credit: Tulsa King
What to say about this new series on Paramount+? Well, it’s actually a little more interesting than it might appear at first since Stallone still plays a decent part as a mob character that went away for 25 years to protect his boss and is now out and ready to get on with his life. As one could kind of expect, his wife divorced him, his daughter hasn’t spoken to him in years, and his mob contacts are ready and willing to send him out of town to take care of town, which is well away from the main action.
The only problem with this, apart from the fact that Dwight, Stallone’s character, doesn’t appreciate the sendoff, he’s still a very knowledgable and extremely capable individual that knows how to handle himself and make certain that others know who’s in charge. The moment he hits Tulsa, there’s no denying that he notes the vast difference in culture, but taking it in stride, he ends up taking control of a marijuana dispensary to start with and then starts the process of getting to know the town. Seeing a New York mobster trying to fit into a midwestern town that offers very little compared to his home isn’t a new idea, but it’s something that people can’t help but take a look at anyway.
credit: Tulsa King
Stories about the mob have definitely changed.
Things are quite a bit different these days when it comes to stories about the mafia and anything and anyone that has to do with this subject. The Godfather, Goodfellas, even The Untouchables, and several other movies that have had something to do with the mafia have a different feel than this show thus far, and yet there are enough similarities to make it feel somewhat authentic. Dwight is a character that does feel as though he hearkens back to a time when the mafia had a lot more control and was capable of running one town or another without that much interference. But he also feels like he’s about to become a bridge between the old school and the current day, which could make this show worth watching.
Stallone is still a fun actor to watch, but this is quite different from a lot of his best roles.
The actor has played a wise guy before, but for some reason, he’s been more effective as an action hero for many years, not to mention that his action roles have led to a great deal of drama that has made for a lot of memorable moments. Adding to that is the fact that even though he has been in mobster movies, Stallone hasn’t really made them one of his go-to roles. Still, seeing him play the part of Dwight in this show is kind of interesting since he comes out as a guy that knows what he wants and what he wants to do. When he’s told by his former bosses that he’s behind the times, though, it’s fair to think that he’s going to take Tulsa by storm, and no matter who decides to stand in his way, he’s going to find a way to charm them or storm right over them.
credit: Tulsa King
Strangely enough, it does show that manners can be appreciated.
It’s intriguing to think that manners can go such a long way in a show or a movie like this since some of the movies made about the mafia or anything having to do with them usually shows that the mob can be animals when it comes to going after those that refuse them or cause problems. Dwight comes off as a gentleman that’s not going to tolerate anything other than obedience and good manners. The fact that he’s so polite and uses manners wherever he goes is very telling since his look paints him as a mobster, but his attitude and his manners make him appear more like a gentleman that is going to ask for what he wants, in his own way, before he forces a person to go along with what he wants and/or needs. That’s kind of refreshing, to be fair.
The age gap between Dwight and those he deals with is easy to notice.
Twenty-five years in prison is a long time, and being away from society for that long is bound to create a serious gap between an individual and the life they once knew. Not only is Dwight forced to accept that he now has to take orders from a person he remembers as a kid, but he’s being told that he’s no longer relevant in New York and that he has to go out west if he wants to have a place within the family. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but so is the fact that being in his 70s means that his love life is bound to be a little more difficult, and connecting with people who are half his age or less is going to be kind of tricky.
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