SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Tulsa King Season 3, Episode 3.

Tulsa King Season 3, Episode 3 sums up what makes the Paramount+ show both interesting and frustrating. Everyone in the series is reckless, even by the standards of TV dramatic license. “The G and the OG” is the best example of this, but also ensures that its characters face consequences.

The script splits the group up into three plots: Dwight goes on an out-of-town trip with Agent Musso, Tyson is determined to get revenge on Cole for attacking Mitch, and Mitch gets roped into Cleo’s revenge scheme. These stories are almost wholly separate until the end of the hour. It provides an opportunity to examine each of the dynamics—most importantly the one between Dwight and Musso, which got somewhat shoved to the side after Musso’s introduction. Kevin Pollak continues to nail Musso’s smarmy tone, and this plot provides one of the funniest scenes in Tulsa King history: Dwight being stuck in a self-driving car.

As funny as it is to see Dwight raging against the car’s computer, this pre-credits scene is also emblematic of Tulsa King as a whole. What makes the show different from other gangster epics is that Dwight has never lost his “fish out of water” vibe. He’s an analog protagonist in a digital world, and the writers as well as Sylvester Stallone are not afraid to lean into that. But his way of doing things also yields results, as seen later in Episode 3 when his gift of gab keeps Musso from getting a speeding ticket. There are some instances where the old-school approach is better.

The most painful storyline involves Tyson once again acting impulsively, and getting everyone in trouble for it. He wants to take revenge on Cole Dunmire, discovers that Cole is running a rigged bingo hall, and shows him up in public (with some help from Goodie and the gang). It’s no shocker that Tyson faces backlash for his actions with as big and loud as they are. What gets him to break is that Cole threatens to shoot an exotic dancer whom Tyson has met just moments earlier. As cringe-worthy as it is, this is a moment in which the old Tyson comes back out: someone who doesn’t want to see anyone hurt, and someone who really doesn’t have the fortitude to be a gangster. It’s understandable that he gives up the location of the prized Montague Fifty, even if viewers will also be incredibly frustrated.

Elsewhere, Mitch ends up on an involuntary road trip with Cleo that explains why their relationship didn’t work out in the first place. She just wants to shoplift and get her own revenge on Cole’s dad Jeremiah Dunmire. Robert Patrick only has one scene in “The G and the OG,” but it’s worth it as Jeremiah gives Cleo the classic villain spiel. What’s more impactful is Mitch laying down the law to her afterward—telling her that either she gets on board with Dwight’s way of doing things or they’re strangers. It’s exactly what he should say in that situation and it’s important for the rest of Tulsa King Season 3. The show isn’t letting its characters run around and cause trouble just because it’s dramatic. Their actions have repercussions.

Another example of this is the Armand subplot coming to the fore. Armand’s wife Clara arrives to reveal that Armand is missing. He hasn’t been seen on screen at all this season—and now he may not be. The character had kind of run his course by the end of Season 2, but this news is still important for Tulsa King fans because they know Armand and know his importance to the main cast. There may be lesser and greater evils, but nobody in this world gets to live a “normal” life. The people who were somewhat able—Tina and her kids—were sent off to New York. “The G and the OG” is all about the harsh realities of Tulsa King, with some added brushes of character development to raise the stakes that much higher.

Tulsa King streams Sundays on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.