Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 4:Did Tulsa King Just Make Cal Thresher Sympathetic?

The highly anticipated "Heroes and Villains" episode of Tulsa King Season 2 is finally here. Even though there was a lot of tension and it appeared like the authors had to rebuild Dwight Manfredi's character after the long break from the Paramount+ series, this hour features some surprising revelations and significant character growth. There will be a lot more drama throughout the remainder of the season because to this episode.
The main plot of "Heroes and Villains" is around Dwight growing his corporate empire after winning the quickest jury trial in history and being cleared of all bribery-related charges. However, under all of that, he, his sister Joanne, and a few other members of his crew are going through some moments of truth. Additionally, he gets a huge surprise regarding his adversary Cal Thresher that completely changes the course of the season. With relatively few errors, the episode strikes a balance between drama and action.
Tulsa King Gives Dwight Reasons for Doubt
Season 2, Episode 4 Drops His Tough Guy Persona
Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 3, "Oklahoma v. Manfredi," emphasized Dwight's infallibility, which was the show's main flaw. He was a strong man who consistently appeared to get his way. Paradoxically, Sylvester Stallone's character feels frightened and insecure in the scene where he has every right to be confident—having avoided both criminal charges and a mob assassination attempt. And that's how this entire hour is going to feel. When Dwight exudes confidence, Stallone is fantastic, but he can easily strike those notes. It's more interesting to watch Dwight question whether he made a mistake by refusing to reach a compromise with Bill Bevilaqua after realizing the impact his actions are having on everyone in his orbits.
Even though Dwight has survived, there are still repercussions for a number of other characters. The most notable is what occurs to Tyson Mitchell, played by Jay Will, when he goes to dispose of the body at the conclusion of Episode 3. With Carl Caputo's blood on his sleeve upon his return home, Tyson has put his wannabe gangster act on tour. He quarrels with Bodhi about Dwight's allegiance and exhibits excessive vociferation at both business discussions and group meetings. In addition, there's a very moving moment in which Tyson tries to convince his father to replace his old, beat-up work van with a new one. Tyson's father rejects him despite his sincere intentions, as he is aware of the source of the money. It hurts to see Tyson having alienated his father -- especially when his heart is in the right place.
A significant exchange occurs between Dwight and his sister Joanne. Joanne quickly learns that moving to Tulsa won't be the huge improvement she had anticipated. After a while, she gets Dwight to acknowledge that "things went sideways" and tells him how she feels about the way he handled the issue in Kansas City. And when Bodhi sees how violent it is, he attempts to give up completely. The reason Dwight provides Joanne a position working for Bodhi, which allows her to stay in the plot, is one of the few unanswered questions in the episode. That seems like a stretch, but if it leads to more moments between Stallone and Annabella Sciorra that are similar to this one, then it will be justified. Next
Did Tulsa King Just Make Cal Thresher Sympathetic?
Episode 4 Rattles the Villain's Cage
The most unexpected twist in "Heroes and Villains" had nothing to do with Dwight at all. It's involving his new opponent Cal Thresher, and it's irrefutable evidence of Neal McDonough's casting perfection. Thresher learns that Jackie Ming, a business partner, has been cultivating poppies on his marijuana field in order to make heroin. But after initially complying to Thresher's demand to have them removed, Jackie kills one of Thresher's employees in the head in front of Thresher and what seems to be most of the other staff. McDonough's shocked expression is cut to, giving Thresher a fear and vulnerability he has never experienced before. And it makes him much more interesting, much like Dwight.