The second season of Tulsa King has reached its halfway point — and while Season 2, Episode 5, “Tilting at Windmills” isn’t as tense as its predecessor, it still has plenty to offer. That includes an incredibly visceral fight scene and some truly disturbing character development for one of the main players. This may be the episode that fans look back on as the one where everything changed.
“Tilting at Windmills” focuses mostly on the continued back and forth between Dwight Manfredi and Cal Thresher, this time putting Margaret Devereaux a little more into the mix. There’s also the subplot of continued dissension between the New York City mobsters. But the real story is the transformation that Tyson Mitchell goes through. It’s not unexpected given recent events and yet it’s heartbreaking and startling all the same.
Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 5 Pushes Tyson Too Far
Could He Become Dwight’s Real Problem?
Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 5 does not paint Tyson in the best light; in fact, he could wind up being an even larger problem for Dwight than either Thresher or Bill Bevilaqua, depending on how far the show wants to go. But after a season and a half of wanting to be a made man, “Tilting at Windmills” unleashes this new, angrier and more reckless version of Tyson. When Dwight and company arrive at their new wind farm to find some of Jackie Ming’s people destroying it, a brawl breaks out — and Tyson doesn’t hesitate to get physically violent with the intruders. He even seems to thrive in the fight, which is how he could easily become the next villain.
Tyson has never been shy about wanting to be part of Dwight’s crew and wanting the life that entails. Actor Jay Will told CBR that his character would have people questioning him in Season 2; that moment has definitely arrived. But that’s not surprising, since moments like how forcefully Tyson addressed the group in Season 2, Episode 4, “Heroes and Villains” made clear that he was walking up to that line. What’s interesting and makes this a compelling character arc is the negative reaction Dwight has to Tyson’s plans for himself. Dwight makes very clear that Tyson isn’t to get his hands dirty, not too long before that’s exactly what happens.
Tyson Mitchell: I wasn’t an innocent bystander.
Dwight Manfredi: That’s exactly what the fuck you are. And you’re gonna stay that way as long as I’m around.
How will Dwight respond to Tyson’s behavior? Does he brush it off as being in the heat of the moment, trying to defend his team’s property from the bad guys? Or does he confront Tyson, especially since the younger man could have easily been killed? And if it’s the latter, Tyson will not take kindly to criticism; the episode hints at that in his reaction to Dwight in their earlier dialogue. He could either respect Dwight’s authority as the head of the crew or he could go rogue and create a whole international conflict for the Manfredi team. Yes, Thresher and Bevilaqua are the clear Big Bads of Season 2… but an angry, disenfranched Tyson could become a villain if he winds up on Dwight’s bad side and starts tearing the group apart when they absolutely don’t need it.
Tulsa King Doesn’t Really Explore Cal’s Predicament
Season 2, Episode 5 Lets Neal McDonough’s Character Off Easy
The most interesting part of Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 4, “Heroes and Villains” was that it gave Cal Thresher an enemy that wasn’t Dwight and that he didn’t see coming. Seeing Thresher vulnerable also added more dimension to his character. Unfortunately, “Tilting at Windmills” has only one significant scene of tension between Thresher and Jackie, when Jackie becomes upset about Thresher sending some of Jackie’s workers to attack Dwight’s wind farm, and Thresher reminds him that respect goes both ways. It’s simplifying that intriguing subplot down far too much. The audience still knows very little about Jackie, so having him and Thresher continue to fight one another instead of settling into a begrudging alliance would have boosted Jackie’s profile as a character and continued poking and prodding at Thresher’s psyche.
The episode just goes back to what’s been happening all season so far: Dwight and Thresher trading snarky dialogue, trying to one-up one another. The only difference is that the psuedo-love triangle between the two men and Margaret becomes the main point of contention. She’s already told Cal that she’s not interested, and Episode 5 makes Margaret feel almost like something to be won between them. She does give Dwight the hint that Thresher is involved with the Chinese, and there’s one scene where she shows up with her shotgun to separate the two men, but she doesn’t do anything not somehow connected to Dwight. And in the grand scheme of things, how relevant is it who Margaret ends up dating? Dana Delany is a wonderful actress who once played Lois Lane; she can do much more than be anyone’s love interest.
Dwight Manfredi: How do you know who wins if you don’t keep score?
The same criticism could be leveled at the episode’s use of Frank Grillo as Bill Bevilaqua. It makes sense that Bill’s scenes are handled differently because he’s in another state from all the other characters, but it will be exciting when Grillo doesn’t have to be limited to angry phone calls. One such call between Bill and Thresher reveals that Bill was previously involved with Cal’s business, before he forced Jackie to buy him out. That’s a great piece of backstory that’s worth exploring — and not over the phone. Both of Season 2’s villains have plenty left to reveal about themselves, and that shouldn’t be overlooked just because they each have a bone to pick with Dwight. The better fleshed out the antagonists are, the more satisfying it will be when the good guys win.
Does Tulsa King Need New Stories for Dwight’s Family?
Tina and Joanne Are Passengers in Season 2, Episode 5
The one obvious weak spot in Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 5 is the storylines given to Dwight’s daughter Tina and his sister Joanne. Both characters were promoted to the regular cast for the second season, as the show wanted to explore Dwight’s family life further. To that end, each of them moved to Tulsa from New York — but now it’s clear that making them relevant won’t be easy. Tina and her sons feature in the pre-credits scene, which is supposed to be comic relief as Dwight accompanies them to an expensive new school that clashes with his old-school ideas. Dwight’s commentary isn’t funny, nor is his assertion later that the school is a “nuthouse” training kids to be “wimps.” But at least Tina has more to do than Joanne, who tells Grace they need to start selling food at A Higher Plane. Neither story is that memorable, and the contrast between Dwight’s worldview and a modern-day worldview has been done better in other parts of the show.
Joanne Manfredi: This is not the world you grew up in.
In fairness to “Tilting at Windmills,” there’s no room in the more exciting plotlines for either Tina or Joanne just yet. And that’s what makes the episode come alive. The group fight between Team Manfredi and Jackie’s henchmen is fast-paced, visceral and everything that viewers want out of a mob drama. It’s directed to look as chaotic as it feels, while also interjecting the surprise and drama that doesn’t exist in any of the non-physical confrontations. While the New York city mobsters might be interested in peace, Season 2, Episode 5 reminds viewers how many plates the Tulsa characters have spinning in mid-air. They all have something to do. If future episodes can provide the same for everyone else, what’s left of Season 2 will be a real barn-burner. And if the writing staff is bold enough to create a gulf between Dwight and Tyson, the civil war between them will be even more interesting than any of the mob battles.