Taylor Sheridan’s popular crime series, Tulsa King, is finally starting to feel like a neo-Western. The Western genre is one of the most storied in Hollywood, and Taylor Sheridan’s various Westerns are among the most popular of the 21st century. The writer and TV mega-producer has popularized the genre on television in a way it hasn’t been for years.

Yellowstone is Taylor Sheridan’s current opus, with the show’s five divisive seasons leaving behind a legacy as one of the most-watched titles of the century. The show was an excellent example of a neo-Western, offering audiences beloved genre tropes in a complex, contemporary setting that deals with modern issues.

Tulsa King is a mafia crime series at its core, but the premise of a New York mobster starting up an operation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, suggests a degree of Western genre-blending. In Tulsa King season 3, the series is finally starting to fulfill that premise in an exciting way.

Tulsa King Season 3’s Dunmire Story Gives The Series More Western Elements Than Ever Before

The introduction of veteran actor Robert Patrick as Jeremiah Dunmire, the primary antagonist of Tulsa King season 3, has made the series feel more like a Western than ever. Not only has Dunmire immediately overshadowed the show’s previous villains with his unchecked cruelty, but he also provides the season with a fun premise: mobster vs. Western villain.

Tulsa King season 3’s Dunmire and Montague family dispute surrounding the distillery, along with less focus on the New York/Kansas City mafia families, has allowed the series to feel much more like Taylor Sheridan’s other shows. The tone feels very similar to those titles, only with Dwight Manfredi’s veteran mobster persona as the lead antihero.

The Oklahoma setting has been important to Dwight’s story in Tulsa King, but the show has, until now, failed to truly capitalize on the differences between Tulsa and New York City. Of course, the smaller location has allowed Dwight to rise up the food chain much faster than he may have in New York, but the series hasn’t fully embraced the potential of its setting.

Many of Dwight’s antagonists throughout Tulsa King so far have been mobsters or other organized crime syndicates. He’s yet to face off with someone like Dunmire, who’s almost more reminiscent of a Yellowstone villain than anyone else we’ve met in the series.

Tulsa King’s Neo-Western Shift Brings It Closer To Taylor Sheridan’s Landman

Aside from the obvious Yellowstone comparison, Tulsa King’s shift this season makes it feel much more similar to Landman. The shows are very similar, with both orbiting a charismatic main character as he operates against all odds. Now, the similarities are even more apparent.

Fans of Taylor Sheridan’s Westerns can rejoice in knowing that not only is Tulsa King embracing the neo-Western genre, but Landman season 2 will also be back in November.

Release Date

November 13, 2022

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Dave Erickson, Terence Winter

Directors

Allen Coulter, Benjamin Semanoff, David Semel, Guy Ferland, Joshua Marston, Kevin Dowling, Lodge Kerrigan, Jim McKay

Writers

Joseph Riccobene, David Flebotte, William Schmidt, Taylor Elmore, Tom Sierchio, Regina Corrado, Stephen Scaia, Terence Winter