‘Tulsa King’ Season 3 Episode 8 Recap: Sylvester Stallone’s Mob Drama Will Never Be the Same After an Explosive Cliffhanger

Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 8.

Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) has spent most of this season of Tulsa King on the back foot, facing his most ruthless opposition yet in Jeremiah Dunmire (Robert Patrick). Last week’s episode saw a few lifelines finally thrown Dwight’s way, with Attorney General Sackrider (Tim Guinee) now in Dwight’s pocket (and under his protection). Additionally, Jeremiah’s right-hand man/chief heavy/son Cole (Beau Knapp) hasn’t broken ranks yet, but he seems primed to do so soon, having been wrestling with his conscience lately. That turn of fortune is likely aided in part by his increasing crush on Manfredi’s bartender Spencer (Scarlett Rose Stallone), while Jeremiah continues to push him away. There’s no word yet on the missing Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo) or what Quiet Ray (James Russo) is going to do, but at least Manfredi is finally getting some disorder in his chief enemy’s camp.

Episode 8 starts with the reopening of the Distillery, thanks to Sackrider’s new patronage. It’s a pretty big win for the crew. Elsewhere, Jeremiah Dunmire leaves his brief incarceration after physically attacking AG Sackrider, and he and Cole don’t seem that happy to see each other. It cuts briefly to Deacon, who shows up at Dunmire’s estate. Cole and the boys exit their vehicles aggressively, but Jeremiah takes the lead. “Who the hell are you?” he asks. Deacon admits Dwight sent him to kill Dunmire (no professionalism, I swear), but he found Dwight “untrustworthy.” The bomb maker, Deacon, notes that Dwight clearly had disdain for him and, therefore, must have ulterior motives. “I’m gonna kill him, that’s for certain,” he says, “but to destroy other people in his life… that would be my gift to you.” Cole, who has recently fallen for someone under Dwight’s roof, says nothing but looks slightly distressed, and Jeremiah sends him away to talk, well, mass murder with a terrorist. “You showed up at the right time,” Jeremiah says. Cue intro credits.

Dwight Solves the Case of the Missing Bevilaqua in ‘Tulsa King’ Season 3 Episode 8

Margaret (Dana Delany) is prepping for a campaign event for Carl Thresher (Neal McDonough). He’s nervous, and she tells him not to overthink it. Dwight calls, and she tells him that if it all goes well, she thinks “we’ll have a future governor on our hands.” He’s banking on it, and she says Dwight won’t need Carl in his back pocket. Out front, we see Deacon clandestinely scouting out Thresher’s rally. He drops a bomb off without seeing a single ounce of security. (Isn’t Thresher a billionaire and a plausible next governor? Wouldn’t he have security? Has Special Agent Musso stopped watching him altogether?) Back at the distillery, Dwight receives a call from the bombmaker, who wants to meet, then proceeds to call Musso (Kevin Pollak). Dwight wants to set the meet himself, promising it will be flawless, and gets Mitch (Garret Hedlund) and Bigfoot (Mike “Cash Flo” Walden) to attend.

At the weed dispensary, Tyson (Jay Will) and Spencer visit Bodhi (Martin Starr). He wants to take over the shop for one night in order to move his recently stolen frat pharmacy, just ecstasy and alcohol (he says). Tyson says Dwight can’t know about it, but “he want me to earn, so this is gonna be it.” After a brief exchange, Bodhi asks how Tyson roped Spencer into the venture, and she says it was her idea. He agrees under one condition: 25% of the door and a split of the product. Elsewhere, Dwight pulls in to meet with Musso, who is excited about the upcoming bust… but first, Dwight has to settle a matter. “I know what you did,” he says. “You’re a Fed, right? Deductive reasoning, hypotheticals, syllogism.” “What?” Musso clarifies. “No?” Dwight asks. “Maybe you should read more.” He goes on to explain that if you take every possibility, whatever remains must be the truth (a paraphrase of Arthur Conan Doyle), ergo, he figured out that Musso took Bevilaqua and framed Dwight for it.

Dwight Takes Deacon in ‘Tulsa King’ Season 3 Episode 8

Sylvester Stallone in Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 8Image via Paramount+

Musso chose to take Bevilaqua because he wanted to, since “he’s a gangster with no purpose, and he was gonna f*ck up your purpose, yeah?” For the record, this is bizarrely idiotic because it wasn’t motivated, yet it causes trouble for Dwight when the latter needs to appear on the up-and-up for the drop to work. Perhaps this is why no one would work with Musso to take down Deacon. Dwight beats around the bush to inquire why Musso wants to put Deacon through the long, complicated justice system instead of, you know, letting it go down mafia-style. “It’s what my partner would have wanted,” he says. Dwight asks why he’s so high on Musso’s list, and he explains that Deacon killed his partner. From an honorific code, Dwight wants to put Deacon at rest with the fishes, but Musso wants it by the book. “Throw the book in the f*cking fire, would you?” Dwight replies, before they drive into the night.

The pair drives up to a pitch-black, abandoned-looking building, and Musso wants Dwight to wear a wire so the case is airtight. Dwight bristles at the suggestion. “Rats wear wires.” He takes the listening device. “When this is over, we’re done,” Dwight says. “If this deal holds, then we’re done,” Musso replies. “Don’t f*ck it up.” Dwight enters with a bag of cash and drops the wire on the ground. Deacon’s sitting at a table, and pulls out a pistol. “There was a disconnect, Mister Manfredi,” he says. “You asked me to perform a service for you, but it was obvious you loathed me. There was something personal about it.” Behind Deacon, a gun cocks: it’s Mitch, who got the drop on him, alongside Bigfoot from another angle. He drops the gun and orders the pair to check him, to which he replies, “Didn’t expect to be on the wrong end of the double cross.” Musso notices he hears nothing from the wire, and Dwight, Mitch, and Bigfoot pull Deacon into a van out back. They leave in the dark, with the Feds none the wiser.

Cole Warns Spencer in ‘Tulsa King’ Season 3 Episode 8

Sylvester Stallone and Dallas Roberts in Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 8Image via Paramount+

At Thresher’s rally, he banters with Margaret to say they make quite a couple… and that’s the vibe they’re giving up. AG Sackrider arrives with his wife, and he and Thresher have a warm greeting. When they leave, Thresher offers Margaret a role in his administration of her choice. She says it’s flattering, to which he replies, “This has nothing to do with flattery.” He ties her into making it all possible, including his loftier-than-intended political goals, “so that makes you part of it.” Thresher also tells her to be ready, “because win, lose, or draw, if this thing goes sideways, it’s not just my ass they’re after. It’s Dwight’s and it’s yours… and although Dwight Manfredi might be bulletproof, I assure you, Margaret, we are not.” She nonetheless grins and entertains guests.

Back at the meet, Musso finally gathers that the exchange is taking too long. They arrive to find the locale empty, and Musso is angry. “Motherf*cker,” he says. Dwight and crew bring Deacon to the catacombs. “What do you want to let me go?” he asks. Dwight isn’t compromising. Deacon says Dwight must want something, and Dwight responds, “I want everything you know. Every fucking client you ever worked with, every cell, everything.” Deacon says he’ll be killed, and Dwight responds, “So what?” Back at the Dunmires, Cole asks what “that man” wanted. “That son of a bitch saw the light,” Jeremiah says. “Now it’s our time to even the score… Dwight Manfredi was gonna bomb our house, our home,” he says. “He was gonna kill us both, then the Lord redirected our hand.” Cole asks how, and Jeremiah dances around it, but says he’ll succeed where Cole failed.

Back at the distillery, the drugs are flowing, lights glowing. Tyson goes to shmooze when Cole shows up, and she pulls him aside angrily. He tells her that Jeremiah “said something about hurting people close to Manfredi, and you’re close to him.” She was concerned, and he added that the plan was to hurt a lot of people at a hotel. Spencer heads inside to tell Tyson, who calls Dwight. Cut to Dwight, who has severely bloodied Deacon. He appears to have talked, but can remember no more (beyond the hotel bombing he clearly hasn’t mentioned), and Mitch has it all on tape. Dwight takes the flag pin he bought from Deacon and punches it into his face before receiving the call. Dwight calls Musso, who wants the target, but Dwight says it doesn’t matter where he is. “This maniac,” he says, “this f*cking Deacon put a f*cking bomb at the Delmore Grand Hotel.” On the phone, Deacon admits to planting the bomb (set to go off at 10 PM), and Dwight buries him alive, screaming, in a Montague ancestor’s casket.

Deacon’s Plan Bombs in ‘Tulsa King’ Season 3 Episode 8

Scarlett Rose Stallone and Jay Will in Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 8Image via Paramount+

Dwight calls Margaret and can’t get through. She and Thresher are peddling tithing support to a minister whose endorsement they want. “Faith is not a campaign promise, it’s a movement,” she says. He pledges his support. Meanwhile, it’s eight minutes past 10 PM. Phones attached to the bomb start to ring. The police arrive as Dwight continues to drive, but they seem awfully slow at evacuating. Dwight enters, finally, and he and Musso lead the way in telling everyone to exit. After Musso evacuates Thresher, Dwight finds Margaret with two minutes to go, and Mitch checks to see if anyone’s left. As everyone leaves the building, the building blows, sending Mitch flying into the concrete. Margaret is alright as Dwight holds her on the ground.

Back at the Dunmires’ place, Jeremiah smokes a cigar by a fire. He always knows when Cole’s nearby. “I heard there was a ruckus at that wannabe governor’s party,” he says. “I’m glad it worked out for you,” Cole says. “Always does,” Jeremiah replies, as Cole stares into the fire. Dwight looks blankly on as Mitch is loaded into the ambulance. At another spot in the crowd, Musso approaches Dwight, who asks him what he wants to do. “Bury you,” he replies. “You broke our deal.” “That’s only in your mind,” Dwight replies, before Musso asks where Deacon is. “Out of sight, out of mind,” Dwight replies. “What matters is still in here.” He points to his head. “Yeah, but you got to share that with me,” Musso replies. Dwight’s last words? “Maybe tomorrow.” Musso walks off, and Margaret witnesses their interaction as the rest of the team rendezvous with Dwight. Clearly, she has questions.

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

Pros & Cons

• Nothing’s going to be the same after this episode, and the consequences are significantly felt.
• The bombing plotline is well-constructed and structured.
• Dwight’s confrontations with Deacon are well-portrayed, with an intimidating Stallone and solid writing.

• This episode worked at its core, but it revealed weaknesses in the storytelling.
• Some B-plots don’t amount to much, like the inconsequential sale of the drugs at the dispensary.