Tulsa King season 2 begins where season 1 left off, as Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) is put behind bars after being arrested for bribing ATF agent Stacy Beale (Andrea Savage). But it’s only for the night, as Dwight is to be arraigned in the morning.
For the time being, he befriends a scared prisoner. Dwight immediately becomes interested in his cellmate, Harlan, after he admits to running an energy scam. He got $12.5 million in government subsidies to run a wind farm, which he then gambled away. Probably facing at least five years in prison, Dwight gives Harlan advice on how to survive inside, then knocks out the prisoner that had previously attacked him.
Will Dwight be able to get out of prison? Does he plan to run his own wind farm? Here's what happens in Tulsa King season 2 episode 1.
Dwight's day in court
Dwight pleads not guilty to the charge of bribery. When the judge says Dwight's bail is set at $3 million, he balks at the figure. His daughter Tina (Tatiana Zappardino) steps forward to put her mortgage up as the deposit. The judge accepts and Dwight is released.
With Dwight released, Stacy asks to be transferred away from Tulsa for her safety. But her boss admits that will be tough considering her track record.
While driving Dwight, Tyson Mitchell (Jay Will) takes action to avoid the officers following him. The next time it happens, Dwight tells Tyson to pull over so he can talk to the ATF. They warn Dwight not to go anywhere near Stacy.
Dwight doesn't listen and goes to her apartment that night. She thinks he's there to kill her, but he insists he wouldn't do that. Dwight's there to look her in the eyes, because that's what serious people do. He adds that, for the first time since going to prison, Stacy made him feel something. Dwight knew the two would never get together, but he has more respect for her than anyone he's ever met. This leaves her speechless. She apologizes. Dwight says she was used by the ATF and that he'll see her in court.
Brooklyn problems
In Brooklyn, Chickie Invernizzi (Domenick Lombardozzi) is warned that other gangsters and families sense a power vacuum and might soon be threatening him as the boss of the family. Vince Antonacci (Vincent Piazza) wants to take the fight to their enemies.
At the casino, Goodie (Chris Caldovino) gets a call from Jerry Izzo (Joseph Riccobene), the person who told Chickie about the power vacuum. But when Goodie answers, it's Chickie on the other end. Chickie tells Goodie because he stayed in Oklahoma, there's a perception going around that Chickie is weak. In order to prove that's not the case, Chickie makes Goodie listen as he shoots Jerry in the head and kills him.
Bigger business
Goodie tells the gang they need to get the sports book up and running for football season, while Mitch (Garrett Hedlund) has a plan to get hold of cigarettes without tax stamps. Though inspired by his time in jail, Dwight wants them to up their game. He wants them to bend the rules like politicians, with Goodie adding there's a fine line between being a businessman and criminal.
Tyson and Dwight then go to Bodhi's (Martin Starr) new marijuana store, Even Higher Plane. They're hugely impressed by the additional security and his use of technology to improve efficiency. Dwight tells Bodhi he wants to get the rest of the government subsidies to complete the construction of Harlan's wind-turbines, that way they'd be able to use the energy to power their hydroponic weed farm.
Elsewhere, Margaret Deveraux (Dana Delany) invites Dwight to a charity event that she's running. It is sponsored by Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough), who is a huge player in the medical marijuana business and the largest weed distributor in Oklahoma.
Manny is becoming an issue
At the event, Dwight tells the gang to be on their best behavior. There are a lot of high level people with high level money in attendance.
But an already drunk Manny (Max Casella) — who crashed his car when he arrived — heads straight to the bar. Dwight approaches him about his drinking, which causes Manny to admit his wife and kids left him, so he's stuck trying to give her money for child support and sell the house. Plus, there's the debt he owes Dwight. Unimpressed, Dwight tells Manny to leave.
Dwight's new foe?
Margaret introduces Dwight to Cal. He calls Dwight the man who is going to put him out of business, warning Dwight to stay in his own lane. Dwight asks if there's a problem. Cal says there wasn't, until there was. He knows all about Dwight's past and says Dwight is only in Tulsa to take advantage, that Dwight is pretending to be a tough guy. Dwight warns Cal he should feel threatened, before departing.
At a ranch, Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo) answers a call from Cal. He lists Dwight's achievements — that he's running a bar and casino and heavy into the marijuana business. He then asks Bill, "I thought this was your territory?" Bill hangs up the phone, annoyed.
Meanwhile, a frustrated Dwight sits at the casino, looking at the front page of the Tulsa Star Journal. Its headline reads, "The Mob comes to Tulsa," with a picture of Dwight underneath.
New episodes of Tulsa King season 2 premiere Sundays on Paramount Plus. All of Tulsa King season 1 is streaming on the platform.
