the end, winds up being disappointingly mediocre.

Set after the events of season 1, Tulsa King returns to find Dwight and his crew once more, this time with their sights set on expanding – and defending – their empire. This includes encroaching on territory already owned by bigwigs in town. Most notably, that of Cal Thresher and Bill Bevilaqua. Both of these guys come armed with their own dangers and perils, and it would appear that Dwight’s days may actually be numbered.

From the offset, season 2 sets things up for higher stakes and a much more dangerous game to play, with plenty of fighting and action-packed shenanigans. Unfortunately, you can really feel the narrative strain here, and the characters all suffer as a result of Sheridan being stretched thin between numerous projects.

The initial threat posed by our antagonists are basically brushed off as nothing toward the end, and any initial danger that Dwight finds himself in throughout the show, is either laughed off with ease or resolved with a quick bust-up or shootout. There’s one moment, early on in episode 1, with a confrontation featuring Thresher that looks like it could hold weight further down the line, but it soon becomes clear that this is just teasing a foreshadowed confrontation that never lives up to expectations.

In reality, each of the episodes run for a little over 35 minutes and mostly center on Dwight expanding out his empire. There’s not much in the way of expanding out characterisation, despite some teasing glimpses of Tyson’s confliction over his role and Armand’s dilemma, both of which neatly wrapped up by the end without too much inconvenience.

The bulk of the drama here stems from Dwight setting up a weed shop, striking a deal for a wind farm and even getting into it with the local Native Americans too. Sure, there are a couple of skirmishes involving both Bill and Thresher, but these are largely just disappointing exhibitions (not quite as bad ad Jake Paul VS Mike Tyson mind you) rather than main event knock-out drama.

There’s also a last minute switch with the antagonists too, shifting the attention across to someone else entirely (which I won’t spoil here) that completely destroys any credibility and momentum built with Cal Thresher through the show. It’s more frustrating than anything else to watch, because the foundational work is great but it never really goes anywhere. Even worse, Tulsa King falls into a similar trap that many other shows of its calibre fall foul of . For a show with such a large ensemble, so many of these guys have unimaginable plot armour.

This is especially prevalent because the main conflict revolves around a series of escalating bust-ups usually resulting in dead bodies or serious injuries, playing on that idea that violence begets violence. When something does include our main gang, they’re more often than not absolutely fine thanks to the power of that aforementioned plot armour. Early on it makes sense to drive up the tension, but toward the end you really start to see the shiny, glistening armour plates all over the show and it completely takes you out of the action.

By the end of the story, the threads are open for a more dramatic third season to take over, but Tulsa King doesn’t do itself any favours. The momentum built in season 1 comes to a grinding halt here, taking the wind out the sails before it reaches that point. Cal Thresher in particular is completely mishandled from start to finish, while the situation involving the guys over in New York – most notably Vince and Chickie – is handled about as elegantly as a baby wielding a shotgun. It feels messily inserted into the story and there are some wild leaps of logic here too. At one point, for example, Chickie forgets that he’s got a gun strapped to him when he walks through airport security and he ends up arrested and not allowed to fly.

The show itself is propped up on the capable shoulders of Sylvester Stallone but even he can’t really save this one from the bowels of mediocrity. It’s certainly not a bad season, not compared to drivel like Disney Doctor Who or The Acolyte, and there are some entertaining moments and little skirmishes along the way. It’s just a shame then that the overarching story can never quite match up to the charisma the characters exude. A shame for sure, but Tulsa King season 2 is definitely not one to remember. If this is renewed (and at the time of writing it hasn’t been), let’s hope season 3 returns this show to greatness.

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