Tulsa King is an American crime drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter, starring the legendary Sylvester Stallone in his first major television role. Premiering in 2022 on Paramount+, the show blends gritty mob drama with sharp humor and Western sensibilities, offering a fresh and often ironic take on organized crime and reinvention in modern America.

The series follows Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), a seasoned New York Mafia capo who is released from prison after serving 25 years for the mob. Expecting a hero’s welcome, he instead finds himself exiled by his crime family — sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to start a new criminal operation in a place far removed from the familiar streets of New York.

When he arrives, Dwight discovers a world that doesn’t play by traditional mob rules. He’s surrounded by cowboys, tech-savvy millennials, and suburban entrepreneurs. Undeterred, he begins to build a new kind of empire — recruiting a crew of misfits, outsiders, and locals while adapting his old-school criminal instincts to a modern landscape filled with weed dispensaries, smartphones, and surveillance.

As Dwight rebuilds his life and reputation, Tulsa King becomes a story not just about crime, but about identity, loyalty, and second chances. Stallone’s character is both menacing and deeply human — a man who’s spent decades behind bars and now must confront a world that has moved on without him. His mix of old-fashioned honor and ruthless pragmatism makes him both a relic and a revolutionary figure in his new environment.

The show’s tone balances gritty drama with dark comedy. The fish-out-of-water dynamic provides moments of levity — watching a 70-year-old mobster navigate small-town life, social media, and modern business culture — while maintaining emotional weight through Dwight’s loneliness, regret, and moral code.

Visually, Tulsa King captures the contrast between urban gangster aesthetics and the open landscapes of Oklahoma. The cinematography emphasizes wide horizons, neon-lit bars, and rugged Americana, setting the stage for a hybrid of crime saga and contemporary Western.

Created by Taylor Sheridan, known for Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, and Sicario, the series carries his signature themes: powerful men in morally gray worlds, the cost of loyalty, and the search for redemption through violence. Co-creator Terence Winter (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire) brings authenticity to the criminal world and sharp dialogue full of wit and menace.

Critics and audiences praised Stallone’s commanding performance — a mix of toughness, humor, and surprising vulnerability. He portrays Dwight as a man who may have lived by the code of the streets, but who also possesses a deep sense of justice and an evolving understanding of what power means in a changing world.