Tulsa King's latest installment, "Adobe Walls," is everything a penultimate episode in a television season should be: a thrilling lead-up to the inevitable that nonetheless manages to surprise. Sylvester Stallone's Dwight Manfredi goes to war next week, and although the battle lines have been clearly drawn, there's a lot of mileage left in the mysteries the series has set up. Here's how the events of Episode 8 fit in with the overall narrative of the first season, along with a breakdown of the show's unanswered questions and a list of likely outcomes for next week's finale.
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Warning, spoilers ahead for episode 8 of Tulsa King.
Team Dwight Prepares for War
The episode opens with Dwight's merry band of miscreants at target practice, led by Mitch. None of them know how to hold a gun, with the exception of The Higher Plane's resident e-girl, Grace (McKenna Quigley Harrington), who's hitting bullseyes. She's much more than anyone took her for: her father taught her how to shoot, but she hasn't picked up a gun since his suicide two years ago. And while the rest of the gang remains confused about why they're being groomed for wartime (everyone knows about the Bred-2-Buck shootout, but they don't know that it ended with Dwight and Mitch killing Carson Pike), Grace is remarkably au courant. They stepped on Black Macadam's nitrous operation, and Caolan Waltrip's war on Dwight is a war on them all. "We're all adults, okay? We know what happens when you play with other people's toys, so we're not going anywhere," Grace tells Dwight. "That said, you're a smart guy. Our leader. So lead us out of this s***."
Back at the Bred-2-Buck, the boys propose the casino idea to Jimmy the Creek. The bar is situated on Cherokee land, so all they need is Jimmy to stick his name on the deed in exchange for a 20% cut, and the casino will qualify for a gambling license. Badface is currently in jail for hitting a cop, and Dwight asks Jimmy if he knows any "really tough, baby-Badface indigenous types" that could do some damage. The Creek promises to send a couple of Indian cowboys ("You can be both," he notes) Dwight's way.
In New York, Chickie (who looks like a menacing Mr. Clean) makes a mess of his father's memorial get-together. When he announces his intention of killing Dwight, one Invernizzi capo, Johnny (Guy Nardulli), unwisely challenges the new boss: "Dwight? He was like your dad's brother. I mean, whatever the issue, isn't there another solution here?" To everyone's shock, Chickie slams Johnny against the wall, threatening to kill him.
Stacy Closes In on Caolan Waltrip
Stacy is on one this episode, giving everybody the business and, alas, getting sloppy with her tactics. First, she marches straight into Black Macadam territory and confronts Waltrip, demanding to know where he buried Roxy. Later, at the ATF Office, Agent Oscar Ruiz (who interrogated Bodhi offscreen in Episode 6) tells Stacy that the FBI has been following Dwight, but has nothing on him — other than the fact that he had dinner with one Margaret Devereaux and was spotted with a second unidentified woman. Yikes.
At this point, Stacy's both desperate to deflect and genuinely concerned that Waltrip will kill again: "Manfredi's not even an ATF target. We should be focused on Waltrip, okay? The f****** murderer who's trafficking in drugs and stolen weapons." Her plan? Bust Waltrip for the money he's sheltering tax-free, per Roxy's final mission.
Mitch helps Dwight build his army, recruiting a bull wrangler and a butcher. They promise to find what Dwight's "looking for" (probably Waltrip) and to "kill without remorse." When they ask if this little arrangement means they're in the mafia now, The General leans in and grumbles, "Nah, there's no such-a thing." It's the kind of twinkle-in-the-eye line delivery Stallone seizes on unabashedly. Call it rote, but Stallone is one of the last of the action movie stars, and that kind of knowing, too-cool-for-school performance won't be around much longer. Surrendering to it is part of the fun of this series.
Dwight Makes a New Enemy
Meanwhile, Tyson packs up the last of his belongings at his parents' house, and his father's disappointed but loving farewell carries an eerie finality: "We don't have to debate this, Tyson. You made your decision. We did our best." Mark has swung the bat (literally) for Dwight once before, and maybe he'll do it again in the season finale. Given the solemn tone of their parting, I can't help but wonder if Tyson's character arc will only be complete once he's lost someone close to him. The kid's one-foot-in, one-foot-out approach is just not satisfying. Then again, maybe that is the character. Tyson's slow, idiotic descent into criminality (or, from another perspective, his ascent toward self-reliance) provides much of the show's comic relief. He's the bumbling Robin to Dwight's secretly big-hearted Batman. Their relationship is so pivotal in the series — it provides such a stark central contrast — that I can't see it dramatically changing with a new, dark-sided Tyson. Still, I'm nervous that Mark may be, well, marked. He participated in the Ogallala Land attack, and once an enemy of Waltrip, always an enemy of Waltrip.
Tina and Dwight's relationship has grown by leaps and bounds since Emory was attacked and proven utterly incapable of protecting her and the children. Tina's no dummy. She calls Dwight to tell him that she's ready to bring the family down to Tulsa, but he urges her to put off the move for now. In any case, she promises that Dwight will get to meet his grandkids "when the time is right."
At Fennario Ranch, Dwight meets Margaret's ex-husband, Brian Gillen (Allen Autry), and he's vicious, just as expected. "You found a woman of means and you're fixin' to fleece her," he tells Dwight. "You think I don't know who you are? You're a f****** relic. I mean, with all your tough talk and your shiny shoes. But here's the thing. That dog? It just don't hunt down here." Sooo Brian doesn't want his ex with Dwight. Fair enough. But is the guy capable of doing anything to undermine The General? Maybe. Brian has a stake in the ranch, so if Dwight tried to, say, enter into a business partnership with Margaret, Brian could put the brakes on it. Even so, that won't happen until next season.
Force Multiplier
The ATF has raided Black Macadam's dive-bar-slash-lair and seized Waltrip's laptop. He has over $8 million in cash, and Stacy pushes for a rushed court order to freeze his accounts. Waltrip is a drug and arms dealer, and halting his ill-gotten gains could be the key to cutting his operation off at the knees.
Speak of the devil, a post-raid, unhinged Waltrip is getting high on his own supply, snorting cocaine and commanding the cops in his pocket to nab Dwight however they can: "Arrest Manfredi. Get him into a jail cell. Somewhere I can get to him." A classic cokehead vs. pothead trope, we cut directly to Bodhi and Jimmy the Creek carrying out the most zen business conversation ever. Bodhi convinces Jimmy to agree to the casino proposal, calling Dwight a "force multiplier." According to The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military (yes, it's a real thing), a force multiplier describes a "capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment." In other words, Dwight is great for business.
Waltrip's cops pull Tyson over, and Dwight gets out of the car to intimidate the two officers, warning them that he's holding a gun inside his jacket (he's not). The cops back off, and Dwight lies to Tyson, telling him the whole thing was about a broken taillight.
Meanwhile, Stacy returns to court-mandated therapy with Dr. Schanderson, who's rocking yet another intricate cardigan. He's worried that she's going off the deep end, and that her mental state could impact her career. "I appreciate your concern, but it's over," she tells him. "It is done." Either Stacy's throwing in the towel on her years of public service, or she's on the cusp of vanquishing Waltrip once and for all.
Chickie Hatches a Plan
At long last, Chickie sets the endgame in motion. His plan? Trap and kill The General in Tulsa. He makes a phone call to "Uncle Dwight," faking that his father's death has inspired him to go down South and make amends: "You are the last vestige of my father that I got left." (Meanwhile, Vinny sits beside him like a snickering schoolgirl on a prank call.) Dwight is gracious, but he tells Chickie outright that he knows about the hit put on him in prison. (It's still unclear whether Pete, Chickie or both ordered Dwight's murder. Even Dwight can't be sure either way. But my bet is it was solely a rogue Chickie decision that Pete never found out about.)
The problem is, Dwight wants to believe Chickie; he wants a ceasefire. Chickie's fakeout truce preys on Dwight's soft spot for Pete, and on the reforms Dwight's made to his life since he was freed from prison. Besides, he doesn't know that Chickie murdered Pete. He can't be sure that Chickie knew about Nico and Tina, and he has no proof that Chickie ordered, let alone perpetrated, an assault on Emory.
Meanwhile, Manny's wife has threatened to divorce him if he doesn't agree to move their family out of Tulsa. She's afraid that his involvement with Dwight has endangered their children, but Manny refuses to run. He did that once before, and his demons only caught up with him.
In the final moments of the episode, Stacy's cavalier approach to Waltrip's case comes back to bite her. She catches Dwight outside his hotel to let him know that there's a warrant out for Waltrip's arrest, and that she and Dwight are done. But Waltrip and his lieutenant have tracked Dwight to his hotel on their motorcycles, and they open fire. Dwight and Stacy pull their guns, too, hitting Waltrip's lieutenant. But Stacy is shot in the stomach, and Waltrip speeds off unharmed. Tyson pulls up and Dwight gives him his gun, instructing him to hide it before the police arrive.
Finale Predictions
Now that all the chips are in place for a Dwight-Black Macadam-Invernizzi showdown, what questions remain unanswered? And how might the first season end? A few theories on what's to come:
- Stacy wasn't mortally wounded, but she'll definitely be in a hospital bed for much of the final episode. That takes her off the board for Dwight and Waltrip's showdown, but she's got a couple of problems on her hands. The FBI will be suspicious that she just happened to be at Dwight's hotel when Waltrip fired on him. How does Stacy explain that away? She could claim that she was following Waltrip, but that's a stretch. The bigger problem? Now, Waltrip knows that there's something going on between Stacy and Dwight. He could use that to blackmail her into...destroying evidence? Going after Dwight? Helping Black Macadam escape justice?
- The Bred-2-Buck can't magically turn into a ritzy gambling den overnight, so we won't get a glimpse of the casino until Season 2 — unless, of course, the final episode ends with a significant time jump. The point of the casino is that everyone has a stake in it. Mitch, Bodhi and Jimmy all have a vested interest in helping Dwight defeat Black Macadam, so expect the finale to be all hands on deck.
- Now for the numbers: Waltrip has 7 bikers behind him. It's not exactly a fleet, but they're all well-trained. On Dwight's side, there's Mitch and his 2 cowboys, Jimmy and his 2 Native henchmen, Manny and Grace. (Tyson, Bodhi and the rest of The Higher Plane are pretty much useless.) That makes Team Dwight an army of 9 (10 if Dwight can get Badface out of jail in time for battle) to Black Macadam's 8.
- But what about Dwight's other foe, the Invernizzis? Chickie's coming to Tulsa with Vinny and Goodie in tow. Obviously, he won't succeed in killing Dwight. (The series has been renewed for a second season.) But will Chickie go through with a murder attempt? If so, will Goodie stand by and let the order pass? And if Dwight reveals that the Invernizzis tried to have him whacked in prison, could that be the final straw for Goodie?
- The biggest unresolved issue going into the finale is the fact that Chickie murdered his father and no one knows about it. Dwight's love for Pete is already fading, so I doubt the truth of his murder will be held until next season; it must come to light while Pete's death is still fresh for Dwight. Maybe Goodie or Dwight will guess the truth of it, especially if they learn that Chickie attacked Emory.
- This episode makes clear that Bodhi didn't rat out Dwight to the FBI. That question is resolved, but the issue of Bodhi's kidnapping by Black Macadam in Episode 5 is not. (It's tin foil hat time!) During that exchange, Bodhi told Waltrip that he'd be happy to relay a message to Dwight. Waltrip responded with, "You will. But not quite yet." A sack was placed over Bodhi's head, as if Waltrip meant to ferry him to another secret location. The next time we saw Bodhi, Waltrip's cops dropped him off at the Bred-2-Buck later that night. Either Bodhi's working for Waltrip, or I should remove my tin foil hat at once.
- I doubt Margaret will play a central role in the finale — although a shootout at the Fennario stables would make an excellent set piece. As much as it pains me to admit it, Dwight will certainly not ride into battle on Pilot.
- Tina will be safe in New York while the Invernizzis are down South. When the dust settles in Tulsa, I could see the season ending with Tina bringing her family to T-town, allowing Dwight to meet his grandkids. That's the goal.
The season finale of Tulsa King premieres Sunday, Jan. 8, exclusively on Paramount+.
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