Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Staring Down the Barrel

The family theme continues stronger than ever on Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 4, “Staring Down the Barrel,” as the episode begins with Manfredi reminding everyone that they are family. Even though he should be upset his crew lost him the biggest prize, he feels partially responsible for having been MIA for an entire day.

However, what he feels worse about is the fact that they left Tyson behind. As he reminds them, they aren’t supposed to leave family behind, so they need to make up for the troubles they caused. Now more than ever, they are supposed to work as a family.

That is something Dunmire still has to understand, which might cost him his entire operation.

Ever since we were introduced to the character of Cole Dunmire, we have seen him do everything he can to make his father happy. But even with the big bounty of The Fifty, Dunmire continues to treat his son like he is nothing and will never make him proud.

While so far this hasn’t affected Cole’s loyalty to his father, it has become very clear in his facial expression that he is getting tired of this fatherly mistreatment. Dunmire has gone as far as to thank god over his own son for the whiskey Cole was able to steal.

But the cherry on top of Cole’s disappointment is the fact that his father is so willing to let him die if it means keeping The Fifty. Even though Dunmire agrees to give the booze back to Manfredi, it seems he does so not to look bad in front of them more than to save his own son. Cole’s life means nothing to him in comparison to the legacy he so ferociously tries to protect.

Once again, that is where the difference between Dunmire and Manfredi lies. Family is important to Manfredi, and it might eventually become something that attracts Cole, pushing him to betray his own father.

That would certainly be an interesting plot twist.

Since the beginning of Tulsa King, the show has stated that family isn’t just the one you’re born into but the one you build. Nevertheless, Manfredi has always encouraged his crew to protect their own families, and that is why he calls Tyson’s father when he sees the young man struggling.

Tyson has always seen his father as a straight shooter, which has caused a rift in their relationship from the moment he started running with Manfredi. “Staring Down the Barrel” gives him and the viewers a new perspective on who Mark is.

This new revelation might be what changes Tyson’s point of view. However, this is going to take a lot of work on his part because while Mark tells him that becoming an honest man is what made his life great, his son still doesn’t believe him. For Tyson, gold, fame, and how others view him are still the most important things.

But maybe his dad helping the crew this one time becomes something they have in common, and Tyson begins to listen to him.

There are two connections on this episode that stand out. One is the newfound peace between Manfredi and Bevilaqua as they share a common enemy.

Even though the two were willing to fight each other to the death before, Dunmire’s actions have brought them closer together. They know that if they fight each other, Dunmire will win, but if they stick together, they have a chance to bring his empire down.

And if we’re honest, it is entertaining and intriguing to watch the two men put their differences aside to work together.

The other one is the friendship between Grace and Bodhi. The two of them have worked alongside each other from the beginning and, with raw honesty, have kept each other in line. They don’t shy away from the hardships that come from working with Manfredi while simultaneously being each other’s support system.

It is sweet to watch such care between two characters in a show that’s all about the action and the game.

As the season moves further down the line, there are a few things to keep an eye on. The first one is New York. They are still trying to control what Manfredi does, going as far as to call Bevilaqua and offering their help if he needs to get rid of Manfredi. While it doesn’t seem he will take them up on the offer just yet, we hope he continues on the path of loyalty to Manfredi.

The second is Joanne. She is taking her role as distillery boss extremely seriously, proving that she can be in charge and have control over something. It is particularly encouraging to watch her like Grace’s ideas and motivate her in an industry that is so male-centered.

The third thing to keep an eye on is Margaret’s move on Thresher. It has always seemed she is hiding something that we can’t quite figure out yet, and this move might get us closer to the truth. She claims she can get him to governor, and we wonder how she got to a position in which she can have such power.

Last but not least, Manfredi’s claim of a second shot. He believes his life in Tulsa has been a reset, but he continues to do the same thing he did before prison. Is it possible that this second shot gets him in trouble again?

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Tulsa King airs Sundays on Paramount+.

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