Starring Sylvester Stallone in his first leading role in a television series, Tulsa King follows a Mafia Capo who has been released from prison after 25 years in captivity. It’s obvious that a man who has spent such a long interval away from the world will face some difficulties in adjusting to the changes. But Tulsa King captures this spirit amazingly well with Stallone serving as the figure who must cope with the changes. However, the problem is that to get a Mafia Capo, who’s himself a product of his time, to change easily is not a matter that can be settled in the blink of an eye. In portraying Stallone’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi as a Mafia Capo on his way to becoming a mafia boss after serving 25 years in jail for a murder he didn’t commit, Tulsa King adopts an approach different from the many mafia movies and shows audiences are familiar with.
Tulsa King is not the story of a man who rises in the ranks to attain mafia glory – something that has been depicted god knows how many times. It is the story of a Mafioso who knows what to do to build a strong criminal empire but does not know how exactly to go about it as he’s exposed to a setting very different that what he’s familiar with. With Tulsa King being renewed for a second season already, it’s undoubtedly the fun encounters of its dangerous protagonist that make it a great watch, and unquestionably, Stallone’s personal charm and stardom leak through Dwight “The General” Manfredi. Tulsa King manages to give “the rising mafia boss” story new colors, and the best part is the unhinged manner in which it presents itself. Taylor Sheridan’s latest offering on Paramount+ knows what it’s doing – breaking the mold for mafia bosses one stereotype at a time – while also shattering some television records.
Manfredi Is Different From Mafia Protagonists
Like most mafia story protagonists, Manfredi is not the guy from the streets who is trying to climb the ladder to reach the inner circle of the criminal underworld. Manfredi is a 75-year-old veteran mafioso who’s toughened by his life in the mafia and his years in jail. After spending a third of his life behind the bars to save his boss, Manfredi expects a royal welcome waiting for him when he’s released. But Manfredi is met with disappointment when Don Charles “Chickie” Invernizzi (Domenick Lombardozzi), the son of Manfredi’s boss, quickly reveals that his reward for celebrating a silver jubilee in jail is a trip to Tulsa, where he must set a new base for the family. Manfredi, who’s aware of the hey that is there to reap in New York, realizes that the offer at its best is merely a banishment, away from where the real action and money are.
The first few episodes of Tulsa King depict Manfredi struggling with the changed rules of the time. For a man who hasn’t been in touch with the outer world for so long, getting out after such an extended period almost equals a rebirth. From opening a bank account to understanding how Uber works, there’s a lot to Manfredi’s journey of exploration as he gets introduced to the power of credit cards and the internet. His attempts to get accustomed make for the truly joyful moments of Tulsa King. While Manfredi still prefers to stick with age-old principles such as “cash is king,” he is smart enough to use the resources at his disposal for his benefit. After all, you do not survive with a criminal record, which starts even before the Beatles became famous, without being street smart. Manfredi adapts to the present while still sticking to some useful notions of the past. While he struggles in certain situations, he achieves success in others.
Tulsa Provides The Opportunity That New York Does Not
To add to the confusion created by the generation gap, Manfredi finds himself relocating to Tulsa, a city that stands in contrast to everything that New York represents. In choosing to go with Tulsa, the show has already set itself apart by ditching the city whose landscape has provided the setting for all legendary mafia sagas from The Godfather to Goodfellas, which is also referenced by Manfredi’s right-hand, Tyson (Jay Will), in Episode 3. Not only Manfredi needs to adapt to the changes of the time, but he must also fit into the customs of the land. His attempt to build his empire must begin with decoding the unsaid rules of the time. The best part is that, even when clueless, Manfredi acts like he’s the boss of the town, and in a town like Tulsa, confidence gets things done.
From getting a free ride from the local car dealer to becoming the unofficial owner of a local dispensary that sells weed, Manfredi gets going merely on the back of his confidence and a bit of jaw-cracking violence. For Manfredi, a Mafia Capo in his 70s, even though against his choice, Tulsa proves to be a blessing in disguise to help him start out again with possibly minimal resistance, and that too at his own slow pace. And in a city that doesn’t look familiar with the mafia style of functioning, Manfredi’s swaggering conduct makes way for hilarious encounters. The fact that he brings a money-making dispensary under his control with the help of just a water bottle talks about both Manfredi’s criminal capabilities and the town’s lack of caution in its daily business.
Sylvester Stallone Allows Manfredi To Flourish
Tulsa King deviates from the trend of making mafia stories about blazing guns and tough guy acts. In this aspect, this show knows it’s catering to the audience who’s probably interested in watching it as a result of the legacy of the actor at its helm. While it’d be interesting to see the action star getting a beating, Tulsa King sets off by placing Stallone’s Manfredi as the undisputed king of the land – one who’s jovial, sensitive, and dangerous all at once.
There is ample fan service in Tulsa King, but it’s not without its merit as it fits the tone of the story quite well and remains in sync with what’s achievable through a mafia story with an actor whose fame precedes him. Like most mafia movies and shows, the weight of creating the aura around its protagonist doesn’t fall on the story here. That responsibility is aptly handled by the charisma and personal charm of the lead actor. This allows the creators to be frivolous with their approach as even though the audiences might take the events in the story lightly, they will never lose attention from the man in the front who drives the interest; not forgetting the great cast and characters that surround Stallone and Manfredi respectively.
At a juncture when different mafia stories feel as if they are bringing a dish made from different proportions of the same ingredients, Tulsa King achieves something truly enjoyable by choosing to not stick to the formula. Instead, by playing to its strengths, it has set the foundation for a great start. Although it’s debatable whether it will manage to maintain the highs it currently enjoys, Tulsa King knows what it is playing for. As a result, the Sylvester Stallone starred crime drama does not feel restricted by the legacy of what has come before. Much like Dwight Manfredi, Tulsa King remains aware of the past but doesn’t shy away from accepting a lesson or two from the present as it devotes itself to presenting a mafia boss of today’s age. And in doing so, it finds itself a protagonist that doesn’t fit into the classic mold of a mafia boss, luckily!