41/34
Non-descriptive character: Where do you worship?
Synopsis
After being released from prison after 25 years, New York mobster Dwight "The General" Manfredi is deported to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sylvester Stallone’s first major role in a television series. Dwight 'The General' Manfredi: I don’t really go to church. The opening credits sequence shows various photographic and painted views, as well as Oklahoma landmarks imposed on the New York landscape: A statue of a Sioux Indian chief “Touch the Clouds”; wearing a War Bonnet and Bone Choker necklace (breastplate) placed atop the Brooklyn BridgeGolden Driller Statue imposed on the Statue of LibertyRoute 66 Western Gateway Arch imposed on a Major Manhattan “Avenue”.
Featured on CBS News Sunday Morning: Episode #457 (2022)
In New York City, in the borough of Manhattan, there are several numbered “Avenues”; which are crisscrossed by smaller numbered streets.. I thought this would be a fun show. We’ve come to expect anything with Stallone to be a comedy these days, and Tulsa King offers a good amount of humor. But Taylor Sheridan isn’t going to make a simple parody of a mob story and use Stallone as a joke and punchline.
The characters are genuinely likable in every way
The show has promising depth, despite the light-hearted premise of a former mobster forced to make a fresh start in a new city after a long prison sentence. Comedy ensues as a New York mobster finds his way around Tulsa to establish his turf using his “old world” ways. While it’s not unusual to cast a “bad” guy as the protagonist, his straightforwardness and old-world common sense values appeal to those of us looking for something refreshing amidst today’s societal nonsense. The irony of this message is that it takes a thug who bows down to no one to break through and expose shallow social hypocrisy.
Stallone gives a stellar performance
This is the same formula that made Yellowstone such a success, and Sheridan knows that many of us want it. Before he became a caricature in his later roles that brought Rocky and Rambo to earth, his acting and film presence created these iconic roles. It’s good to see him back on screen in a role that seems perfect for him, and to use some of that brash personality to add depth to his character and the show, rather than undermine it. Overall, this is a very entertaining show that we’re looking forward to, and it’s an excellent addition to the Paramount+ portfolio.