The latest Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter drama for Paramount+ “Tulsa King“ is far too formulaic and unremarkable but for a few reasons it is remarkable and curiously fascinating.
One reason is that “Tulsa King” continues Sheridan’s meteoric rise as a writer-director and one of the most successful television creators of the last ten years.
Sheridan who was formerly best known for playing a minor supporting character in “Sons of Anarchy” has transformed a few successful neo-Western movies into a burgeoning small-screen empire. Sheridan has created an ever-expanding slate of projects in addition to his breakout hit “Yellowstone” and its four spinoffs as well as a storytelling brand that is unique from well-known creators like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy.
The star of “Tulsa King” Sylvester Stallone who is 76 and making his first appearance in a television series is another unique aspect of the show. However Stallone is a unique actor with a post-“Rocky” career that alternates between action franchises with a focus on set pieces and attempts to move beyond the role of heroic soldiers like “Rambo.”
In order to keep the audience from turning against Dwight the episodes are more focused on calibrating him as a criminal antihero with a sophisticated moral code. In the pilot Dwight has the chance to confront casual racism and smack down a bar patron for touching women inappropriately flashing just enough virtue to convince viewers that he is a capo they can love without feeling bad.
Paramount+ set the Tulsa King premiere at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT on Sunday November 13.
