30/48
Indescribable character: who do you worship?
Tale
After being released from prison, mob boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi goes into exile in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he builds a new criminal empire with a group of unusual characters. Sylvester Stallone’s first lead role in a television series. Dwight “The General” Manfredi: I don’t go to church at all. The opening credits show various photographic and painted views, as well as Oklahoma landmarks, superimposed on the New York landscape: a statue of the Sioux Indian chief “Touch the Clouds” wearing a military headdress and a bone choker (breastplate) atop the Brooklyn Bridge; The statue of the golden driller, installed on the Statue of Liberty; The West Gate Arch on Highway 66, set on the main “avenue” of Manhattan.
Featured on CBS News Sunday Morning: Episode #457 (2022)
In New York, in the Manhattan area, there are several numbered “avenues” that intersect with smaller, numbered streets. I thought it would be an entertainment show. We’re used to thinking that anything involving Stallone would be a comedy these days, and Tulsa King really has a lot of humor in it. But Taylor Sheridan is not going to create a simple parody of the history of the mafia, using Stallone as a joke and climax.
The characters are truly likable in every way
The show has promising depth despite its light-hearted premise of a former big-time gangster forced to start a new life in a new city after a long prison sentence. A bit of comedy ensues when a New York mobster finds his way to Tulsa to establish his territory using his “old world”. ways. While it’s unusual to root for a “bad” guy as a main character, his straightforwardness and old-world, common-sense values appeal to those of us looking for something refreshing in the midst of today’s social absurdity.
Stallone does a great job
The irony in the message is that it takes a thug who doesn’t bow to anyone to break through and expose superficial social hypocrisy. It’s the same formula that made Yellowstone so successful, and Sheridan knows it’s what many of us want. Before he became a caricature in his later roles that drove the Rocky and Rambo franchises into the ground, his acting and screen presence created these iconic roles. It’s nice to see him back on screen in a role that seems to suit him perfectly, and to use some of that cocky persona to add depth to his character and the show, rather than undermine them.
Overall, a very interesting show that I’m looking forward to and a great addition to the Paramount+ portfolio
Check out our roundup of Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 2, The Squidward Game, Season 2 and more of the most anticipated new and returning shows on TV and streaming.