Even since Sylvester Stolle’s Dwight Manfredi got out of prison and arrived in Tulsa, the lives of everyone in town and of his own family have drastically changed. Tulsa King explores where one man’s unchecked ambition can take him within the criminal underworld, for better or for worse. With two seasons aired so far, the show has shown how Dwight attracts people with his charm and confidence, but how it’s ultimately dangerous to be close to him.
Stacy Beale, the ATF Agent who meets Dwight while at a bachelorette party, is one of those characters who find out the hard way how the gangster is bad luck. Though her character is not exactly likable, the plot twists she brings to Tulsa King Season 1 definitely deserve some recognition. The Manfredi women are also pretty aware of the damage Dwight can cause, but while Tina is in the show as a mere plot device for Dwight’s consciousness, Joanne seems to know more about his business than fans initially realized. The best characters in the show are the ones who constantly surprise viewers or make the plot more intriguing with their personalities.
10
Stacy Beale Can’t Catch a Break
Portrayed by: Andrea Savage
Stacy Beale is a complicated woman. She not only battles alcoholism but also essentially destroys her own career because of it and is sent to Tulsa as a form of punishment at work. In Tulsa King Season 1, her mood swings dictate a lot of what happens to Dwight Manfredi. After meeting him one night while attending a bachelorette party at a bar, Stacy begins to bend the rules of her job to protect the criminal — even though she pretends not to be that interested in him at first.
Her therapy sessions are scenes that let viewers peep into Stacy’s inner world. She carries a lot of guilt and shame from her past mistakes, but instead of focusing on that, she seems to also have a hard time admitting it when she has lost and keeps pushing situations to the limit. This dangerous behavior is what leads her to be with Dwight on his front steps one night, taking literal bullets for him when Caolan Waltrip attempts to kill him. But after the trial in Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 3, “Oklahoma v. Manfredi”, Stacy was quietly written out of the show, which left her character arc somewhat incomplete.
9
Joanne Manfredi Is Business Savvy
Portrayed by: Andrea Sciorra
The first episodes of Tulsa King establish that Dwight used to be a capo for the Invernizzi family, who rule New York City. But once the Manfredi family begins to be explored in Tulsa King, it becomes clear that Dwight was never born into crime. Dwight and Joanne’s parents were honest working-class people, and he seems to be the only one in the family who ever chose a life of illegal activities. This naturally puts a strain on his relationship with his daughter Tina, who loves him but is constantly disappointed in him. But while Tina’s role is important, Dwight’s relationship with his younger sister Joanne is far more interesting.
Joanne tries pushing Dwight onto another career path, but also consistently protects his interests. She is the pillar of the family, often being the only person Tina can count on. Because of Tina’s move to Tulsa to be closer to her father, Joanne decides to visit and becomes even more entangled in Dwight’s life there. While she only made brief cameos in Season 1, Season 2 proved that Jo is business savvy like her brother and could be a valuable asset to his empire in Tulsa if she decides to stay long-term.
8
Cal Thresher Is the Best Antagonist So Far
Portrayed by: Neal McDonough
Tulsa King Season 1 suffered from having a weak antagonist with Caolan Waltrip. So, in Season 2, the writers decided to expand their horizons and come up with three different antagonists at once. Bill Bevilaqua is the leader of the Kansas City gang, who is tough but ultimately as one-dimensional as Waltrip was. Jackie Ming is a little more entertaining, making cars explode and never appearing with a smile on his face. But of the three, Cal Thresher is definitely the best.
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Thresher is a business person first and foremost and tries to quietly control people through money. From owning 49% of Margaret’s ranch to bribing Armand to get to Dwight, Thresher’s biggest power move is saving others from a financial crisis so he can later collect favors. At the same time, Thresher has a talent for diplomacy, being able to unite the Tulsa and the Kansas City gangs against his former business partner gone rogue, Ming. But by the Tulsa King Season 2 finale, Thresher seems tired of the violence. He apparently hands over his entire weed business to Dwight, which seems suspicious coming from the man who only gives money away to those he wants to control. Season 3 will reveal if Thresher really stepped down, or if that was just another sneaky strategy.
7
Margaret Devereaux Is a Mysterious Woman
Portrayed by: Dana Delany
Dwight’s main love interest in the show and a powerful woman in Tulsa in her own right, Margaret has a commanding presence. Highly respected in Tulsa, she is a skilled equestrian who owns the Fennario ranch. After Dwight decides to rescue a misbehaving horse from slaughter, he starts attending the ranch and becomes interested in Margaret. She doesn’t reciprocate at first, but soon asks him out to dinner.
While Margaret seems like nothing more complex than a horse farm boss in Season 1, she has a bigger involvement in the plot of Season 2. By the finale, she reveals she sold half of her farm to Thresher when things were not going well, and fans suspect there is more to this story. So far, Margaret has proven to be one of the most powerful characters in Tulsa, but also one of the most mysterious. Dwight is deeply involved with her now, so Season 3 will probably bring some big revelation that explains why Margaret is so respected. When Dwight tells her he is a criminal, it doesn’t seem like a big deal to her. She just might be one as well.
6
Grace Is the Best of Bodhi’s Employees
Portrayed by: McKenna Quigley Harrington
Sometimes characters who don’t even appear that much on a show become fan-favorites for different reasons. Tulsa King has a few, like Bigfoot and Bad Face. In Grace’s case, fans adore her for how much her personality stands out among the weed shop crew. She is the only one of Bodhi’s employees who gets a proper character arc, revealing a backstory as a farm girl and slowly coming out of her shell throughout the two seasons aired so far. Her character arc takes her from a scared stoner clerk to a trusted gang member with lots of ambition, who learns how to stand up for herself and can shoot a gun better than any of the boys.
Undeniably, the sheer talent for acting displayed by McKenna Quigley Harrington deserves some praise. The actress often steals the scenes she’s in, and manages to embody two very opposite versions of Grace without making either seem too exaggerated. The moments in which she asks Dwight to think of his gang members, or when she asks Bodhi for a bigger position at the new location, puts a smile on fans’ faces who have rooted for her since the first episode.
5
Bodhi Is a Crypto Thief Turned Capo
Portrayed by: Martin Starr
Bodhi has a character arc that is not very different from Grace’s, except Bodhi was only pretending to be nothing but a legal weed seller when Dwight first arrived in Tulsa. Later in Season 1, the audience learns that Bodhi runs a crypto scam scheme and makes a lot of money illegally. Although he is forced into a protection agreement with Dwight at first, he starts to see the benefits of being part of the Manfredi crime family. Eventually, Bodhi becomes Dwight’s capo.
After opening a second location of the Higher Plane weed shop in Season 2, Bodhi is apparently well-adjusted to his new life as part of a gang. But when his friend and weed supplier Jimmy the Creek dies by his side following a surprise shootout, the ugly side of the gangster life blossoms within him. Much like Dwight, he becomes invested in revenge. By the Season 2 finale, it seems like violence and chaos are not problems for Bodhi anymore.
4
Mitch Keller Becomes Dwight’s Underboss
Portrayed by: Garrett Hedlund
While Bodhi becoming Dwight’s capo was surprising, Mitch Keller stepping up to the role of crime underboss felt natural. Mitch is one of the first people Dwight meets in Tulsa, when he visits the local bar on his first night in town. He is the owner of the bar and immediately relates to Dwight because he is also an ex-convict. He quickly takes on a leadership role within the growing Manfredi empire, with his criminal expertise always being useful.
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While not much about Mitch’s past has been revealed so far, the audience already knows that he likely killed people before meeting Dwight. He also seems to know a lot about auto part theft, as he essentially trains Bodhi’s crew on how to steal catalytic converters from Donnie Shore’s cars. In a genius move orchestrated by Dwight, Mitch later returns half of the stolen converters and influences the car dealership owner to sell his shop. It seems like Mitch will be more powerful than ever in Season 3, running two successful businesses in Tulsa.
3
Armand “Manny” Truisi Can’t Be Trusted
Portrayed by: Max Casella
Armand may not be exactly likable, but his character arc is probably the most unpredictable in Tulsa King. Initially a family man who ran from his criminal past in New York City to live a quiet life in Tulsa, his downfall is that he orchestrated an attempt on Dwight’s life in prison for Pete Invernizzi. Once Manfredi discovers Manny lives in Tulsa, he pays him a visit and orders a monthly payment as an apology. As a consequence, Manny’s wife is crystal clear about wanting him as far away as possible from the man who invaded her home with a gun. Manny could choose to abandon Tulsa and keep his family together, but he ultimately decides he doesn’t want to keep running. This leads to a hostile divorce, and he loses all contact with his children. His alcoholism kicks back in around this time, making his situation even worse.
His tendency to make bad decisions is astonishing. In Season 2, Manny decides to betray Dwight and steal money from his newly-opened casino. But regretting the move at the last minute, he apparently plots to have Dwight killed in the two final episodes, when he goes to Jackie Ming with valuable information. It would make sense for Manny to come back and kill Dwight, since there is always a possibility the gangster would find him. However, it is soon revealed that Manny actually came back to help Dwight take down Ming and, hopefully, be forgiven for stealing from the boss.
2
Tyson Mitchell Can’t Look Back Now
Portrayed by: Jay Will
Tyson is the funniest and most likable character in the show. Introduced as a cab driver who picks up Dwight at the Tulsa airport, he is hired to be the gangster’s personal driver and assistant by the end of the first episode. Deeply impressed by Dwight’s commanding presence and money, Tyson makes it his biggest goal in life to essentially become exactly like his new boss. And just like the Manfredi family, the Mitchell family is not a criminal enterprise like the Invernizzi. Tyson’s father in particular notices how his son has been acting differently since getting the new job, and worries about his future constantly.
Season 2 marks big changes in Tyson’s life. Despite Dwight trying to initially protect Tyson from following in his own footsteps, the boss realizes the kid made his choice at some point. Tyson begins to not only witness murders, but actively help dispose of the bodies. Receiving a car in Dwight’s name as payment, he gifts the car to his father. But Ming had planted a bomb in it intended to kill Dwight, and his father ends up at the hospital instead. This puts a strain on his relationship with his mother and siblings, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to make Tyson take a step back. On the contrary, he becomes obsessed with revenge. He goes on to cause a shootout, and later kills Ming with an ax to the head. This dark path will likely cause even more damage to his family in Season 3.
1
Dwight Manfredi Is the King of Tulsa
Portrayed by: Sylvester Stallone
Dwight Manfredi’s personality is the backbone of Tulsa King. From mannerisms, like the way he walks, to his overwhelming confidence in every room, Dwight represents the clash between old-school mafia concepts and present-day reality. His 25 years in prison made him even more ambitious, but also froze his worldview in the past. This makes him an instant comic relief for details like not knowing weed is legal for medical use in Oklahoma and several other states. But it also makes him dangerous, because he always acts trusting that his worldview is the one that makes sense. Most other characters feel powerless meeting such a commanding man as The General, which is a fitting nickname.
In parallel, Dwight is not an emotionless gangster. His soft side is explored through how much he cares about his family and his love interests. Within his newly-created criminal empire in Tulsa, he is a great boss who knows when to push gang members to their limit and when to be understanding. But he is not so successful in his personal life, struggling to keep a relationship and earning his daughter’s trust. His biggest weakness is his stubbornness, but he channels it into a strength, making the best out of the terrible situations he finds himself in. Addicted to increasing his influence and chasing adventures, Season 3 will definitely bring even more impressive achievements for the king of Tulsa.
