Tulsa King Season 3, Episode 7 Review: Sylvester Stallone & Taylor Sheridan’s Mob Show Is Quickly Losing Its Gusto

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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Tulsa King season 3, episode 7.

Season 3, episode 7 of Tulsa King, titled “Art of War,” continues a trend of the show losing steam. Though the direction and storytelling have been slightly better in recent episodes, the season as a whole feels disjointed and lacks a clear flow.

The newest episode of Tulsa King shows Sylvester Stallone’s character, Dwight Manfredi, manipulating the Attorney General by exploiting his gambling habit. He uses this weakness to get the Attorney General into debt and prevent him from interfering. After two and a half seasons, the show has finally found a good role for the character Spencer, making her a more significant part of the story. However, the show also unexpectedly paired her with Cole in a romantic storyline that many viewers didn’t want.

It’s not necessarily that Tulsa King season 3 is dragging on too long, but it feels empty because the characters and plot aren’t very deep. Dwight easily manipulates people in Tulsa, which has become repetitive. Plus, the show has lost its original blend of humor and drama, creating awkward shifts in tone that make it hard to get invested.

Tulsa King Season 3 Has Improved But Is Still Ultimately A Disappointment

Brian Douglas / ©Paramount+/Viacom / Courtesy Everett Collection

While not a bad episode, Tulsa King season 3, episode 7 feels predictable. The plot progresses too smoothly, and Dwight’s usual knack for getting out of trouble isn’t as compelling. Despite the new enemies this season, he doesn’t seem to be in any genuine danger, making the show less and less exciting.

Aside from a couple of surprising moments, like Cole’s sudden attack on Dwight in the last episode, the drama in Tulsa King’s third season feels artificial. It’s almost certain that everything will ultimately work out for Dwight, turning the show into a repetitive cycle of watching his opponents repeatedly try and fail to defeat him.

I was hoping the arrival of Quiet Ray would revitalize Tulsa King’s third season, but he quickly disappeared into the background and likely won’t have a significant role beyond a possible conflict with Dwight. Dwight’s tendency to deliver philosophical pronouncements in everyday conversation creates an expectation that his predictions will come true, which ultimately makes the show less exciting.

I was seriously on the edge of my seat near the end of that episode! For a moment, I really thought Dunmire was going to harm his own son, and honestly, it would have made sense given how we first met him – remembering he burned Cleo’s house down with her father inside. It’s wild to think Cole and his friends were responsible for that, so you’d expect Dunmire to at least have some understanding. But then, in episode 7, he starts questioning his son’s very being, calling his soul “defective” and then…implying his strength comes from being secretly gay? It felt really unnecessary and honestly, a bit disappointing.

Tulsa King Season 3 Could Still Rebound Before November’s Finale

Brian Douglas / ©Paramount+/Viacom / Courtesy Everett Collection

Now that Dunmire has been arrested at the end of episode 7, season 3 of Tulsa King has the potential to get better. This definitely makes me want to see what happens next in episode 8 – it’s unclear how long Dunmire will be in jail and how his imprisonment will impact Dwight’s business and plans in Tulsa.

Dunmire’s situation is stuck for now, and it remains to be seen if this unexpected twist will actually improve things or just be another empty shock. If Dwight tries to leverage his connections to free Dunmire, it would be a predictable and uninspired move, continuing what has largely been a disappointing season.

The show has introduced a lot of different storylines, and it’s okay if some of them aren’t fully resolved. It feels like this season of Tulsa King has taken on too much. Hopefully, the last three episodes will focus less on discussing strategy and more on actually showing it through exciting events.

Honestly, with how slowly things are moving this season, I’m starting to think we won’t see Samuel L. Jackson show up as the NOLA King until the very end, maybe even just a quick scene in the credits! But you know what? Maybe that’s a good thing. Perhaps they’re deliberately keeping Dunmire in the background to make room for someone even bigger – Jackson – and finally give this Sheridan show the boost it desperately needs.

New episodes of Tulsa King release every Sunday exclusively on Paramount+.

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2025-11-02 23:08