An upcoming shift in Tulsa King’s story could make it the exact opposite of Yellowstone and fulfill one of the series’ oldest promises. Tulsa King was created by Taylor Sheridan, but it isn’t part of the so-called “Sheridanverse” connecting Yellowstone and several other shows. That being said, the shows are very similar. For example, Kevin Costner’s John Dutton is similar to Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight Manfredi in several ways, from the way they lead to the way they view the world. One of Tulsa King season 2’s upcoming changes could see the two shows drift apart, though.
Tulsa King and Yellowstone share similar stars, similar settings, and even similar plots. Both shows focus on lead characters who are in charge of a massive empire: one in ranching, and one in racketeering. They even share one of their villains, as Neal McDonough played both Malcolm Beck in Yellowstone season 2 and Cal Thresher in Tulsa King season 2. Those similarities seem to be coming to an end, though, as the trailer for Tulsa King season 2 indicates the show is going to make a big change to its story, one that will make it different from anything else Taylor Sheridan has done before.
Tulsa King Season 2 Looks Like It Will Double Down On Cowboys vs. Gangsters
The trailer for Tulsa King season 2 gave a great glimpse into the coming season, and it also signaled a major shift in the show’s story. Tulsa King season 2 is introducing two new villains – Neal McDonough’s Cal Thresher and Frank Grillo’s Bill Bevilaqua – and they seem to be an indication that the show is becoming more of a Western. Thresher and Bevilaqua both seem like classic Western antagonists: they ride horses, Thresher wears a black cowboy hat, and it’s easy to imagine either of them telling Dwight to get out of Dodge by sundown.
From its premise alone, of a New York gangster moving to Oklahoma, Tulsa King always seemed like a blend of crime and Western genres. Tulsa King season 2 is finally making that blend more obvious. Even as the show leans more into the Western side of Tulsa, it’s also doubling down on the gangster side of Dwight’s operation. Dwight’s empire is expanding, he’s hanging out in his new casino, and his gang has increased their firepower (Goodie had a grenade launcher). Tulsa King season 2 is taking the promise its premise made and running with it, which is distancing it from Yellowstone.
Tulsa King Season 2 Feels Like The Opposite Of Yellowstone
Both Tulsa King and Yellowstone have some features in common, but the changes Tulsa King seems to be making in season 2 make it the direct opposite of its predecessor. Yellowstone is a show about cowboys who act like gangsters, while Tulsa King season 2 is positioning itself to tell a story about gangsters who act like cowboys. The Duttons were ranchers who essentially acted like a gang to protect their property and interests. Dwight was a gangster who moved to the West and adapted to it, and he seems to be fighting gangsters who had already become accustomed to the cowboy lifestyle.
Tulsa King isn’t afraid of breaking Taylor Sheridan’s mold, which makes it a very exciting project.
Tulsa King has always been a bit different from the rest of Taylor Sheridan’s shows, but season 2’s inversion of the typical Yellowstone formula seems like a breath of fresh air. Many of Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming shows and movies, from Yellowstone spinoff 6666 to the all-new Landman, seem like variations of Yellowstone. Tulsa King, on the other hand, isn’t afraid of breaking the mold, which makes it a very exciting project. Its upcoming change is even more exciting, given it will fulfill a promise season 1 couldn’t.
Tulsa King Season 1 Didn’t Do A Great Job Of Combining The Western & Crime Genres
Tulsa King always seemed like a blend of Westerns and crime shows, but the first season didn’t really display that blend very well. For the most part, Tulsa King season 1 was just a crime show that happened to be set in Oklahoma. The most cowboy thing Dwight did was learn to ride a horse at the end of Tulsa King season 1. Even the enemies of the first season – the Black Macadams – were just a generic biker gang led by an international criminal, Caolan Waltrip. Aside from the setting, Tulsa King season 1 didn’t focus on the Western aspect of the show much.
Now that Tulsa King season 2 is focusing more on its Western aspects, the show has quite a few opportunities at its disposal. Cal Thresher and Bill Bevilaqua’s cowboy roots can make them better villains than Caolan Waltrip ever was. Tulsa King season 2 could also show a completely different side of Dwight, too, and have him go through some serious character development as he leaves his New York roots in the past in favor of Tulsa’s Western ways. The mix of crime and Western genres in Tulsa King season 2 doesn’t just make it the opposite of Yellowstone, it makes it very exciting television.