Average
Summary
I had high hopes for Season 2 of Tulsa King and Frank Grillo and Neal McDonough are the best things about it as you’d expect. Stallone’s character Dwight is little more than a thug who makes things more difficult then they need to be, so he’s not the most sympathetic character. Sly brings his charm occasionally, but no one ever seems to have any real sense of urgency so if they don’t care then why should we? Tyson’s storyline was one of the best this Season and I do like Garrett Hedlund as the amiable Mitch Keller. There isn’t that much action, but it is certainly violent and the brawl with Ming’s men is arguably the best action scene of the series thus far.
Plot: As Dwight and his crew prepare for the opening of their casino and new weed shop, the law comes knocking.
Review: I enjoyed the first season of Tulsa King, but for some reason this second season never really grabbed me. I find Stallone’s character Dwight isn’t especially likeable and there’s this strange thing where there is violence throughout, but no one ever sems bothered or seems to care.
The best additions to this season are Frank Grillo and Neal McDonough who are more appealing than Dwight as characters; they are pretty reasonable with him as he has come into their territory and essentially expects to take over. They just want their share, but he rarely negotiates and is incredibly stubborn.
There also isn’t that much in the way of action; there are some shoot-outs, and the new villain Ming is entertaining and well… merciless. There is a fight between Ming’s men and Dwight’s men which is a huge brawl which is one of the highlights.
Dwight’s group of friends/colleagues are what make the show watchable, and I especially enjoy Garrett Hedlund as Mitch Keller. He brings an easygoing charm and takes over a car garage in Tulsa. Tyson’s relationship with his father is one of the best emotional beats of the show with his dad not approving of his choice of employment. Their story is one of my favourites as Tyson’s father is a good man and is one of the few people who has any conscience in this series.
Stallone does bring his usual charisma and charm at times and when he is with Maggie (Dana Delany) and that’s when Dwight is at his most human. He is a gangster however, so we have to see that this isn’t a nice guy.
This season ends on an interesting note, and it looks like a season 3 is likely; if we do get it I hope there is a greater sense of urgency to things which will help give us more stakes.
Overall, Season 2 of Tulsa King is a mixed bag and I’d be lying if I said I loved it; Frank Grillo and Neal McDonough are the best thing about it and there are a couple of shoot-outs and a decent brawl to keep things moving.