Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 4, “Heroes and Villains” is the episode the whole season has been waiting for. While tension simmered and the writers seemed to have to re-establish Dwight Manfredi’s character after the Paramount+ show’s extended hiatus, this is the hour where there are shocking developments and moments of meaningful character development. This episode throws the doors open for plenty of drama in the rest of the season.
“Heroes and Villains” is primarily about Dwight expanding his business empire now that he’s been acquitted of bribery charges in the world’s shortest jury trial. But underneath all that are moments of truth for him, for his sister Joanne, and for several members of his crew. Plus, there’s a massive surprise for — and about — his nemesis Cal Thresher that turns the entire season on its head. It’s an episode that balances action and drama, with very few missteps.
Tulsa King Gives Dwight Reasons for Doubt
Season 2, Episode 4 Drops His Tough Guy Persona
The biggest problem with Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 3, “Oklahoma v. Manfredi,” was that it played up Dwight’s infalliability. He was a tough guy who always seemed to get his way. Ironically, in the episode where he has reasons to be cocksure — having escaped both criminal charges and an attempt on his life by the Kansas City mob — Sylvester Stallone’s character is vulnerable and uncertain. And that’s what sets the tone for this entire hour. Stallone is great in those moments where Dwight oozes confidence, but those notes are easy for him to hit. It’s more unique to see Dwight wondering if he screwed up by not compromising with Bill Bevilaqua, once he sees the effects his actions are having on everyone in his orbit.
Dwight may have won by still being alive, but several other characters face consequences. The most pronounced is what happens to Jay Will’s character Tyson Mitchell, who went to dispose of the body at the end of Episode 3. After coming home with Carl Caputo’s blood on his sleeve, Tyson has kicked his aspiring mobster act into overdrive. He argues with Bodhi over loyalty to Dwight and gets a little too outspoken both in a group meeting and in business negotiations. But there’s also a very poignant scene where Tyson tries to give his father money to replace his battered old work van. Although Tyson’s intentions are pure as can be, his father rebuffs him because he knows where the money came from. It’s painful to see Tyson having alienated his father — especially when his heart is in the right place.
Joanne Manfredi: This feels like the old days. You know? The bad old days.
There’s an important moment between Dwight and his sister Joanne; it’s taken very little time for Joanne to realize that moving to Tulsa isn’t the vast improvement she thought it was going to be. She eventually gets Dwight to admit that “things went sideways” and expresses her dislike of his handling of the Kansas City situation. And Bodhi tries to quit entirely once he realizes the level of violence. One of the only question marks in the episode is the reason it manufactures for Joanne to stay in the story: Dwight gives her a job working for Bodhi. That feels like a reach, but if it means more scenes like this one between Stallone and Annabella Sciorra, then it’ll be an excusable one. And then there’s Goodie, who flat-out loses his mind. “Heroes and Villains” does an amazing job showcasing that this TV series isn’t just about Dwight being cool and taking names; it’s also about everyone who’s come to depend on him.
Did Tulsa King Just Make Cal Thresher Sympathetic?
Episode 4 Rattles the Villain’s Cage
The most surprising development in “Heroes and Villains” has absolutely nothing to do with Dwight. It involves his new rival Cal Thresher, and it’s undeniable proof of why Neal McDonough is perfect in the role. Thresher discovers that his business associate Jackie Ming has been growing poppies — to manufacture heroin — on his marijuana farm. But after initially agreeing to Thresher’s demand to have them removed, Jackie shoots one of Thresher’s employees in the head in front of Thresher and what seems to be most of the other workers. The camera cuts to McDonough’s stunned expression, giving Thresher a vulnerability and fear that he’s never had before. And like Dwight, that makes him much more compelling.
From his first appearance, Thresher has been a fun villain to watch, but not exactly one with a lot of character depth. He’s been the suave yet arrogant and manipulative businessman, whether it’s snarking with Dwight or trying unsuccessfully to hit on Margaret Devereaux. “Heroes and Villains” cracks that facade and shows that he does have a humanity to him, even if it’s to a relatively minor degree. That scene also makes the casting of McDonough seem spot-on, because anyone who remembers him as David McNorris in the short-lived NBC drama Boomtown knows how well he can play vulnerability. He just hasn’t had as much of a chance in some of his other roles. But suddenly, Cal has a problem of his own — and one that seems a lot more urgent and deadly than Dwight. Dwight isn’t working right in Thresher’s face. How far is Tulsa King going to develop this subplot, without pulling viewers away from the central storyline?
Bill Bevilaqua: I woke up this morning with a dead body at the foot of my driveway.
What happens with Thresher is made more striking by the fact that Bill doesn’t have that same amount of shading. Frank Grillo’s scenes in Episode 4 are largely what he’s been doing since Bill was fully introduced in Season 2, Episode 2, “Kansas City Blues.” He argues with his wife when she tracks him down to ask if he has any idea where Carl is; Bill plays dumb, saying that he doesn’t know. Then he yells some more at Chickie and strikes up a potential alliance with Chickie’s right-hand man Vince Antonacci. Grillo has got the menacing part down pat but he’s yet to receive the kind of character arc that McDonough gets in this episode. The idea that Thresher has his own problems adds another layer to the world of Tulsa King.
Tulsa King Dives Into Its Supporting Characters
Season 2 Gives More Insight Into Bodhi, Tyson and Others
There are plot threads in Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 4 for a wide variety of characters — more than there have been in any of the three previous episodes. Bodhi actually quits Team Manfredi for a couple of minutes, pointing out to Tyson that Dwight isn’t his boss but his partner in a business that the Season 2 premiere established is doing better than ever. He didn’t sign up for murders. Eventually Bodhi returns to the fold in a sort of anticlimactic conclusion, but the blowup Martin Starr has is one of his best scenes in the whole series. There’s also Goodie, whose paranoia has him put a gun in the mouth of an Uber Eats driver that he mistakes for a Kansas City hitman. Plenty of new plot strands emerge and all of them are worth following.
Bodhi: That’s very considerate of you not to make me a fucking accessory.
Of course there’s some big-picture movement. Audiences now know for sure that Armand is in Thresher’s pocket, and Armand accidentally lets slip about the wind turbines, so Dwight’s plan to utilize them is almost undercut by Thresher making his own offer. Plus, Dwight officially buys Donnie Shore’s car dealership, which it sounds like Mitch Keller will have a significant role in. These elements keep the main conflict moving along. But “Heroes and Villains” is a success because it’s about so much more than one side making moves against the other. It tears into how the characters are changing and gives them room to take stock of their individual situations. As Tulsa King Season 2 approaches its halfway point, it’s never been better.