Review: ‘Tulsa King’ Season 4 Comes Out Swinging With Shocking Deaths and Trouble for Dwight Manfredi
Reel Perspectives
October 18, 2026
Just when you think Dwight “The General” Manfredi was finally getting a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor, Tulsa King returned for Season 4 on October 16, and Sylvester Stallone’s favorite mobster is already knee-deep in trouble. The premiere wasted no time turning up the heat, delivering shocking deaths, dangerous new enemies, and plenty of trouble brewing among his own crew. After a strong third season, the series is back with a ten-episode season.
The biggest shock of the premiere comes with the apparent deaths of Margaret Devereaux (Dana Delany), Dwight’s girlfriend, and Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough), Oklahoma’s governor and Dwight’s frenemy. Talk about a double whammy! Neither was on our Season 4 bingo card, and their apparent fates will have serious consequences for everyone involved. Margaret has become an important part of Dwight’s life while Cal’s relationship with The General has made him both an adversary and an unpredictable ally. Losing both characters changes the game, particularly as Dwight works to grow Friedman Enterprises, the legitimate business whose name is an anagram of Manfredi.
Of course, we have to wonder whether Margaret and Cal are really dead, because Tulsa King has never been a show to let a major twist go without leaving room for a few surprises. If Cal is out of the picture, his lieutenant governor, Amanda Clark (Gretchen Mol), will benefit politically. She has made her disdain for Dwight abundantly clear from the moment they crossed paths,
and the prospect of her gaining more power is hardly good news for Dwight, who already has plenty of enemies.
Dwight’s problems don't stop there. Tyson (Jay Will) is still dabbling in the drug business behind Dwight’s back. With help from Goodie (Chris Caldovino), Tyson’s side hustle takes a dangerous turn when he shoots a rival connected to some seriously intimidating mobsters. Because apparently working for a crime boss who is trying to build a legitimate empire wasn't complicated enough! Dwight has no idea what Tyson has gotten himself into, but when the truth comes out, we can only imagine how pleased The General will be to discover that one of his own people has invited a fresh wave of trouble into Tulsa.
Things get even more complicated with the return of Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo), who has recently been released from federal prison and is determined to stir up trouble by pitting Dwight and Quiet Ray (James Russo) against each other. With the old mafia family still watching Dwight’s every move, escaping his former associates is proving easier said than done.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Timpone (Rhys Coiro), the owner of the Italian restaurant who sold Dwight and Margaret a case of very expensive wine, is giving off serious sus vibes. Thankfully, Bodhi (Martin Starr) is on the case, and Mitch (Garrett Hedlund), who is spearheading a very illegal insurance scam, is another ticking time bomb waiting to explode. The premiere does a nice job introducing these secondary plots without losing sight of Dwight, setting the stage for another action packed season.
Following a terrific third season, that saw Dwight facing off against Jeremiah Dunmire (Robert Patrick), creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan and Stallone introduce several different subplots into the same orbit while leaving viewers with one enormous question about Margaret and Cal, while still having to contend with an AI tech bro (Flula Borg) who is gunning for Margaret’s horse ranch.
The threats are coming from multiple directions in Season 4, and the apparent deaths of two major characters give the new season an emotional edge. The challenge is watching Dwight juggle the personal losses, criminal entanglements, and business battles without letting his carefully constructed empire come crashing down.
Fortunately, Stallone remains the not so secret weapon that makes Tulsa King such an entertaining ride. The biggest reason the series continues to work so well is Stallone himself. The veteran action star has found a terrific second act as Dwight Manfredi, bringing a surprising amount of heart to a character who could easily have been played as nothing more than a ruthless gangster. Stallone wears Dwight’s emotions on his sleeve, balancing his intimidating presence with a disarming sense of humor and a surprising tender side. He can be ruthless when he needs to be, but there is something genuinely endearing about the way he tries to build a new life while still being very much the old school mobster who knows how to handle a problem.
That balance of charm, menace, and humor keeps the series running like a well-oiled machine in Season 4. Dwight’s legitimate business is under pressure, his crew is creating problems behind his back, and his personal life may have suffered two devastating blows. Whether Margaret and Cal are truly gone remains one of the season’s biggest mysteries, and you'll have to keep tuning in to another fantastic season to find out.
New episodes of Tulsa King Season 4 drop every Friday through its season finale on December 18. Catch up on Seasons 1-3 also on Paramount+
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